Tag Archive for: Sam Twiston-Davies

The Real Whacker hangs on in Brown Advisory thriller

The Real Whacker made every yard to give Patrick Neville a fairytale victory in a thrilling edition of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.

A winner at the Prestbury Park track on both of his previous outings this term, including the ‘Dipper’ over shorter on New Year’s Day, he was bounced out by Sam Twiston-Davies to take up his customary position at the head of affairs.

The Real Whacker (8-1) produced a clinical round of jumping on the front end, with the Daryl Jacob-ridden Bronn hot on his tail throughout.

Despite Galia Des Liteaux, 5-4 favourite Gerri Colombe and the heavily-backed Sir Gerhard all edging their way into contention when the race began to develop, as the runners turned for home at the bottom of the famous hill it was The Real Whacker and Bronn that were still disputing matters.

Bronn was beaten off after the last, but the drama did not end there as Jordan Gainford conjured up extra from the fast-finishing Gerri Colombe who was staying on strongly as The Real Whacker’s stride began to shorten.

But the line came just in time to give Neville his first winner at the Festival and the inspired Twiston-Davies his first since 2016.

“It was a fantastic race, it’s always a privilege to be asked to ride in these races,” said the delighted winning rider.

“I was lucky to ride him in the Dipper, let alone today as well. Paddy Neville, all the way through, has been a great supporter. He said he was in wicked good nick and fair play, he was absolutely spot on.

“He races in a great manner – although he’s in front and he’s doing a lot of the hard work you’re able to get the breathers in everywhere you want. With his jumping he’s always filling himself up, my God it feels like a long way up the run-in!”

Winning connections of The Real Whacker
Winning connections of The Real Whacker (Mike Egerton/PA)

The Real Whacker had also been under consideration for Friday’s Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup before connections opted to stick to novice company.

Part-owner Davey Mann said: “I thought he was beaten, honestly – I genuinely thought we’d been caught on the line.

“He was there, he jumped well and came up the hill and did everything right. I thought we were beaten, but he stuck his old head out and fair play to him.

“We had him in the Gold Cup and the decision was Paddy’s. He kept it open for a while, but we always thought it would be the Brown Advisory and I think it was the right call.

“Who can say in the last six months that they’ve had three winners in Cheltenham? We had the November meeting, we had New Year’s Day and now we’ve pulled off the Brown Advisory.”

Cheltenham Festival 2023 – Festival Wednesday – Cheltenham Racecourse
David Mann in his red suit (Mike Egerton/PA)

Ahead of The Real Whacker’s New Year’s Day triumph, County Limerick nightclub owner Mann pulled an all-nighter before travelling to Cheltenham and was sporting the same red suit and sunglasses combination for his return to the Cotswolds.

He added: “I bought this suit in Chicago a year ago and I kept it for the first time we were here in Cheltenham.

“Paddy said to me after New Year’s Day ‘keep that suit for March’. I got home, gave it to my girls and said ‘take it to cleaners, leave the plastic on it and leave it for March’!”

The Real Whacker on his way to victory
The Real Whacker on his way to victory (Mike Egerton/PA)

Neville, who is based in Leyburn, said: “It was a long run to the line, but he toughed it out and he’s a lovely horse.

“The ground was a bit soft for him and we were dreading that, but he jumped well and it worked out.

“I was happy with the rhythm he was in and Sam kept him out for the better ground. We made that plan earlier on today and it worked.

“He’s won three times now here – I don’t think I’ll run him anywhere else!

“I trained in Ireland for 15 years and had a couple of good winners, but the last couple of years were tough as I just couldn’t get the owners. Hopefully it will work out better over here.”

Considering future plans, the trainer added: “If we can keep him one piece, we’ll come back here next year for the Gold Cup.

“I was toying with the Gold Cup this year, but we probably made the right decision for the horse because he’d only run six times before today.

“We’ll see how he comes out of this. We might put him away for the summer or we might go to Punchestown and we might go to Listowel in the autumn as it’s one of my favourite tracks.”

Gerri Colombe could not reel in The Real Whacker
Gerri Colombe could not reel in The Real Whacker (Steven Paston/PA)

Gordon Elliott admitted his disappointment in defeat, but retains plenty of faith in the narrow runner-up.

He said: “We’re disappointed, you always want to win but you can’t take anything away from the winner, he jumped out and went along in front the whole way.

“They were probably playing cat and mouse and then looked up and the winner had gone but there’s no taking away from him, the best horse on the day won and there was no excuse.

“Jordan is a bit disappointed but he gave him a great ride. He’s only young and he’s going to have loads of days. We won’t lose faith in Gerri yet.

“He hit the second last on the first circuit and got a bit close to that but apart form that he wasn’t too bad. I’m disappointed but that’s the game we’re in.

“He’s been beaten a short head in a Grade One and a stride after the line he was up by a neck.

“I’d say it’s very difficult for the jockeys with the whip rules, it will be playing on their minds.”

Second horse disqualified under new whip rules

A second horse has been disqualified under the British Horseracing Authority’s revised whip rules.

Amateur rider James Turner was referred to the Whip Review Committee after finishing second aboard the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Mavis Pike in the Fresh Approach at Vertem Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race at Newcastle on Saturday.

Turner was deemed to have used his whip five times over the permitted level of seven, with none of the strikes considered to have been clearly and unequivocally for safety purposes.

As a result the horse is disqualified from the race and Turner is suspended for 20 days, running intermittently from Tuesday 14 March to Monday 24 April.

The new regulations came into full effect on February 13 and the James Moffatt-trained Lunar Discovery was the first horse to be disqualified, with her rider Charlotte Jones banned for 14 days after striking the horse 11 times.

A total of 20 bans were handed out in the first week, with 12 rides referred from February 20-26 and nine suspensions issued so far, with two results pending and one ride found not in breach.

Conor O’Farrell’s ride aboard Knocknamona in the Campbell Handicap Chase at Carlisle came under scrutiny and he was found to have used the whip once above the permitted level and received a four-day suspension running from March 18 to March 21 inclusive.

Warwick Races – Thursday March 31st
William Shanahan fell foul of the new whip rules (David Davies/PA)

On the same card, William Shanahan used his whip twice over the threshold when riding Our Sam in the Cambridge Handicap Hurdle and is therefore banned for seven days from March 14-20 inclusive – meaning he misses any chance of riding at the Cheltenham Festival.

Conditional rider Philip Armson received a 14-day ban and a £650 fine for overuse of the whip during his winning ride on Gwencily Berbas in the Virgin Bet Devon National Handicap Chase, with the suspension running from March 14-27 inclusive.

Alice Proctor, an amateur, was also handed a 11-day ban for her ride on Golden Poet, having been found to have used her whip when out of contention in the Maurice Broadway 70th Birthday Celebration Open Hunters’ Chase at Taunton.

High-profile riders Sam Twiston-Davies and Tom Cannon were both given suspensions for rides at Lingfield and Market Rasen on Supasunrise and Presenting A Queen respectively.

Doncaster Races – Wednesday February 22nd
Tom Cannon (Mike Egerton/PA)

Both will serve four-day bans for using their whips without giving their mounts time to respond, ruling them out March 18-21 inclusive, but leaving them free to take their rides at the Festival.

A BHA spokesperson said: “Jockeys are clearly quickly adapting to the new rules, and we praise them for this.

“We hope all jockeys realise that using the whip without regard for the thresholds in place could very easily lead to disqualification, and to ensure that this does not happen.

“There is no justification for using the whip four times or more above the permitted level.”

Twiston-Davies team targeting more Trial success with Move It

I Like To Move It will attempt to follow in the footsteps of a previous Nigel Twiston-Davies inmate by winning the New One Unibet Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday.

The race, registered as the Champion Hurdle Trial, was won by former Grand Farm inhabitant The New One for four successive years between 2015 and 2018.

Twiston-Davies and his son Sam also teamed up to win the race in 2020 so are searching for a sixth victory in 10 years in the Grade Two.

With testing ground assured, I Like To Move It will be looking to bounce back after finishing only sixth in the Relkeel Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs last time out.

Prior to that he had won the Greatwood Hurdle under top weight of 12st.

Sam Twiston-Davies said: “Obviously, it didn’t work out in the Relkeel at Cheltenham last time. He has come out of it fine and we have learned a good deal more about him.

“We are looking forward to Saturday. Haydock and soft ground will suit him, hopefully, all being well.”

Stat of the Day, 1st January 2020

New Year's Eve's pick was...

3.20 Lingfield : Knockout Blow @ 11/4 BOG 4th at 11/4 (Mid-division, headway over 1f out, never nearer)

New Year's Day's pick runs in the...

12.15 Cheltenham :

Before I post the daily selection, just a quick reminder of how I operate the service. Generally, I'll identify and share the selection in the evening before the following day's race and I then add a detailed write-up later on that night/next morning.

Those happy to take the early price on trust can do so, whilst some might prefer to wait for my reasoning. As I fit the early service in around my family life, I can't give an exact timing on the posts, so I suggest you follow us on Twitter and/or Facebook for instant notifications of a published pick.

Who?

Redford Road @ 3/1 and Betfair SP

...in the 6-runner, Listed, Ballymore Novices Hurdle for 4yo+ over 2m4½f on Soft ground worth £14,238 to the winner...

Why?...

This 6 yr old gelding was a Grade 2 winner here at Cheltenham on his last start 18 days ago and although he now takes a drop in trip, he has won at 2m4f over hurdles in the past. In fact he's never been out of the first two home in five starts, winning three times and never beaten by more than a length, including...

  • 3 from 3 going left handed
  • 2 wins and a second from 3 over hurdles (all Novice events)
  • 2 from 2 under jockey Sam Twiston-Davies
  • a win and a second from 2 on Soft ground
  • and 1 from 1 here at Cheltenham

Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies' hurdlers who won last time out are 31 from 99 (31.3% SR) for 17.1pts (+17.3% ROI) when sent off at odds of Evens to 13/2 over the past four years, including of relevance today...

  • 31/97 (32%) for 19.1pts (+19.7%) with males
  • 25/67 (37.3%) for 30.2pts (+45.1%) with 5/6 yr olds
  • 11/19 (57.9%) for 22.4pts (+117.7%) over trips of 2m3½f to 2m4½f
  • 9/30 (30%) for 1.5pts (+5%) on soft ground
  • 5/19 (26.3%) for 2.4pts (+12.4%) here at HQ
  • 5/10 (50%) for 8.26pts (+82.6%) in January
  • and 4/4 (100%) for 10.6pts (+265%) from those dropping in trip by 4-5 furlongs

...whilst from the above...5-6 yr old males racing over 2m3½f to 2m4½f are 9/15 (60% SR) for 21.53pts (+143.5% ROI) including 4/7 on soft, 2/2 in Jan, 2/2 dropping 4-5f and 1/1 at Chelts...

...giving us...0.5pts at Betfair SP and a 0.5pt win bet on Redford Road @ 3/1 as was available from Paddy Power & Betfair at 6.40pm on New Year's Eve. To see what your preferred bookie is quoting...

...click here for the betting on the 12.15 Cheltenham

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REMINDER: THERE IS NO STAT OF THE DAY ON SUNDAYS

Here is today's racecard

P.S. all P/L returns quoted in the stats above are to Betfair SP, as I NEVER bet to ISP and neither should you. I always use BOG bookies for SotD, wherever possible, but I use BFSP for the stats as it is the nearest approximation I can give, so I actually expect to beat the returns I use to support my picks. If that's unclear, please ask!