Brassil keeping Christmas options open with Fastorslow

Martin Brassil is eager to gather further evidence on both likely conditions and opposition before deciding if Fastorslow makes a festive raid on the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase or stays at home to run in the Savills Chase.

The three-time Grade One scorer was running for the first time in a year when best of the rest behind Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File in the John Durkan, with Fastorslow’s handler pleased with the comeback performance in a race where he was able to open the pipes without being lured into a battle.

Brassil said: “I was delighted with his Punchestown run, and the way the race was run it was ideal for a horse having his first outing in 12 months.

“He wasn’t sucked into a hard battle from four out like he could have been because the two front-runners had moved on and he jumped round well.

“We’ve been very happy with him since the race and let’s hope he can progress from there. We did keep something to work on and we’re all hopeful he can improve from this first run going forward, but we won’t know until we run.”

Fastorslow was a leading player for last year’s Kempton feature before injury curtailed his season after just the one run and is as short as 10-1 in places for the Boxing Day event this time around.

However, Brassil is in no rush to book the ferry ticket just yet, with a festive run on home soil at Leopardstown a firm alternative.

He added: “We haven’t decided yet which way we will go and we need to keep an eye on the weather, and wherever we think will be the nicest bit of ground we’ll go. We also have to see what the opposition will be like as well.

“We don’t want it heavy, and yielding to soft would be fine. It will be one or the other that looks like being his next race.”