Porter set for fences debut

FLOORING Porter is the star attraction at Cheltenham today as the dual Stayers’ Hurdle winner returns to the Cotswolds to make his debut over fences.

Gavin Cromwell’s stable star produced two tremendous frontrunning performances to lift the three-mile hurdling crown in 2021 and 2022, but could finish only fourth when bidding for the hat-trick in March of this year.

The eight-year-old subsequently finished third at Aintree before failing to make an impact in the French Champion Hurdle, and

Cromwell, right, feels the time is right to switch to the larger obstacles.

“He’s jumped well at home so hopefully he can transfer that to the track,” he said. “He was running well last season, but he didn’t win at all and we just thought he still had a bit of time on his side and he can always go back (over hurdles) if it doesn’t work out for him over fences.”

Flooring Porter will be a warm order to dispatch of three rivals in the William Hill Lengthen Your Odds Novices’ Chase, with Henry de Bromhead’s Toss Again and the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained pair of

Weveallbeencaught and Broadway Boy taking him on.

Cromwell added: “It’s a small field, but it’s not a bad race and while I won’t say he has to put his best foot forward, he’ll have to be doing things right to be winning.”

Proceedings get under way with the £60,000 Epic Value At William Hill Handicap Chase, in which Laura Morgan saddles the top-weight Notlongtillmay. The seven-year-old enjoyed an excellent novice season over fences last term before finishing second to Stage Star in the Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival.