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Keith Donoghue to retain Flooring Porter ride

Keith Donoghue will retain the ride on Flooring Porter as the dual Stayers' Hurdle winner takes aim at the Liam & Valerie Brennan Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown on Saturday.

FLOORING PORTER
FLOORING PORTER Picture: PA

Flooring Porter had been expertly ridden to land two Cheltenham Festival Stayers' Hurdles by Danny Mullins but found himself partnered by a new jockey when making his chasing debut at Prestbury Park last month.

The Gavin Cromwell-trained eight-year-old jumped nicely throughout that day under his new rider Keith Donoghue, with Cromwell confirming Donoghue will be in the plate as he steps up to Grade 2 level over fences.

"Keith will ride him and has done all the schooling on him," Cromwell said.

"Danny has had a great association with the horse, but Keith is in almost all the time. It was a difficult phone call to make to Danny and touch wood nothing happens to Keith."

It will be the first time Flooring Porter returns to racing right-handed since being pulled-up in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown back in April 2021, but Cromwell seems unfazed by the return to the County Kildare venue.

He added: "He's in great shape and we're looking forward to getting him out,"

"It is obviously his first time going right-handed since he ran in Punchestown in the Stayers' Hurdle the year he won his first Stayers' at Cheltenham.

"He's a lot more mature now and hopefully an easier ride. It's on the chase track at Punchestown and we know it's a true track.

"If we're ever going to try it, I think we should try it now. We can still go to Leopardstown at Christmas, and it looks an obvious race."

Flooring Porter could face a maximum of eight rivals with the recent chase debut winner's Affordale Fury and Quilixios also amongst the nine entries.


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