Whisper enters Gold Cup picture with brave effort in defeat at Newbury

Ladbrokes Trophy runner-up Whisper (171) earned the highest RPR in a busy weekend of top-level action after hulking 11st 8lb to be beaten a neck by Total Recall (159) on Saturday.

The 4lb penalty he picked up for his win in a two-runner affair at Kempton last month might have cost him the race, but the quality of the performance should provide some consolation for connections.

Winning the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup may be too big an ask for Whisper, as it typically requires an RPR in the high-170s. However, the ten-year average for third placers in the Gold Cup stands at 169.5, so he's fully entitled to make the frame at 20-1.