Pady enters King George mix
The luckless eight-year-old finished second in all of his six starts last season, including the Tingle Creek, Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Melling Chase at Aintree.
He will start his campaign off in either the Fortria Chase at Navan or the Sinbad Testimonial 2010/2011 Chase at Cheltenham before heading to Kempton.
Cooper said: “We’re going to have one cut at three miles this year and probably go for the King George.
“He gives himself every chance of staying and if he does, the sky is the limit with him. We just need to get one run into him first before he steps up to three miles.
“He hasn’t got many miles on the clock and it will be exciting if he does stay, but wherever he starts off will only be a stepping stone for Kempton.”
Cooper also has high hopes this year for River Liane, second in a Grade Two chase before injury curtailed his season, and Son Amix, fourth in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham.
“River Liane has only been back in a month and is now a second-season chaser so could be difficult to place – he’ll be back around Christmas,” added Cooper.
“Son Amix could be very exciting. He’s really filled out during the summer and that was really his first break so it’s done him the world of good.
“He was down to run the other day but the ground was too good. Even though he is a real good mover I don’t think you’ll see him at his best until he gets soft ground over a trip.”
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THE LISTENER is on course to make his return from injury in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown on December 5.
Nick Mitchell’s 11-year-old grey only ran once last season, winning the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal by 15 lengths, but it later transpired he had suffered a tendon injury.
That victory was his fourth at the highest level, all coming in Ireland, with his other wins arriving in the 2006 Lexus Chase, the 2007 John Durkan and the 2008 Irish Hennessy when trained by Robert Alner.
“He’s in good form, he’s in full work and has been for six weeks now,” said Mitchell.
“Touch-wood, there has been no problems and the leg looks fine. He looks fantastic and we are hoping that if things go well from now on he should be ready in plenty of time for the John Durkan in early December.
“We’ll keep sending him to Ireland for the ground, even more so now. When he was younger we were inclined to take a chance on quicker ground sort of knowing he couldn’t win one purely because his options were so few and far between.
“We won’t anymore.”
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DENIS O’REGAN will be out of action for up to four weeks with a fractured fibula.
O’Regan took a crunching fall from Paul Webber’s Sussex Sunset in the williamhill.com – Bingo “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton, just 35 minutes after breaking the track record on stablemate Australia Day.
Since splitting with his former retainer Graham Wylie, O’Regan has made a good start to the season, riding 19 winners.
“It’s not bad at all. I took myself into hospital yesterday and the X-ray showed a slight fracture at the top of the fibula,” said O’Regan.
“It just needs a bit of rest and in three or four weeks I should be back. I’ve not got a cast on or anything like that.
“There is never a good time to get injured, but this especially isn’t a good one with the season just getting going.”
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SIZING EUROPE could clash with Kauto Star in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal.
Despite having last week suffered an unexpected reverse to China Rock on his seasonal debut at Punchestown, trainer Henry de Bromhead insists the Arkle winner will improve immeasurably for the outing.
The eight-year-old could now be on a collision course with Paul Nicholls’ brilliant chaser on November 6.
“His jumping was a little bit rusty, but that will improve as we go on,” the County Waterford handler told his website.
“He should come on a lot for the run in terms of fitness, so I’m happy.
“The race itself didn’t confirm whether he will stay three miles or not and, as such, we’ll now have a look at the Down Royal race where we should learn more.”
