Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PORTER TO BE FLOORED
Bob can re-ignite with Lismullen win
DISAPPOINTING last spring and reverting to hurdles, Bob Olinger might upstage dual Stayers Hurdle victor Flooring Porter in a fascinating renewal of the Grade 2 Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle on tomorrow’s cracking card in Navan.
Henry de Bromhead has reported the classy seven-year-old in fine fettle in recent weeks and is using the Lismullen as a guide as to how he’ll campaign Bob over the coming months.
Successful twice at the highest level in his novice hurdling campaign, winning both the Lawlors Hotel at Naas and the Ballymore at Cheltenham, he won three of his four chases last season, kicking-off at Gowran Park and following-up in a Grade 3 at Punchestown.
Sent off 6/5 favourite for the Turners Novice Chase at the Cheltenham festival, he never looked happy chasing Galopin Des Champs, making a number of minor errors before blundering at the fourth last.
He was well held in second spot when Galopin Des Champs slipped and fell at the final fence, leaving him clear to beat Busselton by a whopping 40 lengths.
But de Bromhead’s charge ended his novice campaign with a serious blip, producing a lack-lustre display and, ultimately, being pulled-up half a mile from home in the Punchestown Grade 1 won by Capodanno.
So Bob Olinger is bidding to re-ignite his career tomorrow and, in the belief that he might have a slight fitness edge and will be more effective over two and a half miles, he gets the vote over Gavin Cromwell’s stable star Flooring Porter, a faller two out in this event last year.
Flooring Porter has, of course, produced his best performances at Cheltenham, winning the Stayers Hurdle for the last two years and, last March, outpointing Thyme Hill in typically gutsy style.
Beaten by Klassical Dream over Christmas at Leopardstown and by one of tomorrow’s rivals Sire Du Berlais at Aintree, Flooring Porter is a rock-solid stayer, but would, almost certainly, be better over three miles.
The high-class but lightly-raced Ferny Hollow, last seen when successfully conceding 13lb. to Riviere D’etel (reopposes on 2lb. worse terms) in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown last Christmas, begins on the road to the Queen Mother Champion Chase in the Muldoon & Gormley Fortria Chase (Grade 2)
He must concede weight to his six rivals but, if he’s to make the grade, should be up to this task.
Earlier, the exciting Flame Bearer, a dual Grade 2 winner over hurdles and runner-up to State Man at Punchestown, will be expected to make a successful chase debut, on his first run for Willie Mullins, in the beginners while Gordon Elliott’s Imagine appeals in the Grade 3 Gibney’s For Auction Novice Hurdle.