Coneygree all set for Haydock return

Mark Bradstock is keen to point Coneygree at the £1million bonus put up by Jockey Club Racecourses if the 2015 Gold Cup winner makes a successful return to action in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.

The Letcombe Bassett trainer welcomed the media into his boutique yard on Monday and stated he would "look stupid" if he swerved the challenge to go for the King George VI Chase followed by the Gold Cup should his charge strike on Merseyside this weekend.

With riding arrangements for that Grade One contest still up in the air, Bradstock emphasised Coneygree has done plenty of work on the all-weather at home as well as a much-needed workout on turf in a recent visit to Haydock with two stablemates.

"It's wonderful to have him back, and hopefully he can build and build and build," said the trainer.

"I imagine he will go off in front and any softening in conditions will be a help rather than a hindrance.

"He never looks impressive in his work here, but he has this extraordinarily deceptive gallop that we saw to best effect when he annihilated some decent handicappers in the Denman Chase at Newbury."

Bradstock and his wife Sara hope that whoever rides Coneygree at Haydock will school the gelding beforehand. With Nico de Boinville sidelined by injury, Richard Johnson is Bradstock's first choice.

He continued: "He's in brilliant form, but he has a little schooling session to get over ahead of the Betfair Chase. Richard Johnson will be the man to do that providing he's available to ride on Saturday. It depends on whether he has to ride in a valuable chase at Ascot.

"Aidan Coleman would be the next option and if he can't take the ride we would be scratching our heads."

Looking at the bonus, Bradstock went on: "If we win on Saturday we shall certainly aim him towards Kempton, as that bonus is not to be sniffed at. In fact, we would be mad not to go for it.

"We took him to Haydock for a proper gallop over two miles with a young horse and then old Carruthers jumped in for the last three to four furlongs. It's been so dry with us that it was his first work on grass since he came back in.

"He's only run 11 times in his life and has only been beaten twice. Furthermore, he does tend to go well fresh from a break, as he showed when winning at Uttoxeter in successive seasons.

"Hopefully after Saturday it will be the King George, followed by the Denman Chase and then the Gold Cup. There is also the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham, but it comes closer to Kempton than Newbury."