It's time for round three as Blood Destiny and Spillane's Tower renew rivalry in Grade 1 feature

This is the third episode of a fascinating trilogy between Blood Destiny and Spillane's Tower. Each has one victory over the other but this is the big one. This is the one both camps want to win. 

Since Spilliane's Tower defied an in-running high of 84-1 on the Betfair Exchange to win a 2m3½f Grade 3 at Punchestown in mid-January, he has had the WillowWarm Gold Cup written all over him. The track, the trip and the ground were always going to be in his favour. 

On that occasion at Punchestown, he gunned down Blood Destiny after the last. The further he went, the better he looked, so it was no surprise to see him outpaced by the Closutton representative in the rematch over 2m at Navan earlier this month. 

He was giving the winner 7lb that day, but it's level weights this time back over 2m4f, so the terms and conditions look to have swayed the way of Spillane's Tower 

Willie Mullins will overtake Jim Dreaper as the most successful trainer in the race's history should either Blood Destiny or Tactical Move score. 

He has won the last five runnings with Al Boum Photo (2018), Voix Du Reve (2019), Janidil (2021), Galopin Des Champs (2022) and Flame Bearer (2023). There are four Gold Cups among that lot. 

It is hard to envisage either of this year's representatives going on to Gold Cup glory, but Blood Destiny looked a reformed character at Navan last time when ridden with more restraint. Will those tactics work again?

He was a beaten odds-on favourite at this meeting last year in the Grade 2 juvenile hurdle but, like Spillane's Tower, he looks a different proposition since going chasing and really attacks his fences. 

Visually, his most impressive display was in his beginners' chase at Naas in December when he beat subsequent Leopardstown Chase winner Heart Wood by nine lengths. That was over 2m4f, so maybe stamina won't be an issue. 

Mullins also runs Tactical Move, who was workmanlike in justifying 1-2 favouritism in a four-runner Grade 3 at Naas the Sunday before Cheltenham. He will need to jump better here than he did there, but the chances are we haven't seen the best of him yet, so it would be foolish to underestimate him. 

Zanahiyr (near): one of two runners for Gordon ElliottCredit: Patrick McCann

The Gordon Elliott-trained pair Saint Felicien and Zanahiyr ran at Cheltenham and have had only 17 days to recover. The fact Jack Kennedy sticks with Saint Felicien, rated 4lb inferior to his stablemate, speaks volumes. 

Thecompanysergeant and Flanking Maneuver both have plenty to prove, but there have been shocks in this Grade 1 before. Janidil was 12-1 in 2021 and Realt Mor was 10-1 when winning for Elliott in 2013. That remains the trainer's only victory in this event.

'Conditions should be in his favour' - Spillane's Tower camp hopeful

It is 16 years since Conna Castle provided Jimmy Mangan with his sole Grade 1 success in this race and he looks to have found another potential star in Spillane's Tower. 

Rated only 130 over hurdles, Spillane's Tower has improved significantly for seeing a fence, as expected, and he already has a win over Blood Destiny. 

He was beaten by that rival last time at Navan, but Mangan doesn't think the race was run to suit as it was a real speed test up the straight. 

Mangan said: "I thought that was a very good run behind Blood Destiny at Navan the other day, as it turned into a sprint and he just got caught for a turn of foot at an important stage. I think the step back up in trip will suit him well now, so we're looking forward to it. He enjoys soft ground, so the conditions should be in his favour."

What they say 

Willie Mullins, trainer of Blood Destiny and Tactical Move
The conditions of the race will suit Blood Destiny. He’ll handle the trip and the ground, and he was convincing at Navan the last day. The change in tactics helped last time. Tactical Move won’t be far away. He has very few runs under his belt but we still don’t really know how good he is. He was second to Nick Rockett in a beginners' chase at Fairyhouse and seems in good form.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Saint Felicien and Zanahiyr
Jack [Kennedy] is on Saint Felicien and it was a pity he was brought down in the Plate at Cheltenham. Things hadn't really hotted up at that stage and it was hard to know how he would have fared. He seems none the worse for that spill and I don't think we've seen the best of him over fences yet. There is more to come. Zanahiyr is really solid and ran another good race in the Turners at Cheltenham. The trip and the track should suit and I'm sure he'll give another good account of himself.

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