Fastar shows plenty of speed in the sprint handicap

Four times a previous winner over 7f and 1m, including on heavy ground, Fastar (12/1) handled the drop in trip to 6f with aplomb as he scored by four lengths in the Naas Racecourse Launches The 2020 Irish Flat Season Handicap under Shane Foley.

Always going nicely tracking the leaders, he scooted clear outside the furlong marker as 5/2 favourite Dark Vader did best of the rest, while Mokhalad (6/1 ) made good late headway into third, a further three lengths away.

The winner, a gelding by the recently deceased Fast Company, won three for Brian Meehan and had won his previous start back in December when taking a 7f handicap at Wolverhampton, when also partnered by Foley.

Former trainer Adrian Joyce is now assisting winning handler Ger O’Leary, and he commented afterwards: “He worked on Friday up the grass and worked really well with a couple of quick horses.

“The drop back in trip a little bit was a worry but he's an improving horse, he's well above average.

“Things have been going really well since I joined up with Ger and it's good to get a winner on the grass for him. We had a couple of winners in England.

“We have got a good team of horses and a lot of two-year-olds for the summer so it could be an exciting year for us.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson