Spillane’s Tower roared back to his very best to take victory in the Betfair Cotswold Chase on Trials day at
Cheltenham.
Jimmy Mangan’s stable star has always shaped as potentially a real top-notcher and after a couple of comeback runs over hurdles his Grand National-winning trainer was confident of a big run.
Jack Kennedy was happy to let L’Homme Presse bowl along in front, and while Grey Dawning also took a stalking role, in his case in third of the four starters, his chance ultimately went with a bad mistake at the second-last.
Ahead of him Kennedy was in cruise control coming to the final fence on the JP McManus-owned 11-4 winner and while L’Homme Presse did not go down without a fight, it was the Irish raider who was three-quarters of a length to the good at the line.