Flooring Porter out to emulate Anzum by completing Cheltenham-Punchestown double

5.25 Punchestown
Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle (Grade 1) | 3m | 4yo+ | RTE2/RTV

You have to rewind all the way back to 1999 and the tenacious terrier Anzum to find the last horse to complete the Cheltenham-Punchestown Stayers Hurdle double, so Flooring Porter will be bidding to bridge a 22-year gap.

Like Anzum, Flooring Porter was something of a surprise winner at Cheltenham although he wasn't 40-1 like David Nicholson's stamina-laden hurdler. He was 12-1 when winning at Cheltenham, and those who took those odds had few anxious moments as he bounced out and made all under Danny Mullins, a late replacement for the injured Jonathan Moore.

Flooring Porter's regular rider is back on board this time and you can guarantee the tactics will remain the same. He's turned inside out since more forceful tactics were deployed in a handicap hurdle at Navan in December.

Gavin Cromwell reports Flooring Porter to be in good shape and none the worse for his Cheltenham exertions, so the big question is can anyone get by this time?

Cromwell said: "It's another good race, but we're happy that he seems to have come out of Cheltenham in good order and it was always the plan for him to come here.

"He's a light-framed horse and doesn't need a huge amount of work so we've just tried to freshen him up in the weeks since Cheltenham. He obviously put in a big effort there so we've tried to give him the best chance we can of getting over that run and we're looking forward to running him."

5.25 Punchestown: Flooring Porter the one to beat but Beacon's odds give him the edge in Stayers (Members' Club)

What they say

Willie Mullins, trainer of Bacardys, Klassical Dream, Saldier and James Du Berlais
Saldier has probably been crying out for a longer trip for a while, but we had the Champion Hurdle fixated on our brains. We've got over that now and he won the Morgiana here with Danny Mullins on board, who retains the ride. He could figure at the business end. Klassical Dream was going to go chasing, but it's too late to do that now. He's been working well enough at home for Patrick [Mullins] to want to ride him. He's a fair horse on his day if he can put it together. Bacardys has been disappointing, but he could get into the first four if the cheekpieces perk him up a bit. We were expecting a bit more from James Du Berlais in the Champion Hurdle. He was a bit disappointing. We've stepped him up in trip here with a view to where we'll go with him next season, but he's only five and that age group wouldn't have a great record in this race.

Willie Mullins: the champion trainer fields fourCredit: Patrick McCann

Noel Meade, trainer of Beacon Edge and Diol Ker
Beacon Edge ran very well at Cheltenham where he possibly didn't quite see it out up the hill, but Punchestown should suit him. Having said that, he had a very hard race at Cheltenham and I'm just hoping he's coming back to himself. The opposite could be said of Diol Ker – he has come out of Aintree in great form. Whether they didn't quite go quick enough for him, I don't know, as he stopped quite quickly after travelling into the race well. He seems in good form and hopefully he has a good chance.

Denise Foster, trainer of Fury Road and The Storyteller
We didn't see the best of Fury Road at Cheltenham, but if you go back to his Navan run against Beacon Edge, that's really good form and would give him a chance here. The Storyteller has had a marvellous season at the top level, both over hurdles and fences. He should be bang there at the business end.

Matthew Smith, trainer of Ronald Pump
Things haven't been plain-sailing at all with him this year, but on the best of his form he's entitled to be involved. I would have loved to have gotten a couple more pieces of work into him, but he's as well as we can have him and we're hopeful of a good run.

Paul Hennessy, trainer of Heaven Help Us
She is in great form and actually seems to have come forward since Cheltenham. I know she'll need to if she's to have the chance to compete at this very highest level, but it's a massive opportunity and we're looking forward to it.

Read more on day three at Punchestown:

4.50 Punchestown: Enda Bolger looks to Stand Up And Fight to continue love affair with La Touche

6.00 Punchestown: Willie Mullins relies on unexposed Capodanno to add to outstanding record

6.35 Punchestown: Energumene ready for take-off as Mullins eyes sixth Ryanair on the trot

For all our exclusive free bet offers and must-have daily promotions click the free bets button or go to racingpost.com/freebets