Charlie Hall Chase: Paddy Neville has high hopes for The Real Whacker's double bid at Wetherby

The Grade One-winning chaser landed the West Yorkshire track’s three-mile feature two years ago under jockey Brian Hughes – before coming home a long way last 12 months ago.

The ten-year-old started his season with an all-the-way success at Perth in September for Hughes, carrying the 12-stone top weight.

He wore blinkers that day for the first time and will do so again this afternoon and Coverham handler Neville told The Yorkshire Post: “ He’s in better shape than he was last year and we are hoping ground conditions are suitable for us.

“He is carrying no penalty either this year, which is another good thing.

“It was a good win at Perth and he was carrying the top weight too, so we are delighted with him.

“He’s come out of the race well so we are looking forward to it.”

The Charlie Hall, Wetherby’s feature race of the season named after the late Towton-based Champion Trainer, has often being used as a starting point toward the big races at the end of the season, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup a race he has run in twice, being pulled up in 2024 and finishing fifth the following year.

But Neville says there is no long-term plan as yet this season.

He said: “I haven’t really looked beyond Wetherby. There’s a race on my mind for him and we will see, ground-depending, we might just freshen him up again and we might go for the Cotswold Chase in January at Cheltenham – he was second in that two years ago.

“We won’t be aiming very high with him we’ll just go step by step. If he comes out of Wetherby well, we might try for that.”

Hughes will again be in the plate today and the trainer is full of praise for how the former Champion Jockey has bounced back from a broken leg sustained at Newcastle in March.

He said: “Brian has ridden a lot of horses for us over the last couple of years, we have a good relationship with him and he’s top man.

“He knows our horses and we know him and get on great. You don’t have to give Brian too many instructions – just have him facing and ready for him!

“He’s come back from his injury better than ever. There is no real pressure on him, he’s riding probably the best in the north at the moment and he’s enjoying it.”

Neville and Hughes also bid to complete a quick hat-trick in the Position Payout At bet365 Handicap Chase (1.10) with Tanking Along.

The seven-year-old won at Sedgefield on September 29 and Perth on October 15 and although up another eight pounds for that success he looks to have the Skeltons’ Palamon to beat.

The in-form partnership also teamed-up with an eye-catching second for Follow Your Luck in the William Hill Price Boosts "Chasing Excellence" Novices' Chase at Cheltenham last Saturday.

The winner, Henry de Bromhead’s Butch Cassidy justified his odds of 2-1 favourite to come home 14 lengths clear of the Neville inmate, who certainly outran his starting price of 18-1 over the three miles and a furlong trip.

“We have had a good year and hopefully keep it going. We have got a couple of nice horses in the yard so hopefully we will kick on with them, too.”

Fellow Grade 1 winner Pic d'Orhy makes his stable debut for Dan and Harry Skelton having switched from Paul Nicholls.

Skelton also has Riskintheground while Nicholls saddles Hitman and Twinjets, with Ben Pauling’s Handstands completing the field.

The other Grade 2 on the card is the bet365 Hurdle, where the Skeltons also have leading fancy Take No Chances, with Olly Murphy’s Strong Leader her likely chief rival.

Kieran Shoemark rode a 45-1 four-timer, including Aegean Prince in the Group 3 St Simon Stakes, at Newmarket yesterday.