WITH just a month of the jumps season proper behind us, it’s a case of all change and a reassessment of one of the highlights of the 2023 season is needed.

Fastorslow was a late arrival to the Grade 1 scene last year but few would have expected the Gold Cup form, so highly regarded last March, to have taken knocks, and at the hands of two horses such as Gentlemansgame and Royal Pagaille. One was a lower level novice last season who had just one beginners’ chase win to his name and the other had progressed from heavy ground handicaps but had been well beaten in three Gold Cups.