Loosen My Load Heads Strong De Bromhead Team for Cheltenham

Henry de Bromhead is looking forward to seeing Loosen My Load head back to Cheltenham for a crack at the £150,000 Grade Three BetVictor Gold Cup (2.35pm), highlight of The Open at Cheltenham on Saturday, November 12.

The seven-year-old, a 16/1 chance with Paddy Power for the prestigious two and a half- mile handicap chase, triumphed in the Grade Two Opus Energy Novices’ Hurdle at The Open in 2009 and returned 12 months later to take third in the Grade Two Independent Newspaper Novices’ Chase.

He also finished third on his most recent start at Cheltenham, when finding Noble Prince and Wishfull Thinking too strong in the inaugural Grade Two Jewson Novices’ Chase over two and a half miles at The Festival in March.

Loosen My Load returned to action this term with a facile seven-length victory in a Navan chase on September 24 before going down by five and a half lengths to West With The Wind in a Grade Three chase over two miles and a furlong at Limerick on October 9.

De Bromhead revealed: “Loosen My Load is in good form at the moment. We decided not to run him in the Poplar Square Chase at Naas tomorrow and he will head straight for the BetVictor Gold Cup.

“He was impressive over two and a half miles on his seasonal return at Navan and was third over the same trip in the Jewson Novices’ Chase, so it seems to be a distance that suits him well.

“I think that he was just beaten by a good horse at Limerick but he is definitely a better horse on a faster surface and I would be hopeful that he could run well at The Open.”

De Bromhead sent out Sizing Europe, last season’s sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase hero, to win the Grade Three Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at The Open in 2007.

The County Waterford handler is also set to be represented at The Open this year by Absolutlyfantastic and Fort George.

Absolutlyfantastic made an impressive debut over hurdles when scoring at Gowran Park on September 30 and posted another pleasing performance when going down by five and a half lengths to the more experienced Rebel Fitz at Cork on October 16.

The four-year-old is set to take his chance in the £21,500 Grade Two Opus Energy Novices’ Hurdle (2.55pm) over an extended two miles on the first day of The Open, Friday, November 11.

De Bromhead continued: “We might run Absolutlyfantastic in the Opus Energy Novices’ Hurdle on the Friday of The Open. He was beaten by an older horse, who had plenty of experience over hurdles, at Cork and will have come on for the run.

“He won well at Gowran Park before that and he is a horse we think a lot of.”

Fort George, fourth in the Cheltenham Racecourse iphone App Novices' Chase at The Showcase last month, makes his debut over the cross country course in the £22,000 Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (2.20pm), also on Friday’s card.

De Bromhead hopes that the eight-year-old can prove an able deputy for his cross country specialist Sizing Australia, who captured the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at The Festival in March but is currently on the sidelines.

He added: “Unfortunately Sizing Australia had a setback in September and won’t be ready for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase, but we hope to run Fort George in the race instead.

“We want to give Fort George an introduction to the cross country course and it will be interesting to see how he gets on. We have started working him over similar obstacles at home and he seems to be taking to them well.

“There’s a gap there with Sizing Australia not going, so we might as well give him a chance.”

The Open stages 18 races over three days as well as the Greatwood Charity Sweepstake, which concludes the event at 4.10pm on Sunday, November 13.

Paddy Power Gold Cup - Paddy Power bet:

6 Mon Parrain, 8 Wishfull Thinking, 10 Divers, 12 The Giant Bolster, Ghizao, Great Endeavour, 14 Noble Prince, 16 Loosen My Load, Medermit, Quantitativeeasing, Sunnyhillboy, Tullamore Dew, Aerial, 20 Poquelin, Muirhead, Holmwood Legend, Dave's Dream, Noble Alan, Fine Parchment, Blazing Tempo, Quartz de Thaix, The Knoxs, Aigle d'Or, Shoreacres, Kauto Stone, 25 Gauvain, Oiseau de Nuit, Zaarito, Finger Onthe Pulse, Calgary Bay, Cape Tribulation, Pure Faith, Billie Magern, Gansey, Vino Griego, 33 Scotsirish, Gilbarry, Tatenen, Araldur, Swincombe Rock, Hector's Choice, Nomecheki, Buck Mulligan, Pigeon Island, Stormin Exit, Persian Gates, Ad Idem, 40 Pickamus, Norther Bay, 50 Rio Gael, 66 Misstree Dancer

Each Way 1/4 odds 1,2,3,4