J J Slevin’s William Hill blog: Can’t wait for Fastorslow

Thursday, Cheltenham

Prairie Dancer (2.10pm)

He ran well on his first go over three miles one furlong the last day at Carlisle. The lads spotted the qualifier at Carlisle, which was sharp enough race planning, and they got him qualified. We had this, and the Coral Cup as an option, but we thought he might travel better in this as he travelled very sweetly over the three miles one the last day, and it is important he gets into a rhythm.

He gets two miles on the flat, but you can never be confident about getting a trip like this until they try it. He had 12st on his back the last day, and he isn’t very big, but he galloped away well.

He ran well here in the Fred Winter a few years ago so this sort of race will hold no fears for him as he is good and hardy and been around a fair while.

Like a lot of mine this week he probably wants a bit better ground so hopefully it will have dried out a bit more by then.

He has been a great horse for the yard and if he can run another good race that would be great.

Banbridge (2.50pm)

Seeing all the rain we have had is not what we wanted to see as regards to Banbridge, but Joseph (O’Brien) is keen to run him and he is in good form.

It went well in the Silviniaco Conti. He was a bit rusty jumping one or two as he got in under a couple, especially when I was squeezing him up the straight, but it was a pleasing performance as he beat a very good horse in Pic D’Orhy.

We were confident enough fitness wise going into Kempton, and we thought he had improved a bit from last season. He is a better horse this season and we were confident he would run a big race at Kempton.

It was just pure ground related as to why he didn’t come out until January. There was no point giving him hard races on deep winter ground as there are plenty of races in the spring for him.

It is a very good race and he will have to his A game on if he does turn up. Barry Keniry rides him most of the time at home so I don’t sit him on him much, but he is in good shape. I schooled him a little while ago and he felt good.

He is a good jumper, and a good moving horse which usually means they want good ground. As he has got older he has become much hardier. I’d say a career best would be needed to win this as there is plenty of strength and depth in the race.

I suppose it does deflate you a little bit when you see how the ground is but what will be will be. If the lads are happy enough to run him then I’m happy enough to run I’m happy enough to go and ride him.

Home By The Lee (3.30pm)

He will be wearing the first time blinkers, and they seem to have helped him in his work at home as he has schooled and galloped really well in them. It is an open enough Stayers’ Hurdle and there are few horses in there that could win it. He is going really well at the moment and I think he could surprise a few and run a really good race.

It is hard to say that a horse that has run in the race twice is going to win it on his third go, but he is peaking for this week. He is a horse that will hit his best at one stage of the year. Usually that is at Christmas time, but this season I’m hoping he is delaying it until the spring. He will out run his odds.

There was no pace on in the race at Leopardstown over Christmas, and he was looking around. When he gets into that frame of mind in feeling really well in himself he is a different horse. You saw what he can do at Leopardstown at Christmas time last season, and if he brings that to this meeting he will run a big race.

I suppose it does sit on your mind he has been beaten in the race past two seasons, but in saying that he was beaten five lengths and three lengths, which is not a million miles. He made a mistake in the race last year, and he lost quite a bit of ground, and that was unusual for him. We are hoping that what he is doing in the blinkers at home he can bring to the races.

Friday, Cheltenham

Nurburgring (1.30pm)

He is 136 and Lark In The Mornin won the other day off 122. They are two big cruising horses that stay well so they are not too dissimilar.

He is a 91 rated horse on the Flat and he probably has snuck under the radar a little bit. He should be a good bit of each-way value.

Fastorslow (3.30pm)

I think coming here Friday will be the same as any other day. It is important to try and keep everything consistent in your mind.

When I was schooling him last week, and riding work on him, that gave me a bit more of a buzz as I knew this race was coming up, but when you start the week you take it all day-by-day.

He was good in the John Durkan and he ran well in the Irish Gold Cup. He is a consistent sort of horse and is right up there with the best of them.

Galopin Des Champs is a very good horse, and he was unlucky not to win the Turners (Novices’ Chase) here when he fell at the last.

It is a very strong Gold Cup, and there are lot more horses in there than just those two boys at the top of the market as you could make a case for seven or eight to win it.

I think they will go a good honest pace and that will sort everyone out. Since his last run he has had wind surgery to tighten it a up a bit more, and there is no harm in doing that, but his wind is not too bad to be fair.

It is hard to put your finger on one thing as to why he has improved so much, but he has just strengthened up and kept on improving.

It is hard to fathom walking out of here last year that he would return in 12 months time as second favourite for the Gold Cup, but the horse has plenty of confidence in himself and Martin (Brassil) has done a good job training him.

Martin trains 25 horses and he is one of the best really and he will take on the big boys when he wants to. He is a top class trainer.

I don’t want to think about winning yet, but if it does come off it would be massive.