Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup report and free video replay
Bravemansgame jumped superbly on the front end under Harry Cobden and when Galopin Des Champs loomed up on his outside on the turn for home it looked like a straight shootout.
However, JJ Slevin was biding his time in the slipstream of the big two and it soon became clear Fastorslow was going to have a big say as he went ahead of Galopin Des Champs jumping the last.
Bravemansgame made his only semblance of a mistake at the last and that gave Fastorslow momentum, Slevin cajoling his mount to a two-and-a-quarter length win over Galopin Des Champs, who got up for second on the line.
Brassil was ice cool in his post-race interview, saying: “He was going to be carrying top weight in a lot of those handicaps so we just felt we might as well dip our toe in the water and see how much we find.
“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 I thought we could hopefully exploit that. I didn’t think we’d win, but I thought we wouldn’t be far away.
“JJ is a cool customer, he took the shortest way around and the horse jumped well, everything fell into place.
“We were hoping the step up in trip would bring improvement, his pedigree suggests that he stays well. The first time trying it was in Cheltenham and I’d say that race might have brought him on.
“We were delving into new company, top-notch company, but you have to try these things – there is no point dreaming about them.
“There’ll be no point entering him in a handicap again now. He ran his heart out and just got chinned a couple of times so to come here at a local track and win a Grade One is great.
“We won’t have to do much planning now as we’ll be running in the good races.”
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On his fourth run over fences Fastorslow was second to none other than Grand National hero Corach Rambler in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.
"It just shows what you need for a Cheltenham handicap, Corach Rambler is a hardy horse," winning jockey Slevin said.
"It was a great performance from Martin to get him here in that shape. It was bold to run him here and it paid off.
"I remember schooling him earlier in the year and I was saying to Martin 'he could even be a two miler' the way he goes through the air.
"I was always wanting to get comfortable, he jumped very steady. He hit the line well you know."
Fuming
Of Bravemansgame, Cobden said: “I had the most fantastic ride and he jumped great but I’m fuming I didn’t wing the last fence, I got in very deep and lost two lengths as well as momentum. After that the best horse has won, but if I’d have winged that fence it would have been a different story, I’m sure of it.
“It’s not the ground you lose jumping, it’s the momentum on landing as he pecked and the other horse came by me.
“I might have a different thought on watching back, but my initial thought is if I’d met it better I would have been a lot closer.”
Of the beaten favourite Mullins, speaking after landing a second-day treble when Junta Marvel won the closing bumper, said: “He’s grand, he was tired when he came in but he’s back to himself there now.
“It was a good race and you have to run your horses, that’s what they are there for. It’s good prize money and good racing.”
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