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A dual Grade One-winning novice chaser two seasons ago, the JP McManus-owned seven-year-old made an excellent start to the last campaign when splitting Fact To File and Galopin Des Champs in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase. He disappointed when favourite for the King George VI Chase at Kempton and did not run again until the spring when filling the runner-up spot behind Galopin Des Champs in the Punchestown Gold Cup. This weekend’s Grade One feature in Co Down looks an ideal place for Spillane’s Tower to get his season under way before McManus unleashes his other big guns in the staying division, including the reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Inothewayurthinkin, but trainer Jimmy Mangan will not risk his stable star on unsuitably dry ground. “We need it to rain really. There’s selective watering going on, so that doesn’t sound great,” said Mangan. “I wouldn’t be too sure whether he’ll be declared on Thursday morning or not, I’d need to see a change in going anyway. “He’s in good shape. We’ve entered him in the John Durkan again. I’d like to run him [on Saturday], but whether the ground is just too tight we’ll wait and see.” Meanwhile, the Breeders’ Cup Classic line-up suffered a blow when favourite Sovereignty was scratched from the race by Bill Mott who confirmed the Godolphin colt was running a temperature. “We re-treated him and of course now he’s on antibiotics. He seems to be doing well this morning and his temperature is down to one tick above normal and he looks bright, but he’s definitely out of the Classic and will be scratched.”
