Cooper is back in the winners enclosure

Bryan Cooper recorded his first winner since returning to action from a serious leg injury when Lord Scoundrel took the opening irishinjuredjockeys.com Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown.

Cooper only returned at Limerick on Sunday having been out for seven months following a compound fracture of his right leg in a fall at the Cheltenham Festival.

The Gordon Elliott-trained 13/8 favourite was sent on in the straight by Cooper but appeared in trouble when joined after a mistake at the last by Redrobin

However he rallied strongly in the closing stages to score by half a length, with Pack The Punch another two lengths away in third.

Cooper said, “He’s probably more of a chaser but he did it a shade cosily in the end. I was probably there a bit soon. He got a bit underneath the last but that probably helped me a bit as when the other horse came to me he rallied again.

“It’s great to get the first winner back for the boss.”

Elliott said, “Bryan said he’d a blow after the second last. He likes that trip, and we’ll try and find a novice hurdle in about a months’ time. It’s nice to give Bryan his first winner back as he broke his leg on one of ours (Clarcam).”

(GC & AM)