One Irish raider at Cheltenham on Saturday is no stranger to Prestbury Park, having won the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival twice. His owners are an enthusiastic bunch and the atmosphere will be electric if he manages to get the job done on his debut over the larger obstacles. This certainly adds an extra dimension of interest to Saturday’s card and it’ll be fascinating to see how he gets on. You can check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.
Flooring Porter won the Stayers’ Hurdle in 2021 and 2022, beating some smart horses in the process. He’s often seen to best effect at this track and it’s a shrewd play to send him over for his chase debut. Gavin Cromwell’s charge lacked his usual zest, when fourth at Cheltenham in March but he wasn’t beaten by far and certainly wasn’t disgraced.
The switch to fences is an interesting move and this is probably a good time to try the larger obstacles. This horse is a stark reminder that it’s possible to have major success without spending big. Costing a mere €6,000, he has amassed £566,234 in prize money, which is an exceptional return.
Gavin Cromwell is operating at a 23 per cent strike-rate in the last fortnight and that’s certainly a good omen. It’s fair to say that Flooring Porter is a popular horse in these parts and he’ll bring the house down if getting the job done. He’s by far the best of these over hurdles and a clean round of jumping should provide an excellent opportunity to gain a third course victory.
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