CHELTENHAM 7 NAAS PREVIEW:LOOSEN MY Load and Finger Onthe Pulse have tasted success around Cheltenham, but the Irish raiders face a big task in today's Paddy Power Gold Cup.

The centrepiece of the three-day Open meeting has seen just one Irish winner (Tranquil Sea in 2009) in the last 30 years, and the likely favourite today is Ruby Walsh’s mount Mon Parrain.

He will attempt to give Paul Nicholls a first success in the race.

But Loosen My Load’s trainer, Henry De Bromhead, is hopeful of a big show on his charge’s favoured good ground.

“It’s a highly-competitive handicap chase. He’s on a nice weight. He definitely knows this place, so we’ll give it a go and see how we get on,” the Waterford trainer said yesterday.

Loosen My Load was a Grade Two winner over hurdles on the track in 2009, while Finger Onthe Pulse was a festival winner for Tom Taaffe in 2007.

Last March’s National Hunt Chase winner Chicago Grey lines up for Gordon Elliott in today’s handicap chase under Paul Carberry.

Today’s home action is at Naas, where Dermot Weld’s Triumph Hurdle runner-up Unaccompanied can prove hard to beat in the featured Listed Hurdle.

Weld brought her back to action on the flat at Leopardstown last weekend, and off topweight in a handicap she found only one too good for her. That run should have put her on spot-on.

Unaccompanied’s jockey Paul Townend can dominate the opening proceedings with Reizovic and Quel Esprit, who is suited by the conditions of the conditions chase.

Andrew McNamara can also go well, with the bumper form of Star Neuville giving him an obvious shout in the maiden hurdle, and Shinrock Paddy is likely to improve significantly for his first chase start.