'He'll take some beating' - Flooring Porter team confident but wary of crowds

Connections of reigning Stayers' Hurdle hero Flooring Porter are confident their €5,000 bargain buy has what it takes to retain his Cheltenham crown, but the return of bustling crowds at festival has been described as a worry for the free-going favourite.

After being beaten a combined total of 144 lengths in his first four starts, it has been a remarkable turnaround for the Gavin Cromwell-trained seven-year-old, progressing from 95-rated handicapper to dual Grade 1 winner.

Despite racing keenly, there was no catching Flooring Porter when landing the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle readily last year at a meeting that took place behind closed doors during the pandemic.

However, he faces a different dynamic next month when he will race in front of a crowd of around 70,000.

Danny Mullins punches the air after steering Flooring Porter to success in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle at CheltenhamCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Ned Hogarty, part-owner of the rags-to-riches hurdler, is anxious to see a more mature version of Flooring Porter when attempting to defend his crown, currently the 3-1 favourite to make it successive festival wins.

"It's something that's on our minds," said Hogarty. "The only negative to last year's Cheltenham Festival is that we couldn't be there, but it was a blessing at the same time for the horse to not have crowds there.

"It is a concern to have all those thousands of people there shouting and roaring. I think he seems to have matured a lot, though. He was nearly too relaxed at Leopardstown when second to Klassical Dream.

"Gavin seems to be turning the screw nicely. We're hopeful, and somewhat confident even. He has the ability to do it - he's been there and done that. The ground should come up good for him and if he runs his race, he'll take some beating."

Flooring Porter: the Stayers' Hurdle winner was syndicated on FacebookCredit: Edward Whitaker

With this year's Stayers' Hurdle falling on March 17, Hogarty is hoping he and co-owners Kerrill Creaven, Tommy and Alan Sweeney will have another reason to raise a glass on St Patrick's Day.

Flooring Porter is aptly named considering Hogarty runs a flooring and carpet business, while Creaven and the Sweeneys have traded as publicans.

Hogarty said: "We have a shop in Galway city and another in Ballinasloe, and not a day goes by when someone who buys a can of paint from us says something like 'Flooring Porter is paying for that'. There's great excitement around the place about this horse.

"A good few quid seemed to go into different villages around home after Cheltenham last year. His last few wins have come at fancy prices – 22-1, 11-1, 12-1 – and unfortunately those have gone this time. I wouldn't be putting anyone off him, though, because he doesn't owe anyone at this stage."

Hogarty added: "It's well known that we gave €5,000 for him. I knew Gavin from meeting him at Cheltenham and other places, and we became friends on Facebook afterwards.

Klassical Dream: got the better of Flooring Porter at Leopardstown in DecemberCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"I saw two horses advertised there, one by Yeats and one by Jeremy. I rang him and he told me to come up to have a look at them. Both were being broken by Andrew Lynch at the time and before I heard anything about money, I preferred the stamp of the Yeats horse.

"It turned out to be the best five grand we ever spent. We got Flooring Porter and I don't know if the other horse ever made it to the racecourse."

The enthusiastic syndicate were not allowed to attend last year's behind-closed-doors meeting, but Hogarty says the group are raring to see their Cheltenham hopeful in the flesh this time around.

"We're all really looking forward to getting over there after last year," said Hogarty.

"We still celebrated – there'd be something wrong with you if you didn't get a massive kick out of it – and I must have watched the replay 100 times."

Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle

Paddy Power: 7-2 Flooring Porter, 4 Klassical Dream 9-2 Thyme Hill, Champ, 6 Paisley Park, 8 Asterion Forlonge, 10 bar.

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