Flooring Porter runs away with Kerry National
DEVASTATING: Flooring Porter & Keith Donoghue win the Grade 3 Guinness Kerry National. Picture: HEALY RACING
Flooring Porter produced a devastating display of front-running to rout his rivals in what had looked like a fiercely competitive renewal of the Guinness Kerry National at a packed Listowel racecourse.
Keith Donoghue sent the Gavin Cromwell-trained 6-1 chance off in front from an early stage and bar a couple of minor mistakes, it was an exemplary display from the nine-year-old. From a long way out, it was the obstacles in front and not the runners behind which posed the greatest threat.
A two-time winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle, that class was abundantly present as he belied a relative lack of chasing experience to win as he pleased.
Trading at odds-on with a circuit still remaining, he was in his comfort zone throughout and even the late rush of Horantzau d’Airy was not enough to ruffle the ever-cool Donoghue, who let his mount pop the final couple of fences and coast to a most impressive victory.
Lucid Dreams ran a fine race to take third place, with Churchstonewarrior in fourth.
"He was brilliant,” said Cromwell, patently impressed, and perhaps even a little taken aback, by the authority of the performance.
"He obviously went hard, and I have to say I was praying him across every fence in the last circuit, but he just kept the revs up and was very good. It was a brilliant performance.
“I was just afraid maybe he might just miss one or something, but I knew he was in serious shape. When he gets into that rhythm there’s no stopping him, he’ll just keep it going.
"He (Donoghue) said he was just a passenger, that he couldn’t go any slower. What do you do but just try and meet the jumps as best you can.
“This has been the plan since Cheltenham, really. It’s a brilliant race to win and we’ll enjoy this.
“He’s been the horse of a lifetime for me and for the syndicate. What do you say? He’s brilliant, and I wouldn’t say he’s finished yet.”
