CONEYGREE’S connections are hoping a lack of race-fitness will not affect their stable star in his clash with Sizing John in today’s Coral Punchestown Gold Cup.

The 2015 Gold Cup hero, trained by Mark Bradstock at Letcombe Bassett, has not run since finishing second to Cue Card in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November.

A stress fracture in a cannonbone meant the ten-year-old gelding missed the 32Red King George VI Chase and the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.

But he has gradually been brought back to fitness, and is now set to take on this year’s winner of chasing’s blue riband, trained by Jessica Harrington.

Bradstock’s wife and assistant, Sara, is under no illusions about the size of the task facing their charge.She said: “I can’t pretend that not having run is slightly against us, as it is, but we have done plenty of work with him. “The view that we are taking is that hopefully the others will be toiling after having a long season as opposed to us being short of work.”

Coneygree is a best-priced 6-1 chance for the €250,000 Grade 1 contest, with Sizing John the evens favourite, and Gold Cup fourth Djakadam 100-30.

Meanwhile, Didcot-based jockey George Baker has left hospital and will continue his recovery from the head injury he sustained in a fall in February, at a rehabilitation centre nearer to his home.

The 34-year-oldrider, who won the St Leger last September on Harbour Law, was riding Boomerang Bob for Jamie Osborne on the frozen lake track at St Moritz in Switzerland when the horse was brought down and fatally injured.Baker was found to have suffered some bleeding in the brain following his fall and had been undergoing treatment in the Wellington Hospital in London.

However, the Injured Jockeys Fund has announced he has now been transferred to the Glenside rehabilitation centre at Salisbury.

Baker said: “The staff at The Wellington have been amazing. I arrived there on March 6 and they told my wife, Nicola, that I would be there for at least four months.

“Thanks to their support, I have made really good progress, have learnt to walk again and hope to get home in the next month or so.”

Elsewhere, Blewbury trainer Eve Johnson Houghton sent out her first winner of the year when Reaver sprang a 25-1 surprise at Nottingham, with Charlie Bishop on board.