Tag Archive for: The Real Whacker

The Real Whacker set for two more trips to Cheltenham

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The Real Whacker is set for a second tilt at the Cotswold Chase following another creditable effort in defeat in the King George on Boxing Day.

Winner of the Charlie Hall at Wetherby on his reappearance, Patrick Neville’s stable star was supplemented for last week’s Kempton showpiece and ran a solid race to pick up minor honours behind Banbridge, Il Est Francais and L’Homme Presse.

Neville reports the eight-year-old to have returned to his Wensleydale yard none the worse and will now look to send him back to Cheltenham in late January, having filled the runner-up spot behind Capodanno in the Cotswold Chase last season.

“He came out of it well and we were delighted with him, it was a great run,” said the trainer.

“The French horse (Il Est Francais) went quick enough and it was not really a staying race. A lot of horses never got into it and it was more of a two-and-a-half-mile race really than a staying race.

“We’ll go for the Cotswold Chase now and hopefully the Gold Cup again if the ground is on the good side, which hopefully it will be this year.

“He’s well in himself and the horses are in better form this year.”



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The Real Whacker to be added to King George field

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Patrick Neville has confirmed his intention to supplement The Real Whacker for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase.

An unbeaten novice two seasons ago, including a thrilling victory over Gerri Colombe at the Cheltenham Festival, the eight-year-old lost his way slightly last term, but did manage to finish fourth in the King George and second in the Cotswold Chase.

He got his career back on track with a superb display in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in early November and subsequently sidestepped the Betfair Chase at Haydock after heavy rain on the day turned conditions testing.

The Real Whacker initially looked set to wait for a second stab at the Cotswold Chase in late January en-route to another tilt at the Gold Cup, but with the weather looking relatively dry over the festive period, Neville is keen to roll the dice in Kempton’s Boxing Day showpiece.

“He’s in good form and he’ll probably run next week in the King George,” the trainer said at Catterick on Tuesday.

“The weather forecast and everything is coming right and he’s in great form, so why not?

“I didn’t enter him originally as we were going a different route, but with the ground the way it is, we’ll give it a go.”



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Brian Hughes maintains The Real Whacker partnership for Betfair bid

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Charlie Hall Chase hero The Real Whacker will take his place in a field of nine as he bids to follow up his Wetherby success in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.

Unbeaten in three novice starts over fences two seasons ago, including a Cheltenham Festival victory over Gerri Colombe, Patrick Neville’s stable star was unable to add to his tally in his first year in open company last term, but did run with credit in the King George and the Cotswold Chase.

The eight-year-old unseated Sam Twiston-Davies on his return to action in the Kerry National at Listowel in September, but got his career back on track when making much of the running in the hands of Brian Hughes in the biggest race of the year at Wetherby earlier this month and Neville is hoping for more of the same on Merseyside this weekend from the partnership.

“The plan is to run and we’re going there all guns blazing,” said the Wensleydale-based trainer.

“He’s in great form and came out of the Charlie Hall well, so we said we’d go again.

“Hopefully the ground is OK and won’t go too heavy. I think they’re giving heavy rain there on Saturday, but you never know, the weather forecasters have got it wrong a few times before.

“It’s a good race, but the horse is back to himself and that’s the main thing.”

Ventia Williams’ Royale Pagaille, who won the race last season and was second the year before, is set to line up again and will appreciate the forecast rain over Haydock Park ahead of Saturday.

Royale Pagaille and Charlie Deutsch winning last year's Betfair Chase at Haydock
Royale Pagaille and Charlie Deutsch winning last year’s Betfair Chase at Haydock (David Davies/The Jockey Club)

Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame, second in the race last term and also behind The Real Whacker in the Charlie Hall is on the list in first-time blinkers with Sam Twiston-Davies riding, alongside Shark Hanlon’s King George VI hero Hewick.

Lucinda Russell’s Ahoy Senor has been declared and so too has Dan Skelton’s Cheltenham Festival winner Grey Dawning, who makes his seasonal debut in the race.

There is a French runner in Gold Tweet, who will travel over for trainer Gabriel Leenders for the contest, and the Irish challenge includes Gavin Cromwell’s Limerick Lace and Capodanno for Willie Mullins – with the latter added as a supplementary entry.

The going at Haydock was described as good, good to soft in places on Thursday morning, but clerk of the course Dan Cooper is expecting conditions to deteriorate ahead of racing on Saturday.

He said: “We’ve had snow here since Monday after a relatively dry autumn. The only real rain this November came last weekend, so that’s why at the moment the going description is relatively sound as good, good to soft in places.

“The snow came at the start of the week and it’s still here now. We’re hoping that will defrost quite nicely today as temperatures are rising each hour and I’ve got no doubt that thaw will begin to change conditions.

“With rain forecast, I anticipate a going change. The forecast began to take prominence around Monday of a quite certain wet Saturday, wall-to-wall rain from the start of the day right through until the end of the day.

“There’s fluctuating forecasts, but the one I rely on is predicting around 11 millimetres by midday. I think the good thing to say on that is we’ve not raced here this season, so the track will take every millimetre of that no problem.

“It’s not like we’re going to be on opened-up ground and I can’t see it getting to heavy or anything like that, but it will change from where we are now, there’s no doubt about that.”



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The Real Whacker returns to top form with Charlie Hall win

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The Real Whacker produced a tremendous display from the front to land the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

Winner of the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival two years ago, not everything went as trainer Patrick Neville would have hoped last season, including when pulled up in the Gold Cup.

He returned for this campaign in the Kerry National at Listowel in September, where he had the misfortune of unseating Sam Twiston-Davies.

Immediately disputing matters in front with Conflated on this occasion, he eventually took the outright lead, giving a bold sight under Brian Hughes, who was riding the eight-year-old for the first time.

Former winner and runner-up Bravemansgame was the 11-10 market leader to regain his crown and loomed up ominously for Harry Cobden.

But The Real Whacker (5-1) continued to jump away and ultimately saw off the favourite, with another fine leap at the last sealing a three-and-a-half-length victory.

The Real Whacker (right) in full flight at Wetherby
The Real Whacker (right) in full flight at Wetherby (Ian Hodgson/PA)

Neville said: “That was brilliant, I’m delighted to get him back. I never wrote him off, some people did, but we just had no luck last year. Every time we went to run him the sky opened the night before.

“I had him fairly right going to Listowel and we were just unfortunate he unseated there.

“We were happy coming here today with the (good) ground. I don’t think I’ll run him again on heavy as we did it a few days last year when we were just unlucky the rain kept coming before he ran. The ground is the key to him.”

The Real Whacker finished a creditable fourth in the King George at Kempton last Christmas before finishing second in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham in January. Both races could be on the agenda again before a potential second tilt at Gold Cup glory in the spring.

“We won’t go to Haydock for the Betfair Chase, we’ll go for the King George maybe, the Cotswold Chase again and hopefully then the Gold Cup. It’s all ground dependent,” the trainer added.

“We’ve recently moved yards and we’ve never had better facilities. We’re a neighbour of Karl Burke and Jedd O’Keeffe and Ed Bethell and we’re getting on great.

“Our landlady is Sally Hall and her uncle was Charlie Hall, so it’s great to be going back home with the prize. We’ll take her for a drink maybe tonight and I might get a discount on the rent!”

Yorkshire-based three-time champion jockey Hughes was remarkably riding in the Charlie Hall for the first time and dedicated the victory to his close friend Graham Lee, who suffered life-changing injuries in a fall at Newcastle last year.

Hughes said: “I started in Howard Johnson’s nearly 20 years ago and Graham (Lee) won this race on Grey Abbey (in 2004). I said to him yesterday if I win it I’ll dedicate it to him.

“I’ve never ridden the horse before, but he’s been around plenty and I just thought I’d kick him out of the gate as he’s a good stayer and just don’t move on him and let him jump.

“He’s a Cheltenham Festival and Grade One winner and they don’t lose their ability overnight.

“It was a long last furlong, but I’m glad we got to the line in front.”

Bravemansgame (left) had to make do with the runner-up spot
Bravemansgame (left) had to make do with the runner-up spot (Ian Hodgson/PA)

While Bravemansgame finished best of the rest in second, reigning champion Cobden was clearly disappointed with what he felt was a below-par performance.

He said: “He’s long way off his best visually. The winner is rated 157 so officially we’ve run to 153, which is a long way below his mark (166).

“We’ll see what Paul (Nicholls) says, but he’ll have headgear on next time if I had my way anyway.”



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Whacker handed Charlie Hall aim after Listowel mishap

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The Real Whacker will be prepared for the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase after parting company with Sam Twiston-Davies in the Kerry National on Wednesday.

After winning his first three starts over fences at Cheltenham, including a Festival defeat of Gerri Colombe, Patrick Neville’s stable star endured a largely disappointing campaign last season.

However, sent back to his trainer’s homeland for the feature event of the Harvest Festival at Listowel, the eight-year-old was in the process of running a fine race as the nearest pursuer to the runaway winner Flooring Porter when unseating his rider at the 10th obstacle.

While disappointed, Neville reports his charge to have returned to his North Yorkshire base none the worse and he is now set for a much shorter trip to Wetherby on November 2.

“He was travelling unreal and it was fair disappointing, but he’s come out of it fine,” said the Leyburn-based trainer.

“Even Danny Mullins, who was riding the horse that was third at the time (Lucid Dreams), said afterwards the only horse that would have troubled Flooring Porter was ‘The Whacker’. It’s disappointing, but we move on.

“At least he showed he’s back to himself, as on the ground I was surprised how well he was travelling. The ground was horrible as they had it well watered and then the rain came, which wasn’t forecast.

“We’ll aim for the Charlie Hall now in Wetherby, which is obviously not far from us. Once he goes there in the same form we had him for Listowel, we’ll be happy.

“He’s back home, back in his stable and ready to go again.”



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The Real Whacker ready for Kerry National test

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Patrick Neville is excited to see The Real Whacker return to his homeland for a tilt at the Guinness Kerry National at Listowel on Wednesday.

The eight-year-old actually began his career at this meeting in 2021, finishing sixth as a 150-1 shot for a maiden hurdle, but has come a long way since.

The Real Whacker won his first three starts over fences at Cheltenham, including a Grade One success over Gerri Colombe at the 2023 Festival, and while he failed to add to his tally in open company last term, he did finish fourth in the King George and second in the Cotswold Chase.

He was pulled up in the Gold Cup and again failed to fire on the final day of the season in the Oaksey Chase at Sandown, but Neville – who moved to Britain in 2019 following 15 years training in Ireland – is optimistic his stable star is back firing on all cylinders ahead of his reappearance.

He said: “We brought him over on Saturday and he’s in good form. He was in Beale beach on Sunday morning riding out and was in the sea water.

“There wasn’t going to be anything for him (in Britain) until maybe November. We didn’t have a great summer and I felt sorry for him out in the field, so we said we’d bring him back in a bit earlier and see if we could get him to Listowel.

“I’ve sort of put a line through last year. Even when we went down to Sandown on the last day looking for good ground, they were watering it on the Friday and then the sky opened and the ground went soft.

“We just didn’t have any luck, but I’m happy with where he is now, he’s prepared well for it and I’m expecting a big run.”

Fakir d’Oudairies in action at Aintree
Fakir d’Oudairies in action at Aintree (Steven Paston/A)

The Real Whacker features in a maximum field of 18 runners plus three reserves following Monday’s declaration stage and is the only British-trained participant.

The weights are headed by four-time Grade One winner Fakir d’Oudairies, one of two runners for Joseph O’Brien along with the 2022 Kerry National hero Busselton.

Zanahiyr heads a five-strong team for Gordon Elliott, while Gavin Cromwell has two major contenders in Flooring Porter and Perceval Legallois.



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Neville eager to take Oaksey test with The Real Whacker

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Patrick Neville is optimistic The Real Whacker can end his season on a high in the bet365 Oaksey Chase at Sandown on Saturday.

After rounding off an unbeaten novice campaign over fences with a thrilling Cheltenham Festival success over five-time Grade One winner Gerri Colombe, the current term has not gone entirely to plan for the North Yorkshire-based Irishman’s stable star.

The Real Whacker struck into himself when pulled up on his reappearance in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November and while he performed better when fourth in the King George and when filling the runner-up spot in the Cotswold Chase, he again failed to finish in the Gold Cup last month.

Neville feels the testing conditions at Prestbury Park were to blame for the eight-year-old’s below-par performance and he is confident he can bounce back when he steps down in trip and class for this weekend’s two-mile-six-furlong Grade Two.

Patrick Neville aboard The Real Whacker on the gallops at Cheltenham
Patrick Neville aboard The Real Whacker on the gallops at Cheltenham (David Davies/The Jockey Club)

“He’s in great form and the ground is good. It’s the first time I’ve seen good ground in a long time, so we’re looking forward to it,” said the trainer.

“He’s in good nick so hopefully he’ll get back on track. He came back from Cheltenham fine, the ground was heavy and he doesn’t act on that ground and that’s it. We kind of knew before we started, but we just took a chance with it being the Gold Cup.

“He ran well only he was caught out by the ground, when he came off the bridle that was it but we’ll draw a line through that now and look forward to Saturday.

“He’s good and fresh and well and he definitely acts on nice ground. I wouldn’t worry about the trip, I wouldn’t worry about anything – the ground is the key thing.”



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Cotswold second Whacker firmly on course for Festival date

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Patrick Neville is not giving up his Gold Cup dream with The Real Whacker after seeing his stable star fill the runner-up spot in Saturday’s Cotswold Chase.

The eight-year-old won his first three starts over fences at Cheltenham last season, completing his hat-trick with a rousing victory over Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

He made an inauspicious start to the current campaign after pulling up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, but did return with a minor injury, and a fourth-placed finish in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day was a step in the right direction.

Neville was hoping a return to Cheltenham might result in a first victory of the campaign over the weekend and while he dropped to the rear of the field on the approach the final fence, there was much to like about the way he stayed on up the hill to finish best of the rest behind Capodanno.

“He’s come back in good form, he’s fresh and well,” said the North Yorkshire-based Irishman.

“I said at the start of the season we were aiming for one day – the Gold Cup has been the plan all the time and it still is.

“I was reading somewhere that he put two bad runs behind him, but on his first run he struck into himself, so there was an excuse for that, and I thought the King George run was a very good run.

“We took a lot out of his run on Saturday. Bypassing the second-last fence didn’t help us and he got a little bit outpaced turning in, but it was his first time in a proper battle, which he realised, and I liked the way he stayed on from the last.”

The Real Whacker and Patrick Neville last week
The Real Whacker and Patrick Neville (Ashley Iveson/PA)

The Real Whacker is a best priced 66-1 for the Gold Cup with bet365, who make last year’s winner Galopin Des Champs the evens favourite and his old rival Fastorslow second in the market at 9-2.

Neville added: “Of course you’d have big respect for Galopin, but after that it’s wide open.

“You can’t beat course form, we know our horse loves the track and with a clear run now, we’re happy to take him on, no problem.

“He comes alive for the spring – he’s a spring horse and not a winter horse. We’d be hoping for a bit nicer ground as the ground on Saturday was dead and on better ground he should improve again.

“I think with that good run under his belt, with that bit more experience, I think he can improve and we’re happy with where we are.”



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The Real Whacker puts Gold Cup hopes on the line at Cheltenham

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Patrick Neville is optimistic The Real Whacker can re-establish his Gold Cup claims in the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The eight-year-old won each of his three starts over fences at Prestbury Park last season, completing his hat-trick with a thrilling victory over Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Festival in March.

As a result The Real Whacker headed into the new campaign as one of Britain’s leading Gold Cup contenders – and while he has not troubled the judge in two starts so far this term, Neville believes he can show his true worth this weekend.

“He’s all ready to go and we’re looking forward to it,” he said.

“We’ve had a great run with him. He came out of the King George fresh and well and we’re very happy.

“I’m hoping the ground dries out a little bit, but it is what it is.”

The Real Whacker was pulled up on his reappearance in Cheltenham’s Paddy Power Gold Cup in November before making late gains to finish fourth in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Neville’s stable star is now as big as 66-1 for the blue riband, but the North Yorkshire-based Irishman is not giving up on his Gold Cup dream.

The Real Whacker and Patrick Neville last week
The Real Whacker and Patrick Neville (Ashley Iveson/PA)

He added: “I wouldn’t take any notice of his first run (of the season), it was only a starting point for him really. It probably wasn’t the proper race to run him in, but we had to start somewhere.

“We were happy enough with the run in the King George and happy with how he came out of the race, so we’re hoping for a big run on Saturday.

“He is better on better ground, but we couldn’t be happier with him and he’d want to be showing up well there on Saturday and giving a good account of himself (to go for the Gold Cup). I think he will.

“We’ve had a clear run with him, so I’d be happy there’s no ifs or buts with him.”

The Real Whacker’s rivals include the Venetia Williams-trained Betfair Chase hero Royale Pagaille, rerouted here following the abandonment of last week’s Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock, while star novice Stay Away Fay bids to give trainer Paul Nicholls a sixth Cotswold Chase success.

Stay Away Fay on his way to victory at Sandown
Stay Away Fay on his way to victory at Sandown (John Walton/PA)

The latter has plenty to find on ratings following just two chase starts so far, but the Ditcheat handler is rarely averse to a challenge.

He told Betfair: “He won the Albert Bartlett with a brilliant performance at this track in March and I’ve been thrilled with his progress as a chaser this season.

“He has taken really well to fences, winning both times and is a strong stayer who will gallop all day.

“He is schooling smartly, looks fab and worked great on Thursday morning, but I appreciate that he is in at in the deep end in this and has it all to do. I’d rather run him this weekend than wait three weeks for Ascot (Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase), which is a bit close to Cheltenham.”

Last year’s winner Ahoy Senor is back to defend his crown, but has a bit to prove having been pulled up on each of his two starts so far this term.

Jamie Snowden’s Datsalrightgino, on the other hand, lines up off the back of a career-best performance when landing last month’s Coral Gold Cup at Newbury under an inspired Gavin Sheehan.

“We thought we would try going up in trip in a big race like the Coral Gold Cup and thankfully it all paid off,” said Snowden.

“This was a race that I earmarked after Newbury. He has got to step forward again coming out of handicap company as he won the Coral Gold Cup off 148, so this is a different kettle of fish.

“Off a mark of 159, it does make life tough in handicaps. If we are not up to Gold Cup class then we will probably have to look at decent handicaps, which could include the Grand National.”

Capodanno in action at Punchestown
Capodanno in action at Punchestown (Niall Carson/PA)

The Willie Mullins-trained Capodanno, last seen finishing a distant third behind Gold Cup-winning stablemate Galopin Des Champs in Leopardstown’s Savills Chase, completes the field.

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: “It’s a very competitive race, but Capodanno ran a cracker at Christmas behind Galopin Des Champs.

“Last season he just got held up a few times, but he was a Grade One novice chaser and we thought rather than banging heads with Galopin Des Champs again (in next weekend’s Irish Gold Cup) and maybe Fastorslow, this race might be a cleverer choice.”



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The Real Whacker set for Cotswold Chase spin

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Patrick Neville is eyeing a return to Cheltenham for the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase with The Real Whacker following his creditable performance in the King George on Boxing Day.

The seven-year-old won each of his first three starts over fences last season, all at Cheltenham, including a narrow Festival success over Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.

Having begun the new season as a genuine Cheltenham Gold Cup contender, The Real Whacker was pulled up on his reappearance in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Prestbury Park in November, but was subsequently found to have suffered a minor injury.

The Real Whacker and Patrick Neville last week
The Real Whacker and Patrick Neville (Ashley Iveson/PA)

Neville nevertheless decided to give his stable star a chance to prove himself at the highest level in the King George VI Chase – and while he never threatened to land a telling blow in the hands of Sam Twiston-Davies, he was doing his best work at the end and was not disgraced in finishing fourth.

In the immediate aftermath, the North Yorkshire-based trainer suggested The Real Whacker could head straight to the Gold Cup, but is now eyeing a final prep run back on his favourite track.

“He’s in great form and came out of it well. We didn’t have much luck in the race – things didn’t work out for us and we didn’t get a great break, but he jumped around and stayed on at the end,” said Neville.

“They went quick, but we didn’t get the break we wanted. It was just one of those things, but I liked the way he finished the race and he was only beaten 10 lengths in the end.”

Neville believes there is more improvement to come from The Real Whacker, adding: “It was his first run in Grade One open company and he’ll probably come on for it.

“I’m going to run him in the Cotswold Chase at the end of January. I just looked at the race and thought we’d give him one more run before the Gold Cup, as the experience will help him.”

The trainer did enjoy a notable victory on the King George undercard, with Mahons Glory dominating his rivals in the concluding handicap hurdle.

An ambitious tilt at the Stayers’ Hurdle was subsequently mooted, although plans for his next race are likely to be dictated by the handicapper’s assessment of his performance.

Mahons Glory on his way to winning at Kempton
Mahons Glory on his way to winning at Kempton (John Walton/PA)

Neville said: “We were thrilled with him, it was great for the owners and great for the yard to get a winner on a big day like that.

“We’ll have to see what the handicapper does, but we have different options and we’ll study it and see where we go with him.

“He seems to be a lot better going right-handed, so we could go back to Kempton or Ascot. We’ll see what’s coming up there.”



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Real Whacker team ‘very happy’ following pre-Kempton gallop

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Patrick Neville reports The Real Whacker to be firmly on course for next week’s Ladbrokes King George VI Chase after coming through a Tuesday morning workout with flying colours.

The seven-year-old won each of his three starts over fences last term, completing his hat-trick with a narrow defeat of Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

He disappointed under a big weight on his reappearance in last month’s Paddy Power Gold Cup, but Neville had a viable excuse after his stable star returned with an overreach and he is confident he is back on-song ahead of his bid for glory in Kempton’s Boxing Day showpiece.

The Real Whacker and Patrick Neville last week
The Real Whacker and Patrick Neville (Ashley Iveson/PA)

“He’s in great shape and we’re looking forward to running him. He’s come on a lot since his last run and we’re delighted with him at the moment,” he said.

“He went away for a piece of work this morning – he’s been to the High Moor in Middleham for a gallop and we were very happy, so it’s just a case of keeping him fresh and well for the next week now.

“I think he maybe only missed two days after the Paddy Power, although he didn’t really miss anything as we had him on the water treadmill, which is a great facility for us here.”

The Real Whacker is a best-priced 10-1 for the King George, with the Willie Mullins-trained Allaho and Paul Nicholls’ defending champion Bravemansgame among his likely rivals.

Dual Ryanair Chase hero Allaho was sidelined for 19 months prior to a workmanlike comeback win in last month’s Clonmel Oil Chase, while Bravemansgame has been beaten in his two starts so far this season.

Sam Twiston-Davies celebrates winning the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase aboard The Real Whacker
Sam Twiston-Davies celebrates winning the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase aboard The Real Whacker (Mike Egerton/PA)

With Gerri Colombe’s participation uncertain and Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin set to line up having refused to start on his intended return at Ascot, the race does have an open look to it and Neville is excited to be in with a shout.

He added: “There will be some very good horses in the race, as you’d expect, but we’re very happy with our horse and that’s all we can ask.

“I think they’re due a good week’s weather, so the ground shouldn’t be as bad as it was in Cheltenham, when it was very heavy.

“Sam (Twiston-Davies) is looking forward to riding him. He was very happy with how he jumped for most of the race the last day and he looked after him once it wasn’t happening.

“We’re looking forward to taking our chance.”



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The Real Whacker still on course for King George challenge

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Patrick Neville remains keen on a crack at the King George VI Chase with The Real Whacker after his stable star finished lame on his seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Having completed a hat-trick at Prestbury Park when narrowly outpointing Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Festival in March, the seven-year-old returned to the Cotswolds for the Paddy Power Gold Cup and was among the leading fancies, despite carrying top-weight of 12st.

But after matching strides with the eventual winner Stage Star for much of the two-and-a-half-mile-journey, The Real Whacker weakened out of contention before the home turn and was eventually pulled up by Sam Twiston-Davies, after which his injury was discovered.

The Real Whacker and Patrick Neville last week
The Real Whacker and Patrick Neville last week (Ashley Iveson/PA)

“He got a dirty overreach – he’s OK, but he was a small bit lame after it,” said Neville.

“Sam said he was travelling fierce well and then he realised something was amiss so he stopped and pulled up and looked after him.

“The vet checked him over yesterday morning, he’s fine and was on the water treadmill this morning, so we’ll roll on now for the King George.”

The Real Whacker is a 33-1 shot for Kempton’s Boxing Day highlight, but Neville is confident he can put his comeback run behind him and be back to his best for his festive outing.

He added: “It could have been a lot worse, we knew something was amiss and Sam minded him.

“We’ve got a run into him now and we knew whatever happened he’d improve for the run. We’ve got that over and done with, so we’ll move on and get him ready for Christmas.

“He’ll be big price I’m sure, but I don’t mind.”



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Festival stars fancied to go for gold again in Paddy Power

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Two Cheltenham Festival winners and a host of placed horses from the big meeting in March make this year’s Paddy Power Gold Cup one not to be missed.

Stage Star and The Real Whacker took the Turners Novices’ Chase and Brown Advisory respectively at the showpiece fixture, and both have featured heavily in the ante-post market on this historic handicap.

The former disappointed when last of five at Aintree after Cheltenham, but Paul Nicholls is not losing sleep over that ahead of the weekend.

“You can put a line through his last start at Aintree, which was one race too many after a busy campaign,” the champion trainer told Betfair.

Paul Nicholls celebrates with connections of Stage Star
Paul Nicholls celebrates with connections of Stage Star (Tim Goode/PA)

“The Paddy Power has been the target for him since the summer and there are plenty of positives, as he is brilliant fresh, having won first time out for the last three seasons.

“He also likes racing left-handed, will not mind how soft the ground gets and we know he handles Cheltenham.

“Yes, he does have a lot of weight because he is rated on what he achieved last year but it helps that the top one (The Real Whacker) runs, which means Stage Star is on a nice racing weight of 11st 7lb.”

Trained by Patrick Neville, The Real Whacker is a perfect three from three over fences – with all of those runs coming at Cheltenham.

Unsurprisingly, the Gold Cup is his big target and it is also not a shock connections have opted to start his season here, even with his welter burden of 12st.

The Real Whacker leads the way at Cheltenham
The Real Whacker leads the way at Cheltenham (David Davies for The Jockey Club)

“Two and a half (miles) is a lovely starting point for him. He won over two and a half in January in the Dipper,” said North Yorkshire-based Neville.

“We’ll just go our own gallop and if anything wants to take him on or go a cutthroat gallop, then we’ll let them on, as he doesn’t have to make the running.

“When he ran in Doncaster, we dropped him out stone last, so if something else wanted to make the running, it might even help carry him into it a bit, but we’ll see.

“Hopefully, he’ll run his race and come back sound and we’ll move on to the next day.”

Dan Skelton saddles Unexpected Party – fifth in the Turners and a Listed winner on his return at Chepstow last month, form subsequently boosted by runner-up Knappers Hill.

Skelton said: “Unexpected Party beat Knappers Hill, who came out and won easy at Wincanton, which he was entitled to do, being honest. I expected Knappers Hill to win that, so I don’t think it improves our chance.

“What it did do was offer comfort that I was as confident with Unexpected Party on Friday night as I was on Saturday night. He’s got the right profile for the race, but we thought that before seeing what Knappers Hill came out and did.

“He ran in the Turners at the Cheltenham Festival and he has turned up on some big days. The preliminaries before the race won’t get to him and that is a big part of it.

“He is a good traveller and a slick jumper, and I don’t want to put the mockers on him with a comment like that, but that is what he is good at, and that is what you need for a race like this.”

Another runner for Nicholls is last year’s fourth Il Ridoto, who also has winning form at the Prestbury Park circuit.

The Ditcheat handler said: “He ran a series of solid races last season carrying big weights and finally got his reward with a fluent victory at this track in January, then didn’t take to the National fences at Aintree (in the Topham).

“He is 6lb higher now so it’s a bonus that Freddie Gingell’s claim takes off a handy 5lb. Il Ridoto is a year older, more mature and should be knocking on the door again.”

Sam Thomas has enjoyed a good start to the new season and he sends out Angels Breath, who showed his well-being with a solid second over hurdles here last month.

“We were thrilled with him last time and it is sort of now or never really. He’s a nine-year-old in good form, so we thought we would take our chance,” Thomas said.

“It’s a very competitive race, but we’re lucky to have such a lovely horse and fingers crossed he puts in a good performance and comes back safe and sound.”

Also prominent in the market is the Lauran Morgan-trained Notlongtillmay, second only to Stage Star in the Turners in March.

“This was the aim, we’re 3lb better off with Stage Star and Stage Star isn’t going to get an easy lead like he did in the Turners – there’s going to be a lot of pace in this on Saturday,” Morgan said.

Laura Morgan has two chances in the Paddy Power Gold Cup
Laura Morgan has two chances in the Paddy Power Gold Cup (Simon Marper/PA)

“With The Real Whacker running, our lad goes in there with a nice racing weight (11st 4lb) and he’ll go through the (soft) ground, that wouldn’t worry me at all.”

Like Nicholls, Morgan has a second-string to her bow in the shape of Whistleinthedark.

She added: “I’m not too fussed about not getting a run in, as he’s done a lot of work at home. We’ve got a two-mile grass gallop and he’s fairly ready without having had that run to sharpen him – he’s not far away.”



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No nerves for Neville as The Real Whacker gets ready to return

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The Real Whacker will have the weight of history on his shoulders in Saturday’s Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham, but his trainer Patrick Neville is unconcerned.

It is two years since the Irish handler made the move from his home in County Limerick to set up at Ann Duffield’s Sun Hill Farm in the Yorkshire Dales, a switch which coincided with the unearthing of a horse that would take his career to new heights.

The Real Whacker was a €21,000 purchase by Neville as an unraced three-year-old in 2019 – and but for the Coronavirus pandemic, there is every chance he would now be in different hands.

“I took a chance on him as I bought him myself a store horse and I had him a year and a half before he was ready to run in a point-to-point. The plan was to run him in a point-to-point and sell him,” Neville explained.

“I knew he was a good horse, we had him ready to run in a point-to-point as a four-year-old and then Covid struck and that was it.

“We said that was our chance gone then as he was a five-year-old, so said we’d keep him and give him a run on the track.”

The Real Whacker finished sixth of 18 as a 150-1 shot on his racecourse debut in a Listowel maiden hurdle in the autumn of 2021, after which he was packed up to make the move across the Irish Sea.

The Real Whacker in his stable
The Real Whacker in his stable (Ashley Iveson/PA)

It did not take him long to make an impact on British soil, bolting up at Carlisle in Duffield’s name, as Neville – who currently trains a string of around 20 horses and rides his stable star every day – worked on getting set up in the UK in his own name.

He said: “When we ran him in Listowel the ground was a bit too good and he was a couple of weeks off being really ready. He had an educational run and he ran very well.

“It was a good race he won in Carlisle and we then took him to the Grade Two in Doncaster (River Don Novices’ Hurdle), where he was a bit unlucky because there was a woeful head wind that day, he got pulled across the track in the straight and lost a lot of ground. He was still a bit green at that stage as well as it was only his third run, so it was a good run to finish second (to Mahler Mission).

“He was to run in the Albert Bartlett then, but he got a knock so we didn’t run him and he was left off then for the season. He came back and had run over hurdles at Cheltenham in October on ground that was a bit quick for him and we decided after that we’d go straight over fences.”

While the son of Mahler was clearly a high-class operator over the smaller obstacles, it is since being switched the larger obstacles that he has really excelled – winning each of his three starts to date, all at Cheltenham, including the narrowest of Festival triumphs over leading Gold Cup contender Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory in March.

“I always thought he was going to be a proper chaser. His run in Doncaster showed me that he was a real good horse and the day he won in Carlisle, the way he pulled away from good horses over three-mile-one, he just galloped away from them,” said Neville.

“Going to Cheltenham in March, I wasn’t even thinking of any other horse in the race, only our own horse – that’s the way I think every day.

“You could be sizing up everything else and thinking about different tactics and all that, but I just like to think of our own horse and what we’re going to do.

“Gerri Colombe is a good horse, he’s proved it every time he’s run. I’m still listening to people saying ‘if there was another stride’ he’d have won, but life is full of ifs and buts, isn’t it?

“If they both run in the Gold Cup and he annihilates us, well isn’t it good to be there taking him on and having a go?

“I had a great craic with the owner of Gerri Colombe (Brian Acheson) in Aintree earlier in the year. He’s a good sport and if we finish second to him in the Gold Cup we wouldn’t mind!”

Patrick Neville (right) with The Real Whacker at Cheltenham
Patrick Neville (right) with The Real Whacker at Cheltenham (David Davies/The Jockey Club)

Having sidestepped a small-field engagement at Carlisle a couple of weeks ago, The Real Whacker will instead make his comeback on familiar territory in one of the season’s most prestigious handicaps with 12st on his back.

Al Ferof 11 years ago was the last horse to carry top-weight to victory in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, while you have to go back to Dublin Flyer in 1995 to find the last winner rated in the 160s.

Neville, though, is not one for worrying about statistics, instead focussing on getting his pride and joy to Prestbury Park in the best possible shape for what he views as a starting point rather than the end goal for the season.

He said: “I don’t get too nervous about these things. All we can do is look after him and get him there healthy and well and fit and as good as we can.

“I don’t take much notice of all this carry on with people saying ‘if he doesn’t win on Saturday, he’s not this or he’s not that’. It’s only the start of the season for us.

“He’s come back a bit stronger, so we’d be hoping he’d improve. He’s only ran seven times, so he’s still a very lightly-raced horse for his age.

“We gave him that time and gave him time between races because he’s such a lightly-framed horse and he tries so hard. Even in his work and his cantering he puts everything in, so I think if you ran him too often you’d end up with a very light horse.

“He’s fit and ready for his run and whatever happens on Saturday, and I’d be expecting a big run, he’ll definitely improve.

“You can’t be confident in a race like that, but we’re going there hoping he’ll run very well.”

While looking forward to this weekend’s assignment and another stop or two along the way, in Neville’s mind there is one day that matters above all else and it arrives in four months’ time.

He added: “We’re working back from the Gold Cup and after Saturday we’d be looking forward to Christmas and going for the King George. There’s no reason why not, there isn’t a whole pile else.

“The Cotswold Chase at the end of January might be nearly too near the Festival, so if he ran at Christmas we might just leave him then, but we’ll see.

“Obviously there’s a lot of water to flow under the bridge between now and March and there’ll be a lot of talk about different horses and there’s always a new kid on the block coming.

“There’s a lot of good horses around at the moment, but we have something to dream of anyway, which is what it’s all about.”



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The Real Whacker going for Paddy Power gold

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The Real Whacker will make his seasonal reappearance in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in a fortnight’s time, after connections opted against Sunday’s Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle.

The seven-year-old enjoyed a tremendous novice campaign over fences last season for North Yorkshire-based Irishman Patrick Neville, winning each of his three starts at Cheltenham including a narrow victory over Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Festival in March.

This weekend’s Listed event in Cumbria appeared an ideal starting point on the road to a tilt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the spring – but with testing conditions forecast, he will instead carry top-weight of 12st in one of the season’s first major handicaps at Prestbury Park on November 18.

The Real Whacker and jockey Sam Twiston-Davies return to the Cheltenham winner's enclosure
The Real Whacker and jockey Sam Twiston-Davies return to the Cheltenham winner’s enclosure (David Davies/The Jockey Club)

Neville said: “I’m not going to go to Carlisle as the ground is too heavy at the moment. It’s his first run back, so we said we’d wait for Cheltenham and go for the Paddy Power.

“Hopefully the ground will be a lot better at Cheltenham and we know he likes the track. He’ll have top-weight, but it’ll be his first run back and a starting point for the year.

“He’s in great shape, I couldn’t be happier with him. Sam (Twiston-Davies) came up to Middleham during the week and sat on him for the first time since Cheltenham in March and he was very happy.

“Carlisle would have been a lovely starting point, but on heavy ground around there we just decided we didn’t want to do that to him first time out.”



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