Cooper raring to go with Cossack Bryan Cooper is excited to get back on board Don Cossack for a mouthwatering clash with Champagne Fever in the Ladbrokes Ireland Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles. A suspended Cooper was forced to watch on from the sidelines as Brian O'Connell steered Gordon Elliott's star chaser to victory in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase in early December, but Cooper will be in the plate tomorrow. Gigginstown House Stud's retained rider admits Don Cossack has plenty on his plate in the Grade Two contest, with Willie Mullins bringing Champagne Fever back in trip after he failed to get home in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. "It will be no walk in the park with Champagne Fever in there. It should be a good race between the two of them," said Cooper. "Our horse is in good form and we're looking forward to getting him back on the track. I just hope the weather is good to us and the meeting goes ahead. "I didn't ride him in Punchestown, but he didn't surprise me that day. I know a lot of people were surprised how well he did it, but I thought going there he had a serious chance and he was very good." Immediately after his Punchestown success Elliott suggested his charge may not run again until the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but Cooper feels it is the right call to give him more match practice ahead of his trip across the Irish Sea. He said: "It won't do him any harm to have one more run (before Cheltenham). It's a long gap between the John Durkan and the Festival and hopefully the run tomorrow will stand to him. "It will be great if he won, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if he finished second to Champagne Fever either." Mullins is keeping his fingers crossed Champagne Fever can bounce back to form a little under three weeks after his Kempton exertions. He said: "He had a hard enough race at Kempton, but he seems well. "He's not well-in at the weights tomorrow, but we said we'd let him take his chance." Noel Meade saddles Texas Jack, last seen finishing fourth behind Don Cossack at Punchestown. Stephen Mahon's Smokey Joe Joe, who has a mountain to climb on official ratings, completes a four-runner field.
