Fastorslow proves too dominant for Galopin des Champs in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase
Fastorslow Inflicts Another Surprise Defeat on Galopin des Champs
In a thrilling comeback victory, Fastorslow has once again shocked the racing world by defeating Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin des Champs in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase. Few could have predicted this outcome after Fastorslow’s surprise win at the Punchestown Gold Cup earlier this year.
Martin Brassil’s charge was a 20-1 outsider when he triumphed over Willie Mullins’ Galopin Des Champs and Cheltenham runner-up Bravemansgame in April. Despite being the odds-on favorite to exact his revenge in this race that he won last year, Galopin Des Champs couldn’t overpower Fastorslow under JJ Slevin.
A field of six runners lined up for the two-and-a-half-mile showdown, with five of them representing trainer Willie Mullins including Appreciate It, Asterion Forlonge, Blue Lord, and Stattler. The race didn’t go as smoothly as expected for Galopin Des Champs from early on; some sticky jumps hindered his progress while his stablemate Appreciate It showed great jumping form out in front.
To his credit though, Galopin Des Champs refused to give up and stayed in contention turning for home. However, he couldn’t catch up with Appreciate It who maintained a strong lead. Meanwhile, Fastorslow made a late surge on the far side of the track.
Despite losing his whip halfway up the run-in, Slevin’s mount dug deep and held off Appreciate It by half a length at the finish line. Galopin Des Champs settled for third, another length and a quarter behind.
The bookmakers have responded to this unexpected result by cutting Fastorslow’s odds for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup to 6-1 from 14-1. On the other hand, Galopin Des Champs has seen his odds eased to 3-1 from 6-4 for the prestigious race.
Trainer Martin Brassil expressed his delight with Fastorslow’s performance, saying they would have been happy with a top-three finish. He praised jockey JJ Slevin for giving the horse an excellent ride in a tactical race that suited their strategy perfectly.
Brassil believes that Fastorslow is a talented horse with plenty more potential to unlock in future races. With four and a half weeks until the Savills Chase at Leopardstown, he will let the horse guide them towards their next move.
Jockey Patrick Mullins felt that runner-up Appreciate It could have won if he had jumped straighter throughout the race. Despite this minor setback, Mullins was proud of how well Appreciate It performed overall and acknowledged that jumping slightly left cost them victory on this occasion.