CONEYGREE had his connections on tenterhooks both during and after his gallant third to Sizing John in the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup.

Having his first run since November following injury, the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero, from Mark Bradstock’s Letcombe Bassett stables, put in a terrific effort.

But he had to settle for the minor honours a length and a half behind this year’s winner of chasing’s blue riband, who had a short head to spare over Djakadam.

“He’s a pretty special horse,” said a proud Bradstock. “It was wonderful.

“He pecked on landing at the second-last which, having had a long time off, you don’t need that.”

That was not the end of the drama, though, for Mark and his wife, Sara.

When they were washing Coneygree down in the stables they found a large swelling on his near-hind leg.

As a precaution, their stable star was taken to a veterinary clinic at the Curragh but, fortunately, X-rays revealed everything was fine and he was able to travel home.

The ten-year-old will now have a summer break.

He is due to return to training with the £250,000 Ladbrokes Trophy, formerly the Hennessy Gold Cup, at Newbury, won in 2011 by his half-brother Carruthers, a potential first big target next season.

Meanwhile, George Baker is feeling “really positive” about his recovery after returning home for the first time since suffering bleeding on the brain following a fall in Switzerland in February.

The Didcot-based jockey, who won the St Leger last September, was riding Boomerang Bob for Jamie Osborne on the frozen lake track at St Moritz when the horse was brought down and fatally injured.

He returned to Britain in early March and after undergoing treatment in the Wellington Hospital in London, he was transferred to the Glenside rehabilitation centre in Salisbury.

The Injured Jockeys Fund confirmed he had now returned home and had been to Oaksey House in Lambourn, where he met the neuro physio team who will be supporting his next stage of recovery.

Baker said: “It is so fantastic to be back at home with Nicola and my daughter. I had a great first session with the team at Oaksey House, and feel really positive about working with them over the next few months.”

Back on the track, East Ilsley trainer Hughie Morrison staged a successful cross-Channel raid when Marmelo landed the Group 3 Prix de Barbeville at Chantilly in good style under Christophe Soumillon.