The Real Whacker connections may aim 'brilliant' novice at Punchestown - and hint at surprise autumn target

The Real Whacker may run again this season at the Punchestown festival before a possible trip to Listowel later this year as his connections plan his journey towards the main goal of the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Patrick Neville's seven-year-old gave his trainer his first top-level winner and festival breakthrough when hanging on to win by a short head from Gerri Colombe under Sam Twiston-Davies in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the festival last week.

With Aintree's Grand National meeting ruled out, Neville is considering sending The Real Whacker to Punchestown at the end of April for one final outing this campaign, with the Champion Novice Chase a possible target.

He said: "We're getting back to normality now. He was brilliant and is very well and fresh. He's been on the treadmill walking for the last couple of days having an easy week with a pick of grass too. He came out of Cheltenham without a scratch on him. It was tough going last week, but I'm delighted with him.

"We'll see how he feels in the next week or two and might have a look at Punchestown, but that'll be it for this season if he goes there, just because it's right at the end and he is a novice. It's a six-week gap from Cheltenham to Punchestown so that would be fine."

The Real Whacker (red cap) battles to success over Gerri Colombe in the Brown AdvisoryCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Neville was tempted to run his stable star in this year's Cheltenham Gold Cup and has his eyes firmly fixed on the 2024 running, for which he is a 16-1 chance behind 11-8 favourite Galopin Des Champs.

Before then a trip to Listowel's Harvest festival in September for the Kerry National may also be on the cards for The Real Whacker as an early season target.

British-based trainers have not contested the race since Dell' Arca and Shantou Village ran in 2019 for David Pipe and Neil Mulholland, but Neville saddled Rightville Boy to finish second in the 2016 running during his 15-year spell training in County Limerick.

He is now based in North Yorkshire, and said: "We'll mind him well now as the main aim next season is the Gold Cup and that's it – he deserves it after what he did. It might be a possibility he goes to Listowel, but the whole aim will be towards Cheltenham and it'll be a plan around that.

"I was pipped in the Kerry National in 2016 by Gordon Elliott so it was payback last week! It was a race we've always said we want to go back for with a horse that's good enough, so we'll see about that."

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