Flooring Porter returns to fences for Killarney spin

Ashley Iveson
July 18, 2024 2:38 pm

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.