'We're going to give it a go' - dual Stayers' Hurdle winner Flooring Porter set for chasing bow at Cheltenham

Dual Stayers' Hurdle winner Flooring Porter is set to embark on a novice chase campaign and could pitch up at Cheltenham next week.

Trained by Gavin Cromwell, Flooring Porter is a three-time Grade 1 winner including back-to-back Stayers' Hurdles at Cheltenham in 2021 and 2022 under Danny Mullins.

Despite suffering a setback in January, the eight-year-old attempted to make it three on the spin in the championship event in March, but he was beaten three and a half lengths into fourth by the Gordon Elliott-trained Sire Du Berlais.

Now, instead of trying to wrestle back the champion stayers' crown, connections are electing to go novice chasing with their star performer and he is set to have his first start over fences at Cheltenham's Showcase meeting next Saturday.

Cromwell said: "The plan is run at Cheltenham on Saturday week in a novice chase over three miles. We've always thought chasing was a possibility as he did plenty of schooling over fences as a young horse. 

"We've done a good bit of schooling with him and it has gone well so we're going to give it a go."

Flooring Porter's success story has been a hugely popular one with his enthusiastic set of connectionsCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Flooring Porter's rapid ascension to champion stayer has been an immensely popular story. Having landed a handicap hurdle off a mark of 122 at Gowran Park in July 2020, his improvement was unrelenting as four starts later he took the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown in dominant fashion before winning his first Stayers' Hurdle on his next run.

The following season he finished a gallant second to Klassical Dream in the Christmas Hurdle before reversing that form back at Cheltenham. 

He was last seen finishing well held in the French Champion Hurdle in May after he again finished behind Sire Du Berlais, when third in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.

Known for being an enthusiastic front-runner and an aggressive jumper of a hurdle, it will be intriguing to see how such a high-class stayer will cope with the transition to fences. 

Bookmakers have reacted to the news by making Flooring Porter a 16-1 chance to become a three-time Cheltenham Festival winner in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase, while he is a 25-1 shot for the National Hunt Chase.

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