Stayers’ Hurdle: Flooring Porter the one to beat in Cheltenham Grade One after Champ defeat, says Jonjo O’Neill Jr | Racing News

Jonjo O’Neill Jr – rider of Stayers’ Hurdle hopeful Champ – has said that defending champion Flooring Porter is the one to beat in this season’s long-distance hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Champ and O’Neill Jr were beaten in a shock result on Saturday in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham, finishing second behind former winner Paisley Park, who powered up the hill to land the Grade Two prize for a third time.

Although the young rider admitted that Champ may not have ran to the same standard as at Ascot last month, he was pleased with the 10-year-old’s performance despite the defeat.

“I thought he ran a blinder, you know. Maybe he didn’t have the complete zest like he did at Ascot,” O’Neill Jr told Sky Sports Racing at Sedgefield on Sunday.

“But in fairness, Paisley Park has won three Cleeve Hurdle’s and a Stayers’ Hurdle – he’s an unbelievable horse.

“When he’s in the right frame of mind he’s very hard to beat no matter what he’s being showing so I thought it was a very respectable performance and he just got beat by a very good horse on his day.”

The rider also nominated Flooring Porter – last season’s Stayers’ Hurdle winner – as the horse to beat in this season’s renewal at the blue-riband jumps meeting of the year.

“It sounded like he [Champ] has got a bit to work with and it’s a very open race, everyone has been beating each other,” he added.

“I suppose Flooring Porter is the consistent one that they all have to beat but apart from that it’s a very open race and I hope we’ll be going there.”