Bryan Cooper opts for Don Cossack over Don Poli

Bryan Cooper has confirmed he will ride Don Cossack in Friday's Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, the feature event on the final day of the Festival.

Cooper is retained rider for Gigginstown House Stud which meant he had the choice of Don Cossack and Don Poli in the Grade One contest.

However, he has opted to partner the Gordon Elliott-trained Don Cossack, a five-time Grade One winner who was last seen when winning at Thurles in January after falling in the King George at Kempton.

Cooper told Channel 4’s The Morning Line: “I will ride Don Cossack.

“The ground is plenty dry enough, he’s officially the highest-rated horse in training. The decision is made and I won’t be changing my mind.

“I haven’t waited this long (to make a decision for nothing), there was a lot of water to go under the bridge It wasn’t an easy decision because if you get it wrong, you’d be kicking yourself for the next six months.

“He’s in tremendous form, Gordon has him in top shape. We’ll be out to prove to all the doubters that he doesn’t handle Cheltenham that they’re wrong.”

Don Cossack and Don Poli feature among 10 horses declared for the blue riband and Gigginstown House Stud manager Eddie O’Leary confirmed Davy Russell will ride Don Poli.

He said: “Davy Russell rides (Don Poli). He actually rode the horse in his maiden hurdle when he got beat.

“Davy is a big-race jockey and hopefully he’ll bring out the best in the horse.”

Don Poli’s trainer, Willie Mullins, also saddles last year’s runner-up Djakadam and 2014 second On His Own in a bid to win the Gold Cup for the first time.

The Colin Tizzard-trained Cue Card is in line for a £1million (€1.27m) bonus if he can add to his previous victories this season in the Betfair Chase at Haydock and the King George VI Chase at Kempton.

Gigginstown’s Road To Riches, trained by Noel Meade has also been declared, but is set to take his chance in Thursday’s Ryanair Chase instead.

Irish Gold Cup winner Carlingford Lough, Alan King’s Hennessy hero Smad Place and the Rebecca Curtis-trained pair of Irish Cavalier and O’Faolains Boy complete the line-up.