Fastorslow Horse - Age, weight, trainer, owner, race record and form

Despite coming unstuck in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Fastorslow remains the only horse to beat Galopin Des Champs more than once over fences and their rivalry may continue later this spring.

Fastorslow stunned Galopin Des Champs at Punchestown last season in their Gold Cup and did it again in the John Durkan on their respective comebacks, but his old adversary has twice since put him in his place.

Fastorslow owner

Fastorslow is owned by Sean & Bernardine Mulryan.

The distinctive navy with yellow stripe and red cap are no strangers to major horses, with Baring Bingham winner City Island and Thyestes Chase winner Longhouse Poet having carried them to major success in recent years.

Previously, Sean Mulryan owned in his own name with very similar silks. His success was primarily in France.

His biggest success was with Mid Dancer, who won just about every major jumps race at Auteuil including the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (three times), the Prix La Haye Jousselin and the Grand Course des Haies d'Auteuil.

Mulryan is the founder and CEO of Ballymore Properties. He was born in County Roscommon and now reportedly lives in County Kildare.

Fastorslow trainer

County Kildare-based trainer Martin Brassil has been one of the quiet powerhouses of Irish racing for many years. He has been training since 1994 and in the mid-2000s he gained widespread fame.

This came mainly from exploits with the top-class chaser Nickname (later a sire, including of Cyrname and Frodon) and, most of all, with Numbersixvalverde who won the Irish Grand National in 2005 and the Grand National at Aintree the following year.

After a number of years in the relative wilderness following Nickname, Brassil has re-emerged in recent years with Mulryan-owned horses often carrying the flag for the yard.

City Island was his first winner at the Cheltenham Festival and remains his only one.

Fastorslow age

Fastorslow is an eight-year-old, who made his debut for current connections at the Punchestown Festival at the age of five in 2021.

Fastorslow official rating

Fastorslow started his racing career in France with Arnaud Chaille-Chaille. On moving to Brassil, he received a hurdles rating of 140 after finishing second at the 2021 Punchestown Festival.

He was second in the 2022 Coral Cup off a BHA mark of 141 and made his most recent hurdles start at the 2022 Punchestown Festival, when he was again second off his Irish mark of 144.

Over fences, Fastorslow was rated 150 coming into last year's Cheltenham Festival.

After his Punchestown win over Galopin Des Champs, he was rated 168 in Ireland and he is now 170 after his recent Irish Gold Cup second to the same horse and his Cheltenham Festival mishap in the Gold Cup.

Fastorslow breeding

Like many top National Hunt horses these days, Fastorslow was bred in France. His dam, Popova, was a useful hurdler in France and a half-sister to smart Flat performers Prairie Star and Pacific Rim.

Popova finished a neck second in a Grade 3 race at Auteuil in November 2008. She has produced one other successful jumper, Meredith, who spent her career entirely in France.

Fastorslow's sire is leading French stallion Saint Des Saints.

He was a top-class hurdler in France in his racing days and has sired many top British and Irish-trained chasers, such as Gold Cup runner-up Djakadam, Betfair Chase winner Protektorat and Grand National third Gaillard Du Mesnil.

Fastorslow cost

Fastorslow was bought, unraced, at the Arqana Deauville Summer sale in July 2018. He cost Bertrand Le Metayer, a leading French bloodstock agent, €100,000 and by the time he made his debut he was running in the colours of Sean Mulryan. 

Fastorslow official record

He developed into a smart handicap hurdler in his early days in Ireland, but staying chases were always likely to be his forte.

He made his first start over three miles-plus when second in last year's Ultima behind subsequent Grand National hero Corach Rambler and has thrived since in such races.

He won the Punchestown Gold Cup on his next start, then followed up in the John Durkan (over 2m3½f) on his seasonal reappearance, with Galopin Des Champs behind in both instances.

He was then second to Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup in February before unseating JJ Slevin at Cheltenham on his most recent start when he'd gone off an 8/1 chance.

Fastorslow prize money

Fastorslow has bagged an impressive £359,699 in prizemoney for his connections already, a significant portion of which came from his 2023 Punchestown Gold Cup victory – for which he earned €180k.

Fastorslow next race

Brassil made no secret of the fact that Fastorslow's season has been all about that bid for the Cheltenham Gold Cup but he now must reimagine after that quest for Blue Riband glory came unstuck.

He has quickly confirmed that Fastorslow will bid for a repeat victory in the Punchestown Gold Cup next month.

"We had high expectations and it's always disappointing when you have a mishap like that. Most of them were going well at the time and I'd say the race was just about to develop," he reflected on Cheltenham.

"It was just unfortunate that we didn't get a chance to play a part in the finish. I'm sure we'll have another go at Punchestown. He came home fine, there wasn't a scratch on him."

Fastorslow news

The story of Fastorslow has been one of a rapid rise up the ranks.

He ran in a handicap at last year's Cheltenham Festival, just losing out to subsequent Grand National winner Corach Rambler, before landing those successive Grade 1 wins in Ireland either side of a summer layoff.

He's been collared twice since by Galopin Des Champs but all roads seemingly lead back to the Punchestown Festival for their next set-to.

After such a rapid ascent to becoming a dual Grade 1-winning chaser, the question now for Fastorslow and his fans surely centres around whether or not his progress has plateaued?

Any odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.