A short schooling session at Newbury showed Coneygree has left the disasters of Wetherby behind, according to his connections, and the Gold Cup hero of 2015 is now likely to return a week on Saturday. The newly named Ladbrokes Trophy, formerly known as the Hennessy, is the target but the betting market remains to be convinced that it is a good idea and offers 20-1.
“Delighted! That’s what we wanted to see,” said Sara Bradstock, half of the husband-and-wife team who train Coneygree at nearby Letcombe Bassett. “Bassy [David Bass] said he tanked him down to the first. He’s jumped brilliantly.”
Coneygree was pulled up for the first time in his career in last month’s Charlie Hall Chase, when he cut into the heel of a foreleg at an early stage, then dropped back through the field before halfway. “It’s a worry that you’ve frightened them,” Bradstock said.
“So we needed to come to the course and check he wanted to go and do it, and he did. He jumped out of his hands at the second and he measured the third like he does, brilliantly.”
Bradstock also wanted to be reassured the wound would not reopen under pressure. “From what I’ve seen at the moment, there’s nothing, there’s no blood, which is very good,” she said.
The remaining concern is fitness because Coneygree could not be described as hard-fit when he went to Wetherby and Bradstock wanted him to go all the way around so that at least he would be straighter for his next outing. “He had a week off after Wetherby but he’s worked last week, he’s done that today and now he’ll do another couple of bits. I don’t pretend I wouldn’t have been much happier with a race under his belt. But you’re not spoilt for choice with races for him.”
Bradstock “truly believes” that the star of her tiny stable has another big day in him, having been kept out of the winners’ enclosure for a couple of years, but her options are limited after the Newbury race. “We’re thinking the King George would come too quick, unless he suddenly bounces out [after the Ladbroke] much better than he has before.
“I suppose there’s always the possibility of going to Ireland for the Lexus. Or just going to Cheltenham for the trial in January. He’s very fragile and we have to take the view that if he’s well and the ground’s right and everything’s right, we’ll run him. Every step he takes is a worry to me.”
Coneygree was one of 14 horses brought to Newbury by five trainers for a pre-Ladbroke gallops morning, a new event that was opened up to Newbury’s annual members, drawing a crowd of hundreds. “It’s fun,” said Nicky Henderson, who brought three of his best hurdlers.
“Normally, we do it behind closed doors on a Sunday morning but it’s lovely that people want to come and see good horses. It’s not always about having 18 runners in a handicap chase.”
Henderson’s focus was on Buveur D’Air, the reigning champion hurdler, who will be at Newcastle for the Fighting Fifth on the day the Ladbroke is run. Buveur D’Air looked on the burly side and clearly takes a lot of getting fit but travelled like the best horse in a bit of work with Charli Parcs and Divin Bere. “Yes, he’s big now,” the trainer conceded. “He carries plenty of weight and there’s a long way to go but he’s done a hell of a lot of work already.”
Henderson readily admitted to being impressed by Faugheen’s return to action on Sunday and is in no rush to pitch his horse in against that Irish-based rival. “I watched the race with JP [McManus, owner of Buveur D’Air] and we just looked at each other and thought: ’Oh dear, we’ll have to sharpen our pencil a bit.’ But the pencil’s getting sharper.
“I don’t know where Faugheen will go or when we’ll meet. You’d like to think that will be in March. We don’t want to be slamming hell out of each other, practising. We’ve all got to get there. We all know there are going to be elephant traps all over the place. Everything has to go 100% right, all the way.”
Wednesday’s tips by Chris Cook
Hexham
12.25 Eneko 12.55 Celtic Flames (nb) 1.30 The Dubai Way 2.00 Hattons Hill 2.35 Clan Legend 3.10 Very First Time 3.40 Topham Bay
Warwick
12.35 Santo De Lune 1.05 Same Circus 1.40 Molly The Dolly 2.10 Sceau Royal 2.45 Lady Karina 3.20 Backoftherock 3.50 So Lonely
Chepstow
12.45 Moving In Style 1.15 Marley Firth 1.50 Tangley 2.25 Grand Introduction 3.00 Fille Des Champs 3.30 Jayo Time 4.00 Kenyan
Kempton
4.10 Jive Talking 4.40 Secretario 5.10 Salute The Soldier 5.40 Qaysar (nap) 6.10 Savaanah 6.40 Khafoo Shememi 7.10 Royal Reserve 7.40 Kath’s Legacy
