CONEYGREE faces a race against time to attempt to regain his crown in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 17.

The 2015 hero, from Mark Bradstock’s Letcombe Bassett stables, finished a honourable second to Cue Card in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November on his return from more than a year on the sidelines with a hock injury.

The ten-year-old was then due to tackle the 32Red King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day only to be ruled out following a poor workout.

And now Bradstock’s wife and assistant trainer, Sara, has revealed Coneygree is facing a battle to line up at the Festival.

“He’s good and we’re hoping he’ll be ready to run in the Gold Cup, but he won’t run before then,” she said.

“He’s fine, but it came out in the wash that he’s jarred himself a little bit.

“It’s not a serious injury, but as we all know, while he is a miracle horse, he is fragile.

“We’ll walk him now for a month until he’s super-well and then we’ll see where we are.”

Sparsholt trainer Harry Whittington is eyeing a crack at Newbury’s Betfair Hurdle in February with Bigmartre after his charge made a winning reappearance at Kempton.

The gelding’s return to the track had been delayed after he suffered a small tear to a tendon.

But the 10-1 shot showed he was as good as ever by gaining a one-length verdict over Drumcliff, who blundered badly at the second-last flight, in a two-mile handicap hurdle with Jeremiah McGrath on board.

On the Flat, Private Mission opened his account at the second attempt for East Ilsley trainer Hughie Morrison with a smooth two-lengths success in a seven-furlong maiden stakes at Lingfield under Adam Kirby.

Morrison was back in the winner’s enclosure the following day when Fern Owl stormed home by eight lengths in a two-mile handicap at Southwell.

Blewbury trainer Eve Johnson Houghton’s hopes of capping her best year yet in style were dashed when Scarlet Dragon failed to fire in the Qatar Derby.

Her charge beat just two home when finishing 14th in the $500,000 contest.