Flooring Porter turns on style to retain Stayers' Hurdle

Flooring Porter put up a brilliant performance to make all the running and repeat last year's win in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Concerns on how Flooring Porter would react to a massive crowd after winning in near silence behind closed doors were allayed, as the Gavin Cromwell-trained seven-year-old put paid to the opposition.

Flooring Porter [4-1] was given a superb ride by Danny Mullins to join the elite band of multiple winners.

He enjoyed an easy lead with Mullins able to control the race throughout and had enough in hand to see off his rivals at the business.

Flooring Porter ran out a cosy winner by two and three-quarter lengths from Thyme Hill with Paisley Park, the 2019 winner, a nose away third.

Mullins told ITV Racing: "Everything went to plan. Big credit has to go to Gavin Cromwell - I love the horse but he's quirky. His training is the reason we're back here today again, Gavin's done a fantastic job with this lad all year.

"I wasn't too worried about the preliminaries, the more he gets into the season, the less gas is in his system. Gavin brought him over a few days early, he was a little bubbly one or two mornings but this morning we were very happy with him. He was relaxed and showing a spark again.

"It's funny going into a race at Cheltenham with such confidence in the horse, but we believed in him."

A thrilled Cromwell added: "How cool was that? He jumped the third last, stacked them up, filled him up, it's just very cool.

"It was timed to perfection, he jumped off and got to make the running as we'd hoped. It was easy really."