Cheltenham latest: The Real Whacker shocks Dipper rivals

The Real Whacker (10-1) made it two from two over fences to hand trainer Patrick Neville the first Grade Two victory of his career in the Paddy Power Dipper Novices’ Chase.

Having made all to make a winning chase debut over an extended three miles at Cheltenham in November, today was very a case of more of the same as the 10-1 chance again made all to come home three and a quarter lengths to the good over 13-8 favourite Monmiral. It was a near 24-1 double for winning jockey Sam Twiston-Davies following the success of Weveallbeencaught in the opening Ballymore Maiden Hurdle.

Neville said: “I’ve minded him as I know he is a good one. If he was in a bigger yard he would have got lost. He is a big frame and he is still babyish. It is brilliant. For some strange reason I’m on my own here today with one owner and there are four owners.

“I was thinking in my head that the horse had improved for his last run and I knew he had improved at home. I took my time with him and I saw this race and said we will go for it and make it a test of jumping.

“Looking at Monmiral you had to respect him as he is a Grade One winner but this horse is progressing and is on the up. Hopefully he will be a Grade One winner soon.

“He got into a lovely rhythm. Gavin Sheehan rode him the last day and filled him with confidence. Gavin wasn’t available today which was disappointing as he is at Catterick.

“I’ve been looking at Sam since a young lad riding around here and he has ridden loads of winners and he knows it like the back of his hand. He was a great sub but between the two of them they are top class men but it helps when they have a nice horse underneath them

“We will come back for The Festival and enter him in a couple of them. We might even go for the Gold Cup!”

David Mann, part owner, said: “I was working until 3am this morning then I got a 6.15am flight over to Bristol. I didn’t get to bed - I just flew in. I had a beer and said keep yourself awake.

“We were here at the November meeting but this was a big upgrade and a big step up against the big boys. It is great that Paddy Neville, who is where I come from back home in Ireland as well. It is great that me and Paddy and the other boys involved in the horse can mix it with the best.”

Paul Nicholls, trainer of runner-up Monmiral said: “He is probably going to want three miles in time but not until he really matures. He is probably still a bit weak. He is more of a baby now than he was at three.

“He has run okay and run a nice race. Clan was a bit like that when he was that age. It took him until six to get to that next level. He had only just turned five. He is a weak and raw boned horse. It is bit like Bravemansgame as everyone knocked his form as a five year old and look at him now. Monmiral will be the same he just needs time.”

Midnight River (6-1) followed up on his excellent third last time out in the Paddy Power Gold Cup with victory in the Paddy Power New Year's Day Handicap Chase over the same course and distance at Cheltenham today.

Taking the lead on the turn for home, the eight year old Midnight Legend gelding blundered two out but kept finding more to take the honours by two and a quarter lengths from Stolen Silver in the Premier Handicap.

Winning trainer Dan Skelton said: “They have been very in and out but that was really good and I’ve enjoyed that. Of course it was frustrating when he came third here last time as he wanted slower ground. He would be better on this track and that combined with the slower ground has helped him today. I was very happy with how it all went out there.

“Our horses have not been in great form but the odd one or two is going to be able to run well but as a herd mine are just well below where they should be but that is because they were flying through the early part of the season and early winter.

“They then just took a dip but you can’t be absolutely ripping through it the whole time but he is a very a good horse.

“I said to the owners, and I have been straight up with all of them, that they have not been running great.

“We did have three winners on Boxing Day and four on the 28th, so they have not all been running terribly but as a group they have underperformed.

“Vicki Vale pulled up yesterday and Pikar didn’t pick up. They are good horses that normally pick up and power to the line but thankfully he did.

“As they passed the post in the Paddy Power I thought he could win a race like this. I’m not sure where he will go next but he might go to the Fleur De Lys Chase at the Winter Million Festival at Lingfield.”

Successful jockey Harry Skelton added: “That was brilliant. He means a lot to me this horse. You shouldn’t have favourites but he is up there on my list. We had him from day one as a three year old. We broke him in and have brought him through his whole career. It has not all been plain sailing as everyone has seen as he has had a couple of falls but he is learning his trade well.

“He is a real good stayer and he is much better on that ground today. It felt like I was doing a canter the whole way. I was keen once he hit that rising ground to get him rolling as he does stay well. Dan has done a great job with his career and nursed him in the right direction. He is a horse I would say with a lot of progression him. It is a bit sharper on the other course and this suited him better. People give a lot of instructions but at the end of the day you have got to ride your own race. The last day in the Paddy Power I couldn’t go any quicker. You have got to let them just warm to it and get them rolling.

“I don’t know where the celebration has come from. I give Virgilio about six years ago when he won the Summer Cup a big pat like that and everyone has cottoned on to it a bit. I suppose it might be a thing now if I have a good winner.”

Weveallbeencaught moved a step closer to featuring on trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies' team for the Cheltenham Festival after opening his account for the campaign at the track with a front-running victory in the opening Ballymore Maiden Hurdle on New Year’s Day.

Having finished third in a Grade Two prize at the course back in November the gelded son of Getaway, who cost £210,000 at last year’s Tattersalls Cheltenham January horses in training sale, made the most of a drop back down in class to go two places better.

Despite being pressed all the way up the run in by 66-1 chance Rock My Way, who was making his debut under rules, the 5-4 favourite found extra half way up the run-in to forge on under Sam Twiston-Davies and prevail by a length and a quarter.

The winning trainer said: “That was superb. He just does enough which is great. That trip is short enough for him but he pulls out what he has to. I think so (that he was going to hold the runner-up over the last) as his ears were pricked halfway up it. He is idle.

“That is the boring things us trainers say but he is one for the future. He is a chaser look at the size of him. Don’t let him tread on you! You only have to see the way he jumps and he is a big powerful animal. Surely hurdles aren’t really the things he is made for as he has won a point-to-point. It is very exciting.

“It was (a warm enough race he ran in first time) but again it is finding the right races for him.

“With a horse like this you need softer ground and trying to find it has been difficult.”

Looking ahead to future targets Twiston-Davies insisted that he would be working back from the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival on March 14th.

He added: “There is the race at Doncaster (River Don) and the Prestige at Haydock Park. He doesn’t have to have three (miles) but he will be better over three we think.

“I would think so (that he would come back for The Cheltenham Festival). I’m sure it would be the three mile race as we don’t want to take on Hermes Allen. We are not stupid."

Henry Daly pointed to the application of cheek pieces behind the improved display of Rapper, who left his rivals toiling when pulling smartly clear late on to continue to give the triumphant trainer’s fine run of form in the AIS Handicap Chase.

After ending 2022 with an across the card double at Warwick and Newbury the Ludlow based handler welcomed in the new year in perfect fashion thanks to the eight and a half-length success secured by 8-1 chance.

Daly, who was celebrating his sixth winner from his last 17 runners, said: “He just travelled in the race today whereas at Haydock he was always on the back foot.

“Today he sat third or fourth all the way apart from going to the first where they went some hooley of a gallop. I think the cheek pieces have just made all the difference.

“The handicapper will put him up again and he will have to run in those ridiculous races again but it is a nice problem to have.”

“I’m not grumbling about how things are going. It is nice when it is going like this but it won’t last!