Coneygree ready to go

Sara Bradstock is confident Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Coneygree is fit enough to do himself justice as he prepares to make his eagerly awaited return to action at Sandown on Sunday.

The eight-year-old became the first novice since Captain Christy in 1974 to claim the blue riband at Prestbury Park in March and will face just three opponents on his first competitive appearance since in this weekend's 188Bet Future Stars Chase.

Bradstock, wife and assistant to trainer Mark, is keeping her fingers crossed at least one of Coneygree's rivals can give him something to think about as he builds up to a likely tilt at the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in three weeks' time.

"He's all good to go and hopefully he'll have a good spin round," she said.

"There are some good horses in the race, but we wouldn't have wanted a walkover. We want him to have a race to get him ready for the Hennessy.

"He's a bit more forward than he was this time last year, but then he hasn't had over a year off this time around.

"There will be some improvement, but he's plenty fit enough to go round three miles at Sandown and the Hennessy isn't that far off.

"He's ready to go."

While the Hennessy has long been identified as Coneygree's major objective for the first half of the new season, there is still a small chance plans could change.

With Jockey Club Racecourses offering a £1million bonus for any horse who can win Haydock's Betfair Chase, the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, connections are not yet ruling out a trip to Merseyside in a fortnight's time, but Bradstock insists conditions would have to be testing.

She said: "It's almost definite he won't go to Haydock. We only put him in there because of the £1million bonus and the only way he would go there would be if the ground came up very soft, as three miles round there over those small fences isn't really for him.

"It's far more likely he'll go to Newbury."

Asked if connections were feeling the pressure of being responsible for a Gold Cup winner, Bradstock said: " I'm still finding it all a little bit peculiar, to be honest, and still can't quite get my head round what he did last season.

"We're very lucky to have him."

Jockey Sam Twiston-Davies is looking forward to getting back on board Southfield Theatre for the first time this season.

The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old won three times during his debut campaign over fences, but suffered injury when last seen chasing home Don Poli in Cheltenham's RSA Chase.

Nicholls said: "It healed up nicely and he looks fantastic.

"He's an exciting sort for this season and I think three miles at Sandown should suit him really well."

Oliver Sherwood felt Puffin Billy may have dodged a bullet by missing a clash with impressive scorer Saphir Du Rheu at Carlisle recently due to a slight setback, so the trainer is happy to now chance his arm against another hot favourite.

"It was frustrating to miss Carlisle, but looking at the winner, maybe it's a good job we didn't go there," said Sherwood.

"He seems fine now and there isn't much else for him coming up so I couldn't rule this out just because Coneygree is running."

Seventh Sky from Charlie Mann's yard completes the field.