Patrick Neville’s stable star The Real Whacker remains on course to clash with the big guns back at Cheltenham in March.
The eight-year-old produced a gutsy front-running performance to narrowly deny Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last season but he failed to fire when pulling-up in the Power Gold Cup on reappearance.
However, Neville's star took a step back in the right direction by finishing fourth in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day before staying on strongly up the Cheltenham hill to finish second behind Capodanno in the Cotswold Chase last weekend.
Patrick Neville, who was born in Ireland but trains up in North Yorkshire, said: "He's come back in good form, he's fresh and well,"
"I said at the start of the season we were aiming for one day – the Gold Cup has been the plan all the time and it still is.
"I was reading somewhere that he put two bad runs behind him, but on his first run he struck into himself, so there was an excuse for that, and I thought the King George run was a very good run.
"We took a lot out of his run on Saturday. Bypassing the second-last fence didn't help us and he got a little bit outpaced turning in, but it was his first time in a proper battle, which he realised, and I liked the way he stayed on from the last."
Willie Mullins' Galopin Des Champs heads the market as a general even-money shot following his flawless display in the Savills Chase over Christmas, but Neville believes it looks wide-open after that and with his previous three-time course winner expected to improve for spring conditions, why shouldn't he have a crack at Cheltenham's blue riband event.
He added: "Of course, you'd have big respect for Galopin, but after that, it's wide open.
"You can't beat course form, we know our horse loves the track and with a clear run now, we're happy to take him on, no problem.
"He comes alive for the spring – he's a spring horse and not a winter horse. We'd be hoping for a bit nicer ground as the ground on Saturday was dead and on better ground he should improve again.
"I think with that good run under his belt, with that bit more experience, I think he can improve and we're happy with where we are."
The Real Whacker is a general 66/1 chance for the Friday showpiece event at Cheltenham in March.
