The Real Whacker to be kept fresh for Gold Cup bid

The Real Whacker will head straight to the Cheltenham Gold Cup following a weather interrupted start to the new year at trainer Patrick Neville’s Wensleydale yard.

After winning the Charlie Hall at Wetherby and finishing fourth in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day for the second year in succession, The Real Whacker looked set to head to Cheltenham on Saturday week for the Cotswold Chase, having filled the runner-up spot behind Capodanno last season.

But due to heavy snow and plummeting temperatures in the last fortnight, Neville has not yet saddled a runner in 2025 and is happy to take a patient approach with his stable star.

“We missed about eight days, I think. There was nothing we could do about it, all we could do was get them on the walker,” said the trainer.

“We’re not panicking about it. In a couple of weeks, we’ll be back on track.

“The Whacker is in great form, but I don’t think I’m going to get to the Cotswold Chase. We missed probably a week with him and the ground is probably going to be soft down there (at Cheltenham) anyway, so we’re going to wait for the Gold Cup.

“We’ll go there fresh, we know he wants a bit of nice ground and we’ve more chance of getting that in March when we have the long days and long evenings to dry it out.”

The Real Whacker memorably came out on top in a titanic tussle with Gerri Colombe at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, but was pulled up in a soft ground Gold Cup last season after making much of the running under Sam Twiston-Davies.

Neville feels his charge will be “better prepared” this time around and is praying for a sound surface.

He added: “We were delighted with his run in the King George this year and he came out of it well and has strengthened up.

“We’re going to the Gold Cup probably better prepared this year. We think we learnt a lot last year and we’ll go there fresh and well and let him take his chance.”