Cheltenham Festival: Whacker could prove to be the real deal for Patrick Neville

The horse, trained by Patrick Neville at Ann Duffield’s stables near Leyburn, runs in The Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (2.10) and is third favourite in the antepost market.

The race is the novices’ equivalent of the Cheltenham Gold Cup – for which The Real Whacker also held an entry – and the seven year old is bidding for his third win at Prestbury Park this season.

He won the mallardjewellers.com Novices' Chase in November and followed it up with success in the Grade 2 Paddy Power Novices' Chase on New Year’s Day.

Several winners of the Brown Advisory, including Bobs Worth, Denman and Lord Windermere have gone on to win the blue riband race.

Barton-Le-Street trainer Peter Niven’s Malystic, winner of Wetherby’s William Hill Castleford Handicap Chase and Doncaster’s Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day Handicap Chase this season, lines up in the penultimate Grand Annual (4.50).

Defending champion Energumene will face six rivals in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30).

The nine-year-old gave Willie Mullins the final piece of his Prestbury Park big-race puzzle last year when lighting up a miserable day two of the Festival and is the sole Closutton representative in the second day feature.

Although following up last year's Cheltenham success with impressive victories at both the Punchestown Festival and on his reappearance in the Hilly Way at Cork, he failed to fire when only third in the rearranged Clarence House Chase on Festival Trials Day.

That day it was the reopposing Editeur Du Gite and Alan King's Edwardstone that fought out a thrilling finish, with the former winning, but the latter currently heading the ante-post markets.

Venetia Williams' Funambule Sivola, Paul Nicholls’ Greaneteen and Nube Negra from the Dan Skelton string, are other notables.

Impaire Et Passe and Gaelic Warrior lead the Mullins charge in a red-hot running of the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle that kicks off day two.

The former has been the talking horse of the Festival preview circuit and as a result is currently topping the market, while the former will attempt to go one better than his second in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle last year.

Meanwhile, Cheltenham clerk of the course Jon Pullin expects the Festival to begin on soft ground.

While strong winds yesterday were helping the course to dry slightly, squally showers also fell and are expected the keep the going soft on the Old course.

It is expected to dip below freezing tonight while later in the week double-figure temperatures are anticipated, along with more rain.

He said: “We had to water in February, just from a grass health point of view. We wouldn't be too far away from where we are without it, we'd have aimed for good to soft and we'll probably start on soft, so we're happy with what we've done."