Trainer Martin Brassil still has faith in his star staying chaser Fastorslow for a Cheltenham Gold Cup bid.
Fastorslow has become one of the forgotten horses in National Hunt training. The ten-year-old has won three Grade 1s, including two Punchestown Gold Cups. In all three of those top level victories, he defeated Galopin Des Champs.
Away from Punchestown, he always struggled to match that great champion. However, he has still finished second in an Irish Gold Cup, as well as finishing runner-up at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival behind Corach Rambler in the Ultima Handicap Chase.
Injury disruptions have ensured he has raced just three times since his second Punchestown Gold Cup triumph. Results this season, when third in the John Durkan and sixth in the Savills Chase, have been below his best.
As a result Brassil’s charge will head to Cheltenham as an outsider this season. He was third favourite for the Gold Cup when contesting it in 2024.
“He’ll be nice and fresh” – Brassil
Although his very best days may be behind him, Brassil is still confident that a big run is possible. That is emphasised by the trainer skipping the Dublin Racing Festival with Fastorslow to avoid the testing conditions.
“The plan is the Gold Cup and it’s a case of so far, so good with him,” Brassil said to the Racing Post. “We got a couple of runs into him in the John Durkan and the Savills, which was great, and we avoided the heavy ground at Leopardstown for the Irish Gold Cup.”
Missing that race may be key. “Hopefully he’ll be nice and fresh for Cheltenham,” Brassil concluded.
The Cheltenham Festival has been one of near misses for Fastorslow. Twice he has been a close second at the National Hunt’s premier meeting. Firstly, in 2022, he was second to rank outsider Commander Of Fleet in the Coral Cup, while 12 months later he was downed by Corach Rambler in the Ultima. That horse went on to win that season’s Grand National.
Fastorslow himself would go on to shock his rivals in the Punchestown Gold Cup the following month. But an innocuous unseat for jockey JJ Slevin in the Gold Cup 12 months later continued his Cheltenham hoodoo.
In all, Brassil will have a small team to attack the Cheltenham Festival with. Panda Boy and Desertmore House are likely to join Fastorslow across from Ireland, with Brassil particularly keen on the latter.
“Desertmore House is on track for the Cross Country and we’re looking forward to him,” said Brassil. “He’s taken to it well and we’re hopeful he can take to it equally well at Cheltenham.