Here Comes Georgie boosts The Real Whacker team with Ascot victory

Outsider of four Here Comes Georgie claimed victory in the Howden Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Ascot, with hot favourite Iberico Lord crashing out two fences from home.

Winner of the Greatwood Hurdle and the Betfair Hurdle last season, Nicky Henderson’s Iberico Lord was pulled up after being supplemented for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but made a successful start to his career over fences at Kempton last month.

The JP McManus-owned gelding was an 8-11 favourite to follow up, but threw in a few sketchy leaps on the way round and looked to be struggling in third place when departing in the home straight. Thankfully, both Iberico Lord and Nico de Boinville appeared to emerge from the incident unscathed.

The Patrick Neville-trained Here Comes Georgie was a 10-1 shot as he looked to follow up a first win over fences on his second try at Wetherby a month ago and the northern raider was particularly impressive in the jumping department in the hands of Lee Edwards.

Ryan’s Rocket challenged for the lead for much of the two-mile-one-furlong contest before being passed by Here Comes Georgie and while the former fought back valiantly on the run-in, and the two came close together to prompt a stewards’ inquiry, Neville’s charge passed the post half a length the good.

Western Zephyr, the only other finisher, was a full 62 lengths behind in third.

“He’s done it nicely, he got into it on his second run over fences. In a race like that they were going quick, but in fairness to Lee he took his time and got him into it lovely,” said Neville.

“He just missed one coming around the first time, Lee gave him confidence again and he’s done it very well.”

Having also enjoyed a double at Catterick on Tuesday, Neville appears to have hit form at the perfect time as he looks forward to saddling stable star The Real Whacker in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.

The Charlie Hall Chase hero has been supplemented for the Kempton feature, in which he finished fourth last season, and the Middleham-based trainer is relishing the challenge.

He added: “We’ve a little bunch of horses and they’re running very well and we’ve a small group of owners and they’re all great – now they’re being rewarded, so that’s great too.

“He (The Real Whacker) is in great form, so there’s no reason not to go to Kempton. There wasn’t a whole pile else for him until the end of January and he’s in such good form that we said we’d put him in and run him.

“The ground and the way it’s coming, or hopefully coming, will suit him. We’re always dreaming, we get up every day and we work hard, we’ve a small team and we eat, drink and sleep horses.”