20-1 Fastorslow stuns Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame with shock Punchestown Gold Cup win

If there is one thing this week has proved it is that a bit of innovative thinking goes a long way when it comes to putting one over on Willie Mullins at Punchestown, and Martin Brassil masterminded an exquisite training feat to thwart Cheltenham hero Galopin Des Champs with his massively unexposed 20-1 shot Fastorslow in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.

On just his fifth start over fences having found only the Grand National victor Corach Rambler too good in the Ultima, Fastorslow was smuggled into contention between the final two fences by JJ Slevin. At that stage, Bravemansgame, who had been allowed to dictate up front under Harry Cobden, looked like he had seen off his Gold Cup conqueror Galopin Des Champs. However, having seen off the initial challenge of Envoi Allen, he didn't quite finish his race out and wasn't brilliant at the last fence.

To his credit, Galopin Des Champs kept finding to chin his old rival by a nose for second, but Slevin had blindsided them both to deliver Fastorslow with a telling run to lead over the last and win with a dash of style by two and a quarter lengths.

It was the biggest upset in the race since China Rock's victory at the same odds in 2012, and rewarded Brassil, who famously saddled Numbersixvalverde to land the 2006 Grand National, for his ingenuity.

A day earlier, Emmet Mullins' foiled his all-conquering uncle by pitching Feronily, a similarly unknown quantity, into the deep end in the Grade 1 three-mile novice chase. Exhibit B here saw Brassil claim an even bigger scalp with a seven-year-old who previously been without a win for his stable since coming over from France two years ago.

"He was going to be carrying top weight in a lot of those handicaps so we just felt we'd dip our toe in the water and see what we'd find," Brassil said of the decision to pitch Fastorslow into the deep end.

"There were only five runners and the first two in the betting had hard races in the Gold Cup. If there was a bit of a chink in the armour at all we thought we'd exploit some of that. I didn't think we'd win now, but I didn't think we'd be far away."

Fastorslow quickens past Bravemansgame (left) after the final fence in the Punchestown Gold Cup

Chinned by Commander Of Fleet in the Coral Cup last year, Fastorslow last month ran into Corach Rambler, who has been shown by subsequent events to have again been absolutely thrown in for the Ultima.

At the beginning of the season, Brassil, a quietly spoken guy who is not the sort to kick up a fuss, was minded to speak out about the lack of opportunities over fences for his charge.

The son of Saint Des Saints had won on his chasing bow in France in 2019, and the trainer, who is based locally in Dunmurray, found himself asking a horse with little experience over fences to take on established Grade 1 operators in the John Durkan Memorial Chase in December.

Fastorslow was then well held in the Dublin Chase over two miles at Leopardstown before stepping up in trip at Cheltenham, where he ran admirably in defeat. Still, to go from there to here was quite a leap.

"We won't have to do much planning now," Brassil quipped when reminded of his lament in the autumn. "He'll be running in the goodish races.

"We were hoping the step up to three miles would suit him. Cheltenham was the first time trying it and we felt the race brought him on, but you're still delving into new company in a top-notch race here. But you have to try these things, there's no point dreaming about them."

He added of the third top-level success of his career: "It's lovely to have a Grade 1 winner here, it's one of our favourite places."

Slevin, who is retained by owners Sean and Bernardine Mulryan, was crowning what has been an excellent campaign, this his third Grade 1 of the season.

"That was unreal. It was a bold move to run him here and it paid off," Slevin said. "Off the bend to the second-last I thought we had a chance of being placed, but they weren't getting away from me and we winged the last.

"I didn't have a lot of luck for the owners up until now so to win a race like this for them is unbelievable."

JJ Slevin returns triumphant on Fastorslow

Having also seen An Epic Song foiled by a head in this season's Coral Cup, Brassil was overdue this rub of the green, and it was also a deserved return for the Mulryans, who are based nearby in Ballymore Eustace and have long been generous patrons of Punchestown.

Mullins was magnanimous in defeat and not in a hurry to reach for excuses for Galopin Des Champs.

"I felt we had to run anyhow," Mullins pondered of his brilliant Gold Cup winner's shock first defeat in nine completed starts stretching over more than two years.

"The winner had a run at Cheltenham as well. We ran well on the day. Yes, a Gold Cup takes a lot of winning but, I don't know, the winner ran too and finished second.

"Once they are all safe and sound tomorrow we'll live to fight another day. We've had a great year."

He is having a great week too, but Brassil had his moment here. A giant well and truly slayed.

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