Flooring Porter is being prepared for a return to Aintree next month after coming up short in his bid for a Stayers’ Hurdle hat-trick at the Cheltenham Festival.
The eight-year-old was a brilliant winner at Prestbury Park in both 2021 and 2022 but endured an interrupted preparation ahead of his return due to a post-Christmas setback.
Trainer Gavin Cromwell stated in mid-January that his Cheltenham hopes were "hanging in the balance" and he was no better than "50-50" to make the trip to the Cotswolds.
Flooring Porter was ultimately deemed fit enough to defend his Stayers' Hurdle crown, but after adopting his customary pacesetting role for much of the three-mile contest, he weakened in the home straight and had to make do with a gallant fourth.
Cromwell was proud of his stable star's performance in defeat, though, and is now targeting a second tilt at Aintree's Grade One Liverpool Hurdle on Grand National day – a race in which he finished second to this year's surprise Stayers' Hurdle winner Sire Du Berlais last April.
"All is good with Flooring Porter – he came out of Cheltenham fine, which is obviously the main thing," said the trainer.
"I suppose, considering he missed a bit of work, he ran well (at Cheltenham). He was beaten three and a half lengths, hopefully he'll come on for it and we'll take the positives out of it.
"We've a bit of extra time between Cheltenham and Aintree this year, which is also a help – we've a week more than last year.
"Hopefully we can build on Cheltenham – we might be on an upward curve."
While Cromwell failed to add to his tally at this Festival, Flooring Porter was one of a number of horses to perform creditably.
Stumptown was beaten just a neck after being sent off favourite for the Kim Muir, while Final Orders finished fifth in his bid for a sixth successive win in the Grand Annual.
Letsbeclearaboutit was another Cromwell inmate to shape with promise, passing the post a close-up fourth in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.
Cromwell added: "Final Orders didn't really handle the ground and, all things considered, he ran a good enough race. We have him entered in the Topham at Aintree and that's definitely a possibility.
"Stumptown ran a cracker and there were no excuses or hard-luck stories, he just bumped into one on the day and that's it.
"I think we'll probably look at the Irish Grand National with him. I know Easter comes quite soon, which is not ideal, but he has come out of Cheltenham well and it's certainly a big possibility.
"Letsbeclearaboutit was too keen all the way in the Albert Bartlett and ran very well considering. If he had of settled, I think he would have finished closer.
"There's two-and-a-half and three-mile novice hurdles for him in Aintree and there is also a race for him in Fairyhouse. I'm not sure where we're going to go yet, but hopefully he'll be running at some of the spring Festivals."
