The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word TROTTED
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
T
R
O
T
T
E
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "moved at a fair pace" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case moved at a fair pace = trotted.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TROTTED mean?
TROTTED verb- To move along briskly; specifically, to move at a pace between a walk and a run.
- (of a horse) To move at a gait between a walk and a canter.
- To cause to move, as a horse or other animal, in the pace called a trot; to cause to run without galloping or cantering.