MARK Bradstock is keen to point Coneygree at the £1m 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 said 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 this weekend.

With Nico de Boinville sidelined by injury, champion jockey Richard Johnson has been engaged to ride Coneygree in the Grade One contest

Bradstock emphasised his charge 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.

“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.”

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.”

A final assessment of the Betfair Chase and the task faced by Coneygree is that the Gold Cup winner is pretty much match-fit after a satisfying journey back from the hock injury that put him on the sidelines after his comeback triumph at Sandown last season.

Bradstock concluded: “He had a lot of recuperation standing in his box and then progressed to being ridden out, trotting and galloping. He’s enjoyed a good, hardcore preparation.”

Coneygree was one of 10 horses to stand their ground for the Haydock showpiece at the five-day stage.

Coral make Cue Card the 13-8 favourite, ahead of Coneygree at 9-4 and Silviniaco Conti at 8-1.