Is he the real deal? Unbeaten Gerri Colombe puts his reputation on the line in Brown Advisory

Remaining unbeaten across three years and four disciplines heading into a Grade 1 at the Cheltenham Festival is a remarkable feat in itself and the Brown Advisory will hopefully answer one of the week’s most curious queries: is Gerri Colombe the real deal?

Seven from seven in point-to-points, bumpers, hurdles and chases, Gerri Colombe now has the top-level prizes to justify the initial hype heading into his novice chase season and showed a bit of needle with game successes at the highest level at Limerick and Sandown.

However, this is his stiffest assignment yet and waiting in the wings are five Willie Mullins-trained novices and a small-but-select British challenge that features a Kauto Star winner, a Dipper winner and a Warwick Grade 2 winner. This is hot.

Punters will naturally gravitate towards an unbeaten favourite pitching up at the Cheltenham Festival, although a lack of experience at this unique course is cause for concern for a novice who is yet to tackle a left-handed track over hurdles or fences.

Gerri Colombe is also yet to distinguish himself among the creme de la creme of the staying novice chase division on RPRs. He recorded a career-best 160 in the Scilly Isles last time and that figure is identical to The Real Whacker and Thyme Hill’s impressive warm-ups for this. Galia Des Liteaux’s 153 at Warwick also thrusts her into the 160 club by dint of her 7lb mares’ allowance.

The pick of Mullins’ five according to jockey bookings is Sir Gerhard, although eyebrows would have been raised if Paul Townend shunned a dual festival winner who boasts arguably the biggest engine in the field to side with one of Closutton’s less-glamorous contenders.

Significant improvement is required for any of Adamantly Chosen, Bronn, I Am Maximus and Ramillies to cut it in this company, yet Sir Gerhard is still a somewhat surprising Brown Advisory addition among Mullins’ embarrassment of riches in the various novice chase departments.

A notably hairy leap at the third on Sir Gerhard’s chase debut over 2m at Gowran Park in January punished short-priced favourite backers with a heart-in-mouth moment and his jumping, overall, left something to be desired. Ultimately, we learned very little in a three-runner contest that will bear few similarities with a Brown Advisory.

Sir Gerhard hardly gives the impression this trip is a necessity and a 3m point win in 2019 is tepid evidence that he will stay. A test of stamina at the expense of speed, something Sam Twiston-Davies will doubtless be keen to ensure aboard bold-jumping front-runner The Real Whacker, would surely compromise his finishing effort.

The Real Whacker’s connections rightly resisted the urge to go for gold in the meeting’s flagship race on Friday and his formidable jumping will put rivals under pressure.

That he is trained by Patrick Neville rather than one of the powerhouse operations will ensure a reasonable each-way price and this seven-year-old is tailor-made for a staying novice chase at Cheltenham.

The Real Whacker might lack the natural talent of a Gerri Colombe, a Sir Gerhard or even former Stayers’ Hurdle runner-up Thyme Hill, but rhythm is king. The ability to make up ground at fences at a track in which it pays to race prominently is a major asset.

The Real Whacker negotiated 17 fences with aplomb in the Dipper and an additional three in the Brown Advisory can only serve to enhance his claims.
Race analysis by Robbie Wilders

Thyme right for new partnership

As advertisements for a new venture go, winning a Grade 1 with your first runner would be something. That is what Philip Hobbs and his former assistant Johnson White would pull off if Thyme Hill emerges on top. White has worked for Hobbs for nearly 30 years, but is now formally on the training licence, and in Thyme Hill they have a festival regular who won the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase at Kempton on his last appearance.

He was third in the 2019 Champion Bumper before a luckless fourth in the Albert Bartlett a year later, and 12 months ago he went down to Flooring Porter in the Stayers' Hurdle.

"There would obviously be no better place to start, especially if he managed to win," said White. "Philip and myself are very excited to be going to the festival with a live chance and the horse knows his way around the course as he has won over hurdles there in the past.

Thyme Hill claiming Grade 1 glory in the Kauto Star Novices' Chase at KemptonCredit: Mark Cranham

"I will be at Cheltenham all four days trying to bring in as many potential clients and new owners as possible, which is very important for the future. I have been very lucky to be associated with such a successful yard for many seasons and I'm now looking forward to the next chapter, and as far as I am concerned it is onwards and upwards."

Of Thyme Hill, Hobbs said: "On ratings, he must have a decent chance providing everything goes well in the race. He jumped very well at Kempton and is in good form. We're hopeful he's a strong each-way chance and I don't think he minds what the ground is. He's not a horse who needs an awful lot of work, and it isn't a negative he hasn't run since Christmas."

The Real deal?

Patrick Neville has made quite a name for himself this season, but success for stable star The Real Whacker would elevate him to an entirely new level.

Seven of Neville's 39 runners have won this term and The Real Whacker has contributed two victories to that haul, including when he impressed in the Dipper on January 1.

Neville said: "I think he has matured physically a bit more since his last run; he's just a horse who took some time to fill his frame.

"He really puts everything into his races and he's been worth minding – the good ones always are, aren't they?

"Every time I ran him over hurdles, whichever jockey rode him would say, 'This horse needs a fence'. He was always going to be a better chaser, even though he was good over hurdles.

Patrick Neville with stable star The Real Whacker

"It was a big ask bringing him to Cheltenham for his first time over fences, but he's two from two now – that's not bad! I took a bit of grief for dropping him back in trip for the Dipper, but he's not slow, he's a quick jumper but can really gallop too."

Neville half contemplated running The Real Whacker in the Gold Cup.

He added: "He's a real character of a horse; butter wouldn't melt in his mouth in public, but he's a right character at home. He's a gorgeous horse who just wants to get on with his job, and I couldn’t be happier with him. He's in super form and I'm looking forward to the race very much."

Gerri ready for his big test

Given Gordon Elliott's prowess with staying chasers, it might be a surprise he has never won this race, but he can have had few finer chances than Gerri Colombe, successful in Sandown's Scilly Isles recently.

After that victory, people were talking about him as a future Gold Cup horse and he is unbeaten in seven races, so it is clear why he is so highly regarded.

Gordon Elliott: his Gerri Colombe is highly regardedCredit: Patrick McCann

Elliott said: "The thing I loved most about him at Sandown was when Balco Coastal passed him, he put his head right down and wanted to win. He wouldn't take no for an answer. I love that about him. He wants to win. The ground should be perfect for him and we think the step up in trip will suit too. I'm very hopeful."

What they say

Paul Townend, rider of Sir Gerhard
He's a two-time festival winner but he's only had the one run over fences which isn't ideal. He jumped a lot of fences at home and he jumped a lot of fences where he came from in his point-to-point. It's three miles, not a two-mile chase where they're going flat out the whole way, and he'll have plenty of time to get into it.

Olly Murphy, trainer of Thunder Rock
The longer trip will hopefully help his jumping and help him get in a rhythm, but if it's very slow ground I'm not sure he's an out-and-out gruelling three-miler. He'll be dropped in and ridden to be placed so hopefully will come home strongly.

Dan Skelton, trainer of Galia Des Liteaux
She'll love the slow ground and she gets 7lb, being a mare, which I think brings her into play. She's got good form from Warwick and she's been great at home since.

Read more from Wednesday's previews:

Impaire Et Passe out to justify the hype and continue Irish domination of the Ballymore  

Could chase form prove the key in another competitive Coral Cup? 

Energumene and Edwardstone clash again in top-quality Champion Chase  

Class to the fore as stablemates Delta Work and Galvin face off in Cross Country 

'I dare say he'll take a bit of pegging back' - top analysis and quotes for the Grand Annual 

Why wily Kiely might be able to outgun the Mullins battalions 

Do you want £200+ of free bets for Cheltenham? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more.