A RETURN TO Leopardstown for the Christmas Hurdle is next on the agenda for Flooring Porter after he emerged unscathed from his fall at Navan on Sunday.

Gavin Cromwell’s charge made a Grade One breakthrough at Leopardstown last December before going on to claim Cheltenham Festival glory in the Stayers’ Hurdle in March.

Making his first appearance since failing to fire at Punchestown in the spring, Flooring Porter was still in a narrow lead when coming to grief two flights from the finish in the Lismullen Hurdle.

Cromwell was pleased to report his stable star to be none the worse on Monday and hopes to see him defend his Christmas Hurdle crown next month.

He said: “He’s okay. He just came up too early and caught the top of the hurdle.

“He looked to be going okay. I don’t know whether he’d have won for sure, but I was happy with the performance up to that anyway.

“Hopefully he comes out of it okay and we’ll roll on to Christmas.”