Flooring Porter 'could go straight to Cheltenham' - Gavin Cromwell

Flooring Porter could head straight to the Cheltenham Festival after coming up short in Grade One company over the Christmas period - but whether he will stick to fences or bid to secure a third Stayers' Hurdle title remains uncertain.

The nine-year-old dominated from the front when claiming the Stayers' Hurdle crown in both 2021 and 2022 and finished an honourable fourth when looking to make it a hat-trick last season.

This season Gavin Cromwell's stable star has had his attentions switched to the larger obstacles and made an impressive start to his new career at Cheltenham in October.

However, he was well held in third in the Grade Two Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown on his next start, and while connections were hopeful a return to a left-handed track would see him in a better light in last week's Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown, he again had to make do with minor honours behind the impressive Grangeclare West.

Cromwell said: "He jumped really well, no excuses. The winner was very good on the day and we were beaten fair and square.

"He jumped well and he's probably going to struggle at that level over fences."

The Meath handler is not ruling out the possibility of Flooring Porter contesting one of the novice chases at the Festival, but confirmed a return to the smaller obstacles is under consideration.

"It's hard to know where we go. I will put him in the Stayers' Hurdle," he added.

"We could potentially go straight to Cheltenham with him, as we did when he won the two Stayers' Hurdles after Christmas.

"I'm not saying he will go for the Stayers' Hurdle. We could go straight to Cheltenham, but what race we go for is very much up in the air."

Another Cromwell inmate who was placed at Grade One level at