Brassil bemoans options as inexperienced chaser Fastorslow set for John Durkan

Cheltenham Festival and Aintree Grand National-winning trainer Martin Brassil has lamented a lack of options that has compelled him to take on the formidable Galopin Des Champs with his Coral Cup runner-up Fastorslow in Monday’s Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase (2.10) at Punchestown.

Fastorslow will be making his first start over fences in Ireland, having won his only previous chase outing when scoring for Arnaud Chaille-Chaille at Auteuil in September 2019. Brassil has struggled to identify more suitable options for the six-year-old in the Irish programme book and is exasperated by the situation.

There has been no suitable handicap for a horse of his ability with so little experience, as he isn't qualified for premier handicaps like the Troytown due to the fact he hasn't run at least three times over fences.

“He’s not a novice,” said Brassil. “I think it’s deplorable that I have to run him here [at Punchestown]. Look at the calendar and tell me where else I could have run him – there’s been nothing since October. Horses like him are continually ignored by the calendar in Ireland.”

He added. “I was going to run him in the Hilly Way at Cork but the ground wasn’t great so I chose not to, and the ground wasn't right in the Fortria Chase at Navan, but again, they’re both Grade 2s. There are not enough options for a horse like him.”

Fastorslow is yet to win since switching to Brassil's County Kildare stable. Second to the Jessica Harrington-trained Lifetime Ambition on his debut for the stable in a conditions hurdle at the Punchestown festival last year, he has been kept to handicaps since, getting chinned by Commander Of Fleet at Cheltenham in March and then finishing second to Camprond at Punchestown off a rating of 144.

He is 33-1 with Paddy Power for Monday's John Durkan, when he will likely face the recent Troytown Chase runner-up Lifetime Ambition (12-1) once again.

Harrington is the only trainer other than Willie Mullins to have won the race in the last seven years when successful with Sizing John in 2017. Lifetime Ambition wasn't in the original John Durkan field before it was lost to the weather, but the rescheduled contest has prompted Harrington to rethink plans.

Sean O'Keeffe and Lifetime Ambition are set to be reunited in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown.Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

“I thought his run in the Troytown Chase was amazing,” said Harrington. “If anything, I think he was just outstayed. We were delighted with him. It wasn’t our initial intention to send him here – he’s also entered into the Savills over three miles at Leopardstown – but I think this might suit him and he’s come along nicely.”

Lifetime Ambition finished second to Capodanno in the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown in April, and the Gold Cup-winning trainer reckons the seven-year-old will appreciate conditions come Monday, when he will be partnered by regular rider Sean O'Keeffe.

“I think he’ll like the ground – he runs well on nice ground and we’d be happy to see him run to the level he did at Navan," said Harrington. "It seems as if he might come on again from that.”

The track at Punchestown is currently unraceable, but is expected to recover in time for Monday’s meeting. Temperatures in Ireland look set to rise to 11C on Sunday, with rain also forecast.

John Durkan Memorial Chase (2.10 Monday, Punchestown)

Paddy Power: 2-7 Galopin Des Champs, 4 Fakir D'Oudairies, 8 Fury Road, 12 Lifetime Ambition, 16 Haut En Couleurs, 25 Vanillier, 33 Fastorslow

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