Patrick Neville insists 2023 Cheltenham winner The Real Whacker can overcome the odds to triumph in the King George VI Chase
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Patrick Neville has warned it would be dangerous to overlook The Real Whacker’s chances in the King George VI Chase with his stable in blistering form. Neville’s yard in Leyburn, North Yorkshire wouldn’t have the profile of some of the other stables who will be represented in the biggest race of the Christmas period but none can match the strike rate that he is enjoying.
Four of Neville’s last nine runners have won, including the promising novice chaser Here Comes Georgie at Ascot last Friday, and that spree has led to confidence building behind The Real Whacker, who began his season with an eye-catching success in Wetherby’s Charlie Hall Chase.
Odds of 33/1 would underestimate The Real Whacker’s potential – he was a winner at the Cheltenham Festival in 2023 and was well fancied for last year’s King George – and Neville had no hesitation paying a supplementary fee of £4,600 to enter the gelding.
‘We’ve got a little bunch of horses and they are all running well,’ said Neville. ‘We’ve got a small little bunch of owners and they are all great. They’re all getting rewarded. The Whacker is in great form and there wasn’t another race for him until the end of January, so let’s have a go.
‘The ground is coming good for him. When we get up every day, we are always dreaming. We work hard for what we do. We eat, drink and sleep horses, that’s all we know. Please God he’ll run well. We don’t know who is going to ride him yet, we’ll see what unfolds.’.
