Gavin Cromwell Pins Hopes on Flooring Porter and Perceval Legallois for the Guinness Kerry National
Trainer mounting dual challenge on Listowel highlight.
Trainer Gavin Cromwell is set to showcase a formidable duo in the Guinness Kerry National at Listowel on Wednesday, with Flooring Porter and Perceval Legallois poised to make a strong impact.
Flooring Porter, a crowd favourite, kicked off his chasing career impressively at Cheltenham last October before returning to hurdles and finishing as a close second in the Stayers' Hurdle at the Festival in March. Although he faced a challenging outing on his return to chasing at Killarney in July, Cromwell is optimistic about his form leading into the prestigious €200,000 race.
"Flooring Porter seems in great form. We're happy with him, and the ground should be ideal," Cromwell stated. He emphasized that the left-handed track suits the horse well, adding, "We've trained him for this race for a long while, so we're looking forward to it and hopefully he's going to run well."
Perceval Legallois, another strong contender, comes off an eighth-place finish as the 7-2 favorite in the Galway Plate. Cromwell noted that his last outing was hampered by a less-than-ideal trip. "He didn't get the clearest of passages after missing the start and going a bit wide," Cromwell explained. "He missed a couple of fences at the wrong time but ran well on the whole."
With a clearer path expected on Wednesday, Cromwell is hopeful about Perceval Legallois's chances as well. "The ground should be fine. The more rain that comes, the better for him, but it should be okay," he concluded.
As the race day approaches, both horses will be ones to watch as Cromwell seeks to add another victory to his impressive training record.
