MANGAN'S TOWER OF STRENGTH

SPILLANE'S TOWER, a proven Grade 1 chaser, should take advantage of an apparently lenient hurdle mark when he makes his seasonal debut in tomorrow's Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle in Naas.

- BY PETER O'HEHIR

Jimmy Mangan’s stable star bagged two Grade 1 prizes as a novice chaser in the spring of 2024 but was seen only three times last season.

He was a late withdrawal from last week's BetVictor Champion Chase in Down Royal due to unfavourably good ground but is set to reappear, over flights, off a mark of 130 tomorrow as a prep for a possible tilt at the Betfair Chase. Winner of the WillowWarm Gold Cup and Dooley Insurance Champion Novice Chase in the spring of ’24, Spillane’s Tower produced a superb effort on his seasonal bow last December, failing by a half-length to Fact To File in the John Durkan at Punchestown.

He then failed to make an impact when fifth behind Banbridge in the King George at Kempton and filled the runner-up berth beaten 22 lengths by an inform Galopin Des Champs in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup.