Spillane's Tower can pip Galopin Des Champs for golden moment at Punchestown

Irish Examiner

30-04-2025

Only four runners have been declared for the Grade One Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup, the feature on day two of the Punchestown festival, but it's an intriguing race nonetheless. Two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs will head the market, but Spillane's Tower can get the better of him this time.
Jimmy Mangan's runner, who finished last season by winning Grade Ones at Fairyhouse and at this meeting, hasn't had much chance to prove himself thus far this season, but his first effort, when runner-up to Fact To File in the John Durkan Memorial, suggested he was going to continue on his upwardly mobile way this season.
Unfortunately, his only subsequent start came in the King George, where he didn't run his race. Returning off that 125-day absence for this race is of little concern, and if he can keep tabs on Galopin Des Champs early, he can land this prestigious prize.
Galopin Des Champs was no match for Inothewayurthinkin when bidding for a third consecutive victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but he gave everything in defeat. Quite what mark that might have left on him for the end of the season remains to be seen, but there is a chance he could get an easy lead this time and that would make him hard to beat.
Of concern, however, is his record over fences at this track, where he is one from five, and his jumping often seems less fluent than usual when at this venue. He is a real star, of course, and it will be no surprise if he bounces back to winning ways with a huge performance, but there are enough reasons to take a chance that the younger and fresher legs of Spillane's Tower will prove too sprightly this time.
The nap goes to Jasmin De Vaux, who can take the Grade One Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle. Winner of the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, the six-year-old made a slow start to his hurdling career but took a huge step forward at the Festival and there is every reason to expect even more from him. A strong stayer, he can prove too good for Honesty Policy, who completed a hat-trick with a Grade One win at Aintree.
Must Be Obeyed is not the most straightforward of conveyances but there are many reasons to believe she will put her best foot forward today and be very much involved in the shake-up at the end of the Grade Three Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase.
Tom Gibney's mare hasn't had much luck this season and, as a result, she has dropped to a mark of 126, which is 3lbs lower than when she was a fast-finishing second in this race in 2024. On that occasion, she was held up early and despite a couple of jumping errors along the way, she ran on really well to grab second place on the run-in.
Eleven pounds better off with the winner, Let's Go Champ, and with cheekpieces put on for the first time, this talented lady can earn a long overdue return to the winner's enclosure.
If there is one concern, it is that this race could come too soon after her recent outing at Fairyhouse. She raced at the same meeting in 2024 and ran a similar race as this year – racing prominently before fading late - but there was more than a month between the two festivals in 2024 while this year the turnaround is just eight days. Even with that in mind, she is likely to be a decent price and will have the assistance of Darragh O'Keeffe, and thus she makes plenty of each-way appeal.
PUNCHESTOWN
2:30 Showurappreciation
3:05 Champagne Jury
3:40 Kaid d'Authie
4:15 Jasmin De Vaux (nap)
4:50 Copacabana
5:30 Spillane's Tower
6:05 Must Be Obeyed (nb)
6:35 Seo Linn
Next best
2:30 Fairyland Opera
3:05 Thisistheway
3:40 Got Glory
4:15 Honesty Policy
4:50 Bambino Fever
5:30 Galopin Des Champs
6:05 Fighting Fit
6:35 Good Girl Kathleen