Flooring Porter returns to fences for Killarney spin

Top staying hurdler has Kerry National target in September.

Dual Stayers’ Hurdle hero Flooring Porter heads to Killarney on Friday in preparation for a planned tilt at the Kerry National.

Gavin Cromwell’s charge made a successful start to a belated career over fences at Cheltenham last October, before switching back to the smaller obstacles to finish second in his bid for a third Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival in March.

Having had a break since finishing fifth at Aintree the following month, the nine-year-old will revert to fences in the BoyleSports Handicap Chase – and while the two-mile-one-furlong distance is short of his optimum trip, Cromwell hopes it will tee him up for a tilt at Listowel’s September showpiece.

“He’s had a good enough break, the plan is to go to the Kerry National in September at Listowel and I just wanted to get a run into him before that,” said the trainer.

“Two miles one is obviously too short for him, but I was anxious to go left-handed and the other option was to go to Galway and that’s obviously right-handed, which wouldn’t be ideal.

“He looks great and we’re happy with him and this looks a good starting point.”

Flooring Porter is set to face six rivals in County Kerry, with Henry de Bromhead’s high-class chaser Dancing On My Own and the John McConnell-trained Dreal Deal among them.

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