Spillane's Tower made it back-to-back Grade One victories for trainer Jimmy Mangan with a determined display in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown.
Best known as the trainer of 2003 Grand National hero Monty's Pass, Mangan was claiming his first top-level success in 16 years when this JP McManus-owned gelding landed the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday, with Conna Castle his only previous Grade One winner in the same race in 2008.
Stepping up to three miles for the first time, Spillane's Tower was a 5-2 joint-favourite for his latest big-race assignment and came out on top after a titanic tussle with market rival Monty's Star.
Jimmy Mangan's Spillane's Tower (5-2JF) followed up recent Fairyhouse success when winning the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase at the @punchestownrace Festival
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) April 30, 2024
📺Watch live on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer #racing #rtesport pic.twitter.com/Sxo8WFfBYs
Three Card Brag took the field along for much of the way before the big two settled down to fight it out in the straight.
While Spillane's Tower travelled the better of the pair, Monty's Star, who found only the much-heralded Fact To File too strong in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, dug deep to stay in the fight, but Mangan's charge proved three-quarters of a length too strong.
Mystical Power finished with a flourish to reverse Cheltenham Festival form with Slade Steel in the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle on day one of the Punchestown Festival.
Henry de Bromhead's Slade Steel had proved too strong for the Willie Mullins-trained Mystical Power in the latter stages of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle in mid-March, since when the latter had gone one better in Grade One company at Aintree.
Mystical Power the 2-1F backed up his success at Aintree when winning the KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle for Mark Walsh and Willie Mullins at the @punchestownrace Festival
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) April 30, 2024
📺Watch live on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer #racing #rtesport pic.twitter.com/BRQThvHQ3H
There was little to choose between the pair in the betting for the rematch on home soil, but Mystical Power was the narrow favourite at 2-1 and ultimately took his revenge.
The extended two-mile contest was run at a strong gallop from flag-fall thanks to the Danny Mullins-ridden Ile Atlantique, but the race changed complexion quickly racing down the back straight, as both he and nearest pursuer Tullyhill back-peddled rapidly.
Slade Steel arrived on the scene seemingly travelling best rounding the final bend, but he found disappointingly little for Rachael Blackmore once coming under pressure, whereas Mystical Power - a son of Galileo out of the great racemare Annie Power - powered home from further back in the hands of Mark Walsh to score by a length and three-quarters.
Firefox, third in the Supreme and runner-up to Mystical Power at Aintree, ran another fine race in defeat to split the market principals in second.
A winner six days ago at Ludlow, Daddy Long Legs, the 16-5F, led them home again for Paul Townend and Willie Mullins in the Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) April 30, 2024
📺Watch @punchestownrace Festival live on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer #racing #rtesport pic.twitter.com/OMhz6lHD3t
Paul Townend cut the deficit in the race for the jockeys' championship to six and he hasn’t had too many easier winners as Daddy Long Legs sauntered to victory in the Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle to give trainer to give Willie Mullins a double on the card.
The Almanzor five-year-old hadn’t had to expend much energy when scoring under Patrick Mullins in Ludlow six days ago as Mullins moved towards his British champion trainers’ title.He showed no ill-effects from the travels either, when pulling Townend to the front, before the turn for home in this Listed contest.
The 16/5 favourite’s wellbeing was evidenced by a spring-heeled leap at the last and he had five lengths to spare at the last from the staying on Brentford Hope, who justified the decision of British trainer Harry Derham and The Optimists Syndicate to travel.
Sermandzarak showed all his experience to land the Goffs Defender Bumper at the @punchestownrace Festival for Gordon Elliott and Harry Swan
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) April 30, 2024
📺Watch live on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer #racing #rtesport pic.twitter.com/AyQoqUMD10
Trainer Gordon Elliott and owners Robcour got off the mark for the festival as Sermandzarak battled well for Harry Swan to claim the Goffs Defender Bumper, going head-to-head with eventual third Act Of Innocence all the way up the straight before prevailing at 10/1 by a length and a quarter from the fast-finishing Yeshill.
Watch the Punchestown Festival from Tuesday to Saturday on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Coverage on Tuesday and Wednesday begins at 3.30pm, with Thursday and Friday starting from 4pm. Racing on Saturday broadcast on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player from 3pm.
