'The zest is definitely still there' - Flooring Porter part of strong Irish team heading to France

Flooring Porter will be part of a massive Irish team in action at Auteuil next weekend as Gavin Cromwell aims his dual Stayers' Hurdle winner at what promises to be a corking French Champion Hurdle on Sunday.

The Grande Course de Haies is worth €175,500 to the winner and it seems plenty of Irish trainers have been thinking outside the box.

Shark Hanlon revealed the next stop on Hewick's world tour would be there, while Willie Mullins has entered Asterion Forlonge, Haut En Couleurs, Kilcruit and last year's runner-up Klassical Dream. Another interesting entry is the Emmet Mullins-trained Feronily, who won a Grade 1 novice chase at the Punchestown festival last month.

Flooring Porter won the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2021 and 2022 but has not won a race since the second of those. That said, he was a close-up fourth in this year's Stayers' race, then third in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.

Cromwell is convinced the flame is still burning brightly and the trainer said: "We're heading to France for their Champion Hurdle but it won't be easy, it looks a very competitive race with plenty of good Irish horses heading over.

"Flooring Porter has never jumped those French-style hurdles before but I think the way he jumps our hurdles suggests they won't be a problem for him. He was never a real slick, low hurdler and he always made a nice shape over them, so I think he'll be fine. We'll give him a school over them on Thursday and see how he gets on.

Gavin Cromwell: "I'm happy to let him have a crack at this"Credit: Patrick McCann

"I've never been to Auteuil before, so I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like. There is a big contingent of the syndicate heading over, maybe ten or so, so it should be a great bit of craic."

Reflecting on Flooring Porter's recent form, Cromwell added: "I definitely think the zest is still there, but he just hasn't had it all his own way up front, and I think we probably set the race up for Sire Du Berlais at Cheltenham and again at Aintree. He seems in good form at home, so I'm happy to let him have a crack at this."

Benie Des Dieux was the last Irish-trained winner of the Grande Course de Haies in 2019, while Nobody Told Me (2003), Rule Supreme (2004) and Thousand Stars (2011, 2012) also did the business for Willie Mullins.

Ireland's champion trainer has never won the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris but he hopes either Thyestes winner Carefully Selected or Franco De Port can change that in 2023. The most interesting Irish entry in that is undoubtedly last year's Grand National winner Noble Yeats.

There are four Irish entries in the Prix Alain du Breil, with Andrew McNamara's Enjoy The Dream and the Joseph O'Brien-trained Nusret joining the Mullins-trained pair Gala Marceau and Zarak The Brave.

Irish entries at Auteuil next Sunday

Grande Course de Haies: Asterion Forlonge, Feronily, Flooring Porter, Haut En Couleurs. Hewick, Klassical Dream, Kilcruit
Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris: Carefully Selected, Franco De Port, Noble Yeats
Prix Alain du Breil: Enjoy The Dream, Gala Marceau, Nusret, Zarak The Brave

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