THE Real Whacker (5/1) – partly owned by Davy Mann, proprietor of the Ballintemple Inn, Newcastle West – produced a tremendous display from the front to land the bet365 Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.
Winner of the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival two years ago, he is trained by Ballysteen native Patrick Neville, nowadays based in Middleham, North Yorkshire.
The winners’ prize was £56,950.
“We always knew the Whacker was a serious horse, there was no doubt about that,” commented Mann. “But after the last 12 or 14 months and what happened at Listowel (unseated rider in Kerry National in September) you just might get a slight bit doubtful.
“It was so brilliant to see him back at his best. Paddy really had him in some condition today and it was a great ride by Brian (Hughes).”
“I never wrote him off,” Neville said. “We just had no luck. Every time we went to run him the sky opened the night before. He got his ground today.”
The ultimate target is the Gold Cup at Cheltenham next March.
