FASTORSLOW INFLICTED A second successive shock defeat on Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs with a comeback victory in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase.
Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow was a widely unconsidered 20-1 shot when springing a surprise in the Punchestown Gold Cup in April, beating the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs into second and Cheltenham runner-up Bravemansgame into third.
Galopin Des Champs was a 1-2 shot to exact his revenge in a race he won 12 months ago, but Fastorslow proved his spring triumph was no fluke with a rousing success under JJ Slevin.
A field of six runners went to post for the two-and-a-half-mile showpiece, with the hot favourite one of five runners for Mullins along with Appreciate It, Asterion Forlonge, Blue Lord and Stattler.
It was clear from an early stage it might not be totally straightforward for Galopin Des Champs, with Paul Townend’s mount sticky over one or two of his obstacles while his stablemate Appreciate It got into a lovely jumping rhythm out in front.
To his credit Galopin Des Champs stuck to his guns to remain in the fight turning for home, but he was unable to get on terms with Appreciate It, while Fastorslow was delivered with his challenge late on the far side of the track.
Slevin dropped his whip halfway up the run-in, but it made no difference to the result as his mount found plenty for pressure to deny Appreciate It by half a length, with Galopin Des Champs a further length and a quarter behind in third.
Coral reacted to the result by cutting Fastorslow’s Cheltenham Gold Cup odds to 6-1 from 14-1, while easing Galopin Des Champs to 3-1 from 6-4 for the blue riband.
Brassil said: “We would have been delighted if he was in the first three. It was a tactical, steadily run race and he (Slevin) never gave him too much to do and it worked out well.
“He went the shortest way round and jumped really well. He was nearly travelling too well for the first mile of the race, he was in his hands a bit.
“He’s just a very good horse and there is a lot to look forward to with him. He needed to back up that Punchestown run (in April). People might have thought we were mad taking on very good horses in the spring and he’s done the same today.
“This is very sweet. I knew John (Durkan) very well and this is the 25th anniversary of this race.
“He’s a horse that takes his racing well and there is four and a half weeks until the Savills Chase (at Leopardstown). The horse will tell us.”
Patrick Mullins, rider of the runner-up Appreciate It, felt his mount may well have emerged victorious had he jumped straighter.
He said: “He ran a cracker but just jumps a little left and that let the winner up our inside after the last fence.
“He’s enjoyed himself and jumped brilliant, but jumping that little bit left has probably cost him the race.”
