Cooper targets Listowel return

Jump jockey Bryan Cooper could make a return to the saddle by the middle of next month.

The rising star of Ireland, who rode three winners at the Cheltenham Festival, broke his left leg in a fall at Down Royal in early May.

He hopes to be back in competitive action in time for Listowel’s seven-day Harvest Festival, which gets under way on September 15.

“The last three months have been very frustrating, but I’ve been back riding out for a full week,” he said.

“The first couple of days were just trying to get back in the swing of things, but I’m back riding work again now. I got the all-clear from my specialist. He said my leg is 100% now, so I’m just trying to get fit and ready and get the strength back up as soon as I can. I might be back for Listowel.”

Henry De Bromhead meanwhile is confident that his stable star Sizing Europe is as good as ever as he approaches his ninth season in training. The 11-year-old, who was unbeaten in the last campaign until tackling Sprinter Sacre at Cheltenham and Punchestown, will start off in the PWC Champion Chase at Gowran Park on October 5.

After making Sprinter Sacre work harder than any other chaser on his most recent outing, De Bromhead has every right to feel bullish and will step him up in trip later in the season.

“We’ll aim him at the Gowran race he’s won the last couple of years and see where we go from there,” said De Bromhead. “I’d say we”ll step him up further after that.”

Asked about going for the Down Royal Champion Chase over three miles, in which he finished second in 2010 and 2011, he said: “He could go there – I think he deserves to win it. We’ll take it race by race.”