Fastorslow wins John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase. Reaction and free replay

Last seen finishing second to Fastorslow in the Punchestown Gold Cup in April, the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs was sent off the 1/2 favourite to retain his crown in the two and a half mile Grade 1.

He faced four stablemates as well as Fastorslow and there was market support near post time for Blue Lord who ended up challenging Appreciate It for second favouritism.

In the race itself, Appreciate It took them along from Stattler with Galopin Des Champs settled alongside Blue Lord with only the enigmatic Asterion Forlonge behind.

Paul Townend crept a bit closer moving into the sixth only for the favourite to put in an extra stride and lose the ground he'd gained but he was back on the quarters of Fastorslow going out into the back straight. That pair moved into second and third before four out as Stattler dropped out tamely.

Galopin Des Champs needed to be ridden after the third last and there were four in contention at the second last with Blue Lord having moved up smoothly but he was found wanting as the leaders turned the screw.

Patrick Mullins kicked from the front on Appreciate It and had Galopin Des Champs in trouble but the nine-year-old couldn't repel Fastorslow who really got into his stride going into the last and he ran on strongly on landing for JJ Slevin to prevail in a thrilling finish.

Galopin Des Champs stuck to his task and finished third.

In the aftermath of Punchestown, Fastorslow's trainer Martin Brassil felt that Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame may have had the edge taken off them in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and in the build-up to this race had suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that the only way to prove that victory wasn't a fluke was to beat Galopin Des Champs again.

His stable star duly delivered with the winning distances half a length and a length and a quarter.

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Slevin, who dropped his whip halfway up the run-in, said: "I ended up in a nice position. He was in my hands a little bit early, so I was handy as I wanted, and he was just running on to one or two probably because of that; when he relaxed a little his jumping was very good.

"We didn't go quick and it turned into a bit of a sprint but we thought it might do that.

"He's a very game horse. He's up among them (the best three mile chasers) anyway and I'm fine with that."

Sky Bet reacted to the result by cutting Fastorslow’s Cheltenham Gold Cup odds to 5/1 from 12s, while easing Galopin Des Champs to 10/3 from 2/1 for the blue riband.

Brassil said: “We would have been delighted if he was in the first three. It was a tactical, steadily run race and he (Slevin) 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 and there is four and a half weeks until the Savills Chase (at Leopardstown). The horse will tell us.”

Champion shows 'no spark'

Patrick Mullins felt his mount may well have emerged victorious had he jumped straighter.

He said: “He ran a cracker but just jumps a little left and that let the winner up our inside after the last fence. He’s enjoyed himself and jumped brilliant, but jumping that little bit left has probably cost him the race.”

Willie Mullins felt Galopin Des Champs lacked his usual spark, 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.”

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