CONEYGREE delighted his connections despite finishing a well-beaten runner-up to Cue Card in the Betfair Chase at Haydock.

The 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero, from Mark Bradstock’s Letcombe Bassett stables, jumped with all his old zest and enthusiasm at the head of affairs on his first start after more than a year on the sidelines with a hock injury.

But he tired in the heavy ground coming into the straight for the final time as the brilliant Cue Card bounded clear to record his third success in the Grade 1 contest by 15 lengths.

Reporting that the nine-year-old had come out of the race in good shape, Bradstock’s wife and assistant, Sara, said: “He’s actually fine. In fact, he’s surprisingly fresh as a daisy. He’s recovered much quicker than I thought he would.

“He got tired in that ground, but he was beaten before that because he was a little bit ring-rusty – that (the heavy ground) was probably a little bit deep for him to get into top gear.

“After a significant injury, all you want to see is that the horse can still do it and that he still has the engine.

“He answered both of those questions.”

Coneygree is now likely to run in the 32Red King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, but a trip to Ireland for the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown two days later remains a viable alternative.

Bradstock added: “We’re thinking King George, but we’ll see how it goes.

“A very nice man from Leopardstown is always trying to get us to the Lexus, so that’s a possibility.”

“If we think he needs a little bit of a confidence boost and it looks easier in Ireland, we might go there.”Meanwhile, West Ilsley trainer Mick Channon unveiled a potentially smart new recruit when Glen Forsa romped home in a Huntingdon bumper.

The four-year-old stormed clear under Graham Lee to slam Little Chunk by six lengths in the extended mile-and-five-furlong contest.