Cheltenham Festival: Real Whacker ready to fly flag for Yorkshire in Gold Cup

The horse, trained by Patrick Neville out of Ann Duffield’s Leyburn yard in North Yorkshire won a thrilling renewal of the Grade One Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Prestbury Park last spring.

The canny Irish handler decided in the immediate aftermath of that success the eight-year-old bay gelding would be campaigned specifically for this season’s National Hunt blue riband race, which takes place exactly a year to the day after his Brown Advisory success.

And he told The Yorkshire Post that he is sure the horse, currently priced around 40-1 by bookmakers, is in prime condition and is capable of outrunning his odds – at his favourite track.

He warmed up for Friday’s showpiece by finishing second in the Cotswold Chase at Prestbury Park at the end of January and Neville said: “I’m very happy with him. All his hard work is done now and he is ready for it.

“He’s in great nick, he has improved all year and every run we have left a bit. But I have aimed for this day all year and that’s the way he is coming. I am looking forward to it.”

In a year when sadly the county barely has any entries at Cheltenham, let alone live chances, all eyes will be on the White Rose’s representative in the race, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The horse has a fine record at the home of British National Hunt racing having claimed a hat-trick of wins there last season and his recent second in the Cotswold.

He was pulled up there on his first run this season in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, having run into himself and also finished down the field in a hurdle for Duffield, when Neville was her assistant, in October 2022.

But Neville said: “He loves Cheltenham and had a great run there the last day (Cotswold Chase) and I think he would have improved a good bit again from that run.

“The pressure is off. He’s been written off a bit and that’s fine. We have prepared away quietly and avoided all the attention.”

As you would expect, Whacker will be going up against the cream of British and Irish jumps racing on Friday, including last year’s winner Willie Mullins’ superb Galopin Des Champs, who is sure to be a short price to go in again.

Other runners look set to include Gordon Elliott’s Gerri Colombe, who Neville’s charge defeated by a neck in the Brown Advisory; former King George VI Chase and Wetherby Charlie Hall Chase winner and last year’s Gold Cup runner-up, Bravemansgame, along with Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin, who heads the British hopes of success.

Last year’s Grand National winner, Corach Rambler and stablemate Ahoy Senor, represent Lucinda Russell, while this year’s King George victor, Shark Hanlon’s Hewick and 2023 Charlie Hall winner, Mouse Morris’ Gentlemansgame, also look set to go to post.

The Real Whacker also ran in Boxing Day’s King George, finishing fourth of the six runners and ten lengths adrift of Hanlon’s victor, who might not run if the ground isn’t right for him.

With the going currently described as soft, Neville is hoping the track will continue to dry out ahead of the big day.

He explained: “He’s a spring horse more than a winter horse, so he comes well at this time of year.

“They are calling it soft at the moment but hopefully a bit of good will come into it.

"The dryer the better!”

Jockey Henry Brooke has been into the yard to school the horse this week, which will be ridden by his usual pilot, Sam Twiston-Davies.

“Henry has been in and worked with him and I’m grateful for his help and Sam knows him well and is looking forward to it.

“It’s going to be a good race but it is the Gold Cup isn’t it?!

"It’s the best race you can get into and it would be special this year, with it being a hundred years of it.”