CHELTENHAM Gold Cup hero Coneygree is reported to be in great shape ahead of his seasonal reappearance at Sandown on Sunday.

Letcombe Bassett trainer Mark Bradstock’s stable star became the first novice for 41 years to capture chasing’s blue riband when galloping his rivals into the ground in memorable fashion back in March.

And, as a second-season chaser, he is still eligible for the 188Bet Future Stars Chase over three miles at the Esher track.

Bradstock said: “Coneygree had a really good summer. He goes back home to Oaksey where he goes out with his best mate, Carruthers. They either lie down and sleep or they play, but he has come back looking absolutely fantastic.”

Bradstock’s wife, Sara, does much of the work on Coneygree, who will use Sunday’s Listed contest as a warm-up for either the Hennessy Gold Cup – which his half-brother, Carruthers, won in 2011 – at Newbury on November 28 or the Betfair Chase at Haydock the previous Saturday.

Connections are leaning towards the former event, despite the Merseyside race being the first leg of a triple crown, which offers a £1m bonus for any horse who wins the Betfair Chase, William Hill King George VI Chase and Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season.

Sara said: “The Hennessy is our preference because it is a little bit further and it’s bigger fences.

“It seems that the Haydock race, unless the ground came up very soft, is not really the race for him.

“It is a sharp track over little fences, and his point is relentless galloping and jumping.”

Meanwhile, East Ilsley trainer Hughie Morrison reeled off a 439-1 across-the-card treble courtesy of Sunscape and Jam Jar at Chelmsford City and Cousin Khee at Nottingham.

He returned to the Essex venue the following day to strike with debutant Saucy Spirit, and then made it five winners in three days when Star Rider scored at Newmarket.