Fastorslow lays down Gold Cup claims with battling Durkan win Fastorslow announced his arrival on the scene as a legitimate Cheltenham Gold Cup contender when staying on best to land a thrilling renewal of the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase. In hindsight, not given the credit he deserved when gunning down the reigning Cheltenham holder Galopin Des Champs at the festival in April, the seven-year-old proved that to be no fluke by repeating the feat here. Racing a little keenly early on under jockey J J Slevin, the Martin Brassil trained gelding delivered his challenge early in the straight, as a trio of horses, gave chase to long time leader Appreciate It. With Blue Lord the first of the quartet to give way, Galopin Des Champs soon did likewise, leaving Fastorslow to throw down the final challenge to the Patrick Mullins partnered Appreciate It. Despite losing his whip over 200 yards out, Slevin got Fastorslow up close home to land odds of 9/1 for local connections. The winning jockey said: "It was a great race. They didn't go that quick, so it turned into a bit of a dash. My lad was keen early but he soon chilled after that. He is just a very, very good horse. I dropped my stick on the run-in but he is game to the last. I am delighted for Martin(Brassil); he is a great trainer; his record speaks for itself." Patrick Mullins said of Appreciate It: “He ran a cracker but just jumps a little left and that let the winner up our inside after the last. “He’s enjoyed himself and jumped brilliant but just jumping that little bit left has probably cost him the race.” Winning trainer Martin Brassil commented: “We would have been delighted if he was in the first three. It was a tactical, steadily run race and he 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 so there is four and a half weeks until the Savills. The horse will tell us.” Willie Mullins was understandably disappointed with Galopin Des Champs saying, “Paul said he was very dead in himself today, no spark. “We schooled him during the week, he pinged fences and we were very happy with him. “It’s disappointing that he didn’t replicate his homework today. For some reason he was very dead in himself.” Paddy Power went 5/1 (from 12/1) Fastorslow for the Gold Cup. Meanwhile, they pushed Galopin Des Champs out to 3/1fav (from 2/1), while Appreciate It is 12/1 (from 50/1) for the Ryanair Chase. Additional reporting by Alan Magee
