Fastorslow ready for John Durkan return

Fastorslow is firmly on course to try to regain the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase later this month, an outing that could bring the King George VI Chase and another crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup on the radar for Martin Brassil’s high-class staying chaser.

The nine-year-old has not run since surrendering the crown he wore in 2023 to Willie Mullins’ Fact To File when fourth in the John Durkan last season, but the November 23 feature is seen as the ideal place for him to start his season.

“He’s headed for the John Durkan for his starting point for the season,” Brassil told the PA news agency.

“He’s been good, he had a nice long break and underwent a bit of pre-training before he came back to me and we’ve been very happy with him.

“We’re looking forward to getting him out for his first run, Punchestown is a happy hunting ground for him anyway and hopefully he will have a good clear round and get a bit of race-fitness into him.”

Fastorslow was as short as 4-1 for Kempton’s Boxing Day feature when cruelly ruled out for the season in early December and Brassil could be tempted to scratch the itch of a festive raid to the Sunbury track, depending on the verdict of his impending return on home soil.

The Irishman also has a second shot at the Cheltenham blue riband in mind, with the leading chaser having somewhat unfinished business at Prestbury Park after unseating J J Slevin when going well in the 2024 renewal.

“We’ll probably enter him for the King George subject to how he gets on and maybe play it by ear after that,” continued Brassil.

“Maybe we’ll go back to Cheltenham for the Gold Cup and I would like another go at that.

“Every year there are a couple of new kids on the block and you have to be conscious of that, but depending on how he starts his season off and progresses we can take it from there.”