Gigginstown House Stud’s retained rider Bryan Cooper looks to have an enviable book of rides at this year’s Cheltenham Festival and is understandably delighted with the firepower awaiting him at Prestbury Park.
Cooper has suffered a litany of injury problems ever since landing the Gigginstown role from Davy Russell but enjoyed an excellent 2016 Festival, partnering Empire Of Dirt to victory in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate and most notably Don Cossack in Racing’s Blue Riband event, the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.
However, with Don Cossack now retired, Cooper is looking forward to partnering a new batch of pretenders in Gloucestershire.
In particular, Cooper is looking forward to Petit Mouchoir and Death Duty who look to hold leading chances in the Stan James Champion Hurdle and Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. Petit Mouchoir has improved with every run this season, culminating in two Grade One successes at Leopardstown. Henry De Bromhead’s charge is a general 9/2 shot for the two-mile Championship contest.
Death Duty has looked incredibly smart over hurdles so far this season winning all four of his starts over the smaller obstacles, which culminated with a nine-length success in the Grade One Lawlor’s Hotel Novice Hurdle last time.
Cooper, one of Ireland’s top jockeys, commented on At The Races:
I’ve a nice bunch going, hopefully I get there in one piece. The likes of Petit Mouchoir, Apple’s Jade (Mares’ Hurdle) and Death Duty, they are nice horses to be looking forward to.
Reflecting on Apple’s Jade’s second to Limini at Punchestown last time, the Irishman remarked: “It was a messy race, she was a bit gassy early and brave at a few of her hurdles.
Limini is no bad mare, take out her Punchestown run and she was entitled to win. All our mare can do is improve. She had a nice break after winning the Hatton’s Grace and I think the run will bring her on a lot and we can look forward to Cheltenham.
Cooper sounded particularly positive about the chances of Death Duty, commenting:
I sit on him most days I go to Gordon’s and I’m looking forward to getting my leg back over him, he’s one of the ones I’m looking forward to. He’s not slow, he’s been winning over two-and-a-half (miles), but he has the look of a three-miler. He’s got a lot of class and out of what we’ve seen so far, he looks to be one of the classier ones heading for it.
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