The Real Whacker © Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Patrick Neville has The Real Whacker ready for his return to Ireland for a tilt at the Guinness Kerry National at Listowel on Wednesday.
The eight-year-old actually began his career at this meeting in 2021, finishing sixth as a 150-1 shot for a maiden hurdle, but has come a long way since.
The Real Whacker won his first three starts over fences at Cheltenham, including a Grade One success over Gerri Colombe at the 2023 Festival, and while he failed to add to his tally in open company last term, he did finish fourth in the King George and second in the Cotswold Chase.
Patrick Neville on The Real Whacker
He was pulled up in the Gold Cup and again failed to fire on the final day of the season in the Oaksey Chase at Sandown, but Neville – who moved to Britain in 2019 following 15 years training in Ireland – is optimistic his stable star is back firing on all cylinders ahead of his reappearance.
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He said: “We brought him over on Saturday and he’s in good form. He was in Beale beach on Sunday morning riding out and was in the sea water.
“There wasn’t going to be anything for him (in Britain) until maybe November. We didn’t have a great summer and I felt sorry for him out in the field, so we said we’d bring him back in a bit earlier and see if we could get him to Listowel.
“I’ve sort of put a line through last year. Even when we went down to Sandown on the last day looking for good ground, they were watering it on the Friday and then the sky opened and the ground went soft.
“We just didn’t have any luck, but I’m happy with where he is now, he’s prepared well for it and I’m expecting a big run.”
The Real Whacker features in a maximum field of 18 runners plus three reserves following Monday’s declaration stage and is the only British-trained participant.
The weights are headed by four-time Grade One winner Fakir d’Oudairies, one of two runners for Joseph O’Brien along with the 2022 Kerry National hero Busselton Zanahiyr heads a five-strong team for Gordon Elliott /a>, while Gavin Cromwell has two major contenders in Flooring Porter and Perceval Legallois
