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Keith Donoghue will retain the ride on Flooring Porter as the dual Stayers’ Hurdle winner takes aim at the Liam & Valerie Brennan Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown on Saturday.

Flooring Porter had been expertly ridden to land two Cheltenham Festival Stayers' Hurdles by Danny Mullins but found himself partnered by a new jockey when making his chasing debut at Prestbury Park last month.

The Gavin Cromwell-trained eight-year-old jumped nicely throughout that day under his new rider Keith Donoghue, with Cromwell confirming Donoghue will be in the plate as he steps up to Grade 2 level over fences.

"Keith will ride him and has done all the schooling on him," Cromwell said.

"Danny has had a great association with the horse, but Keith is in almost all the time. It was a difficult phone call to make to Danny and touch wood nothing happens to Keith."

It will be the first time Flooring Porter returns to racing right-handed since being pulled-up in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown back in April 2021, but Cromwell seems unfazed by the return to the County Kildare venue.

He added: "He's in great shape and we're looking forward to getting him out,"

"It is obviously his first time going right-handed since he ran in Punchestown in the Stayers' Hurdle the year he won his first Stayers' at Cheltenham.

"He's a lot more mature now and hopefully an easier ride. It's on the chase track at Punchestown and we know it's a true track.

"If we're ever going to try it, I think we should try it now. We can still go to Leopardstown at Christmas, and it looks an obvious race."

Flooring Porter could face a maximum of eight rivals with the recent chase debut winner's Affordale Fury and Quilixios also amongst the nine entries.