Martin Brassil's Fastorslow remains unaffected by his unsupervised excursion around Cheltenham and will now set his sights on Punchestown.
The eight-year-old, ridden by J J Slevin, has shown impressive form in the past, including a second-place finish in the Ultima, just behind the eventual winner of the Grand National, Corach Rambler, twelve months ago.
Following that, he competed in the Punchestown Gold Cup and notably emerged victorious against both Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame, who finished first and second respectively in the 2023 Gold Cup.
His strong form continued this season when he made his debut in the John Durkan at Punchestown, once again defeating Galopin Des Champs, who could only manage a third-place finish.
However, their positions were reversed in their next encounter, with Fastorslow finishing as the runner-up in the Irish Gold Cup as Galopin Des Champs reclaimed victory, solidifying his claim for a repeat at Cheltenham.
Given Galopin Des Champs' strong performance, he was rightfully the favourite at odds of 10-11 on Friday and ultimately triumphed by a margin of three and a half lengths. Unfortunately, Fastorslow encountered misfortune at the 16th obstacle and parted ways with Slevin.
Thankfully, both horse and rider emerged unscathed, and Fastorslow's instinct kept him among the pack until the very end.
He finished in second place, momentarily posing a slight challenge to the winner's progress. Brassil confirms that there were no negative consequences from this adventure, and the plan is now to target a repeat of last year's triumphant performance at Punchestown.