Porter can floor his rivals in Stayers’ Hurdle
A LARGE field of 15 is set to line up for Thursday’s highlight, the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (3.05pm), where Paisley Park will bid to join the likes of Big Buck’s, Inglis Drever and Baracouda as dual winners of this race.
Emma Lavelle’s stable star won the 2019 renewal impressively but he was a bitter disappointment 12 months ago when finishing a well beaten seventh.
While some might have thought that was the end for the Andrew Gemmell-owned son of Oscar, he has bounced back in fine form this season.
A slow pace and the concession of three pounds conspired to him failing to get to Thyme Hill in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, but he got his revenge on heavy ground at Ascot in the Long Walk Hurdle the following month.
He has had a quieter season than normal, so comes here relatively fresh, and he has to be the one they all have to beat.
However, he does tend to hit a flat spot in his race and I just wonder if he might get tapped for toe on what will likely be good ground on Thursday afternoon.
The Denise Foster pair of Sire Du Berlais and The Storyteller, who finished first and second respectively in last year’s Pertemps Final, are both respected although both might prefer a little more cut in the ground.
There are plenty of others in there with claims, not least last year’s surprise winner Lisnagar Oscar who ran well at Haydock last time after a wind operation, but FLOORING PORTER is the one for me.
Gavin Cromwell won the Champion Hurdle with Espoir D’Allen two years ago and he could be about to celebrate another Cheltenham championship race.
The six-year-old destroyed The Bosses Oscar in a handicap hurdle at Navan in early December before landing the Grade One Leopardstown Christmas Hurdle later that month.
Undeniably a little quirky, the lack of crowds might help him and he is taken to land the prize at 8/1 with Fitzdares.
Willie Mullins has won three of the last five runnings of the Ryanair Chase (2.30pm) and while number one jockey Paul Townend has opted for last year’s winner Min, I favour ALLAHO, the mount of Rachael Blackmore.
He ran a cracker in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase last year, only succumbing late on to Champ and Minella Indo.
The step back in trip is certain to suit and he was impressive on his last start in a Grade Two at Thurles in January.
I can see him drifting a little in the morning so he could well start bigger than 5/1 with Fitzdares which I think is a decent price anyway.
POINTERS
Allaho 2.30pm Cheltenham (Thursday)
Flooring Porter e/w 3.05pm Cheltenham (Thursday)