BRYAN Cooper will literally leave it until the last minute before deciding whether to ride Don Cossack or Don Poli in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The two Gigginstown House Stud-owned horses are very close to the top of the ante-post betting for the March 18th race. Don Cossack is a solid 4/1 shot with most firms while Don Poli is generally between 9/2 and 6/1.

Speaking to The Irish Field last evening, Cooper said: “I won’t make my decision until declaration time on the Wednesday of Cheltenham. There’s no pressure on me to decide, so let’s just get the two horses over there in one piece first.”

Cooper missed out on two of Don Cossack’s biggest triumphs last season - he was suspended for the horse’s highly impressive win at Aintree and he was aboard Road To Riches when Don Cossack scored at Punchestown.

With Cooper in the saddle for all four of the Gordon Elliott-trained chaser’s starts this season, they have won three times - at Punchestown, Down Royal and Thurles - and they were still in the mix when Don Cossack fell two out in the King George at Kempton.

Cooper has also ridden the Willie Mullins-trained Don Poli on his last six starts, winning five. Those victories included the RSA Chase at Cheltenham and the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown two months ago.

Both horses may be fitted with headgear in the Gold Cup. Cooper said: “We’ll leave that to the trainers. I have being sitting on both horses regularly on the gallops and they are in good form. It will be a hard decision and somebody will have a great spare ride on one of them.”

Cooper has never ridden in a Champion Hurdle but finds himself set to ride one of the favourites this year in Identity Thief. Trained by Henry de Bromhead, the Kayf Tara gelding won the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle last November and has had a break since giving Nichols Canyon a big scare in the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting.

“Missing the Irish Champion Hurdle was probably no harm,” said Cooper, noting that the first two finishers in that race – Faugheen and Arctic Fire – have since been ruled out of Cheltenham with minor injuries.

“Henry tells me that Identity Thief is in good form and I’m due to sit on him next Tuesday.”

Cooper misses Sunday’s racing at Leopardstown through suspension but will be at the track. He is one of a number of racing personalties taking part in a ‘meet the fans’ session before racing and he expects to partner some Cheltenham hopefuls in the traditional post-race schooling session.

Among Cooper’s possible mounts at the festival are No More Heroes, Tombstone, A Toi Phil, Lieutenant Colonel, The Game Changer, Valseur Lido and Road To Riches.

MULLINS BLOW

The big Cheltenham news this week was that Arctic Fire has joined stable companion Faugheen on the sidelines for the Champion Hurdle.

Having chased home stable companion Faugheen in last year’s renewal and in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown last month, Arctic Fire looked a major contender for top honours following last week’s shock news that Faugheen would miss the remainder of the season after suffering a setback.

However, Willie Mullins revealed on Tuesday that Arctic Fire “looks like he has a little chip off a sesamoid bone which will need to be removed”. The trainer still has Nichols Canyon in the Champion Hurdle while Annie Power is expected to be supplemented for the race. Sempre Medici will also represent the Mullins yard in the race.

Mullins feels if ever there is a year for Annie Power to be let loose in the Champion Hurdle, then this is it. Second in the World Hurdle to More Of That two years ago and a faller at the last with the Mares’ Hurdle at her mercy last year, she would need to be supplemented for the Champion.

However, that now looks likely with current champion Faugheen, in the same Rich Ricci ownership, ruled out through injury.

Annie Power did nothing more than prove her well-being when winning on her first start of the season last week, but the notable thing that day was that Mullins fitted her with a hood, something he does not feel will be necessary at Cheltenham.

“I know it’s not an ideal prep, only one run before it, but I think probably plenty of horses have done that in the past when you actually think about it,” Mullins told At The Races.

“If she was to go for a Champion Hurdle, this is probably the year she should have a crack at it. She should probably be going to Aintree for the Aintree Hurdle, I think that is more her race, leaving the others to Cheltenham.

“I don’t think she’s suitable for the World Hurdle so it’s just a straight call between the Champion and the Mares’, with Vroum Vroum Mag a possible for that in the same ownership. If we want to give Annie Power a shot at it, this looks the year to do it.”