Flooring Porter will bid to defend his title this year but faces a host of new challengers; Champ disappointed at Cheltenham last time out but has won around the track; Paisley Park bids to return to something near his best
Thursday 17 March 2022 10:37, UK
Former jockey and Sky Sports Racing presenter Mick Fitzgerald has cast his expert eye over four of the key contenders for the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Flooring Porter didn't see another rival in last year's renewal, but looks to have a tougher task this time around with several interesting rivals in opposition.
Former RSA Chase winner Champ has returned to hurdles and looks a major player, alongside the likes of Stayers' Hurdle hero Paisley Park and Aintree winner Thyme Hill.
When Champ won the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot I thought, 'there goes the Stayers' Hurdle winner'. I think everybody thought that, as you had Thyme Hill and Paisley Park in behind him and they are two proven stayers in this company.
I don't know what the explanation was for his defeat last time as I thought everything went right for him at Cheltenham in the Cleeve Hurdle.
He jumped well, he was relaxed and then just got beat, and it was a bit of a head-scratcher. Champ's record at Cheltenham is pretty good.
He finished second in a Ballymore, won an RSA Novices' Chase and his only blip was in the Gold Cup last year, where he was never going after the first fence.
You have to write that performance off, and if he brings his 'A' game to the Festival then who knows what might happen.
Strengths - His win at Ascot in the Long Walk is very strong form.
Weak spot - There is no obvious excuse as to why he was beaten in the Cleeve Hurdle.
Flooring Porter won the race last year and it is hard to argue, based on some of his form, that he doesn't deserve to be favourite.
He wasn't out of the first three and won four times in six starts last season, and was given a brilliant ride by Danny Mullins when beating Sire Du Berlais and Paisley Park in the race last year.
He hasn't managed to match that consistency of form this time around but was still going best when falling in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan and then probably needed a confidence booster when runner-up to Klassical Dream at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Klassical Dream had the run of the race that day and Gavin Cromwell will have had his timer set on a repeat performance from him in the Stayers' Hurdle.
This looks the most open of the Championship races at the Festival, and if he did come back to his very best he would be the one they'd all have to beat - but he's not a straightforward ride.
Strengths - He was a good winner of the race last year.
Weak spot - Can he be brought to the same peak of form he was in 12 months ago?
Paisley Park was obviously disappointing in the West Yorkshire Hurdle on his reappearance and his two efforts in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury and Long Walk at Ascot suggested that time may well have caught up with him.
However, what he did at Cheltenham last time in the Cleeve Hurdle was extraordinary. He gave all those horses that head start and still won, and that was amazing.
He had worn a tongue tie in the Long Walk for the first time when finishing third to Champ but whether he had just got used to that or whatever it was, it was an astounding performance last time.
He used to hit a bit of a flat spot in his races but to lose that amount of ground in the Cleeve Hurdle and still win the way he did left you breathless.
Maybe he was just happier to have come from behind and go past horses at the business end, but what we did see is that on that form he is certainly no back number.
Strengths - He is a dour stayer and a previous winner of the race.
Weak spot - Can you guarantee his performance, and which one will you get?
Thyme Hill hasn't run since the Long Walk Hurdle where he was a good second to Champ and that effort came on the back of a disappointing run in France on heavy ground against the best French stayers.
That was never going to suit him going to their backyard first time out and I think he is better judged on his win at Aintree last year when he outstayed Roksana.
He is a very good jumper of a hurdle, he comes into the race fresh and I think he is a cracking each-way bet, and the most likely winner of the race.
He showed he can go very well fresh when beating Paisley Park in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury last season and unfortunately had to miss the Festival last year after pulling a muscle shortly before the race.
Philip Hobbs appears to have geared his preparation specifically for a tilt at the Stayers' this time around and he will do for me.
Strengths - Comes into the race fresh and was only beaten a length-and-a-half by Monkfish in the Albert Bartlett.
Weak spot - If it turns into a slog it might not suit him.
