O'Connor doubles up on Brassil's bumper winner

The Fastorslow connections were back in the Punchestown winners' enclosure after the Howden Insurance Brokers INH Flat Race as Don'tstopthemusic (5/2) ran out an impressive winner under Derek O'Connor.

The Kayf Tara gelding, a half-brother to Champion Chase winner Dodging Bullets, was tracking the leaders when things got a bit congested approaching the straight. O'Connor, completing a double after Its On The Line s win in the Champion Hunter Chase, took him to the outside on the home turn and was soon able to take a pull before sending his mount on to beat Coral River by six lengths.

“We always thought he was a nice horse, it just took him quite a bit of time to mature,” said winning trainer Martin Brassil. 

“I had been gearing him towards maybe a summer campaign but he's done a piece of work with Fastorslow in the last month, maybe once or twice, and we were very pleased with what we could see. 

“We won this two-and-a-quarter mile bumper with Longhouse Poet before so I said we'd let him take his chance in it and we got him here in nice shape. 

“We'll give him a little break now and have him back for Galway. 

“He's had a run in a hurdle race, the Christmas before last, and then was second in Galway. There were a lot of winners came out of that bumper, it was quite a good race on the day and we were happy with him then. 

“He takes a bit of time between races but maybe as he gets older it might come easier to him.”

Quotes from Gary Carson