Carlisle could be first step on road to the Gold Cup for Cheltenham Festival hero The Real Whacker

Patrick Neville is raring to go with star chaser The Real Whacker, but is on weather watch to see where his Cheltenham Festival hero can make his seasonal comeback.

The popular seven-year-old has not been seen since denying Gerri Colombe by a short head in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase in March, and is a 20-1 chance for next year's Cheltenham Gold Cup behind 2-1 market leader Galopin Des Champs.

Neville is eyeing up Carlisle's Listed Colin Parker Memorial Chase on November 5 – won by Many Clouds, Waiting Patiently and Lostintranslation in the last decade – but does not want the ground to be testing. The Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham next month and Newbury's Coral Gold Cup are also possible starting points.

"We're very happy with him. He's getting closer, so we're just working out where to go now," Neville said. "We're not so sure yet, but Carlisle is definitely an option. The Coral Gold Cup is also there as well, and we've just entered him in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham too.

"He'll be entered in the King George at Christmas and it'll be two races he has before he goes back to Cheltenham. The next week will tell us where we are and I'll take him to Middleham for a bit of work. We wanted to do that last week, but it was hard to do with the weather.

"He's matured really well after a good summer, and the only reason why we've given him a few entries is the ground. I wouldn't want to run him on heavy ground to start his season, and if we have to wait a little bit longer, then there's no panic."

The Real Whacker (red cap): narrowly denies Gerri Colombe (right) in the Brown Advisory Novices' ChaseCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The form of The Real Whacker's Brown Advisory win has been franked with Gerri Colombe winning the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree while the fourth, I Am Maximus, landed the Irish Grand National.

Gerri Colombe is significantly shorter in the betting for the Cheltenham Gold Cup as the 7-1 second favourite, but Neville believes his star should not be underestimated.

"The race has worked out really well. He beat a very good horse that day who went and did what he did at Aintree, while the fourth won the Irish Grand National. Willie Mullins' horse who was third [Bronn] also finished third in another Grade 1," he added.

"We're hoping he's improved a good few pounds from that run as he's lightly raced over fences, and we've not got to the bottom of him."

The Real Whacker's three wins over fences have been characterised by brave front-running performances, but different tactics may be deployed this year.

"He had to do it the hard way from the front last season, but that was because his jumping is unbelievable," Neville said. "We don't have to ride him that way, we could ride him anyway we want, as he stays so well. At Cheltenham, Sam [Twiston-Davies, jockey] said he pricked his ears and was going away at the line.

"You can't fault him and with a bit of luck this year he can go on again. We're a small yard running a tight ship, but it's amazing having a star like him."

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