Jimmy Mangan believes Spillane’s Tower failed to act on the track when beaten into fifth place in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
A dual Grade One-winning novice over fences last season, the six-year-old Spillane's Tower made a hugely encouraging start to the new campaign when splitting fellow JP McManus-owned gelding Fact To File and his stablemate Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan at Punchestown.
On the strength of that form, Spillane’s Tower was sent off favourite for Kempton’s festive showpiece, but struggled to keep up with the blistering pace set by French raider and eventual runner-up Il Est Francais and was ultimately well held.
“He’s come back fine and to be fair, Mark Walsh said he just didn’t act on the course,” said Mangan.
“I see Willie (Mullins) was saying the same thing about his mare (Lossiemouth) as she didn’t perform on the track either (in the Christmas Hurdle). She was in trouble early on Paul Townend said, and that’s not like her.
“We were very pleased with our horse, especially when Mark Walsh said he didn’t act at all round the track.”
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A couple of days after Spillane’s Tower’s unsuccessful trip to Britain, Fact To File and Galopin Des Champs renewed rivalry in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown, with the latter emphatically reversing the John Durkan form to ensure he is now a warm order to win a third Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Mangan feels his charge may have finished best of the rest behind the Willie Mullins-trained superstar had he run at Leopardstown and he could now take him on in the Irish Gold Cup in early February.
“I think if we’d gone to Leopardstown, he might have been second to Galopin Des Champs. We’ve seen two stars here in Leopardstown in Galopin Des Champs and the mare yesterday (Brighterdaysahead),” the trainer added.
“I’ll be speaking to Frank (Berry, owner’s racing manager) and see where we go, but he probably will have an entry in the Irish Gold Cup.
“There’s not a whole lot for him other than that, the odd conditions race or something over two and a half miles, so we’ll see.”
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