Sara Bradstock pleased with Coneygree progress

The fragile 10-year-old, trained in Wantage by Mark Bradstock, will miss the Cheltenham Festival for a second consecutive season but is on the road to recovery following a leg injury.

He has only had two races since his finest hour almost two years ago, the latest being at Haydock in November when he was second to Cue Card in the Betfair Chase.

Earlier this month connections said they were optimistic Coneygree would return before the end of the season at Aintree or Punchestown.

Speaking at Ludlow on Wednesday, Sara Bradstock said: "It's all going very very well.

"Everything's going to plan. He's doing a lot of work.

"The hope is he gets the all-clear to go cantering next week.

"He's still in one piece and he will be back."

Despite Coneygree's absence, the popular team may still be represented at Cheltenham next month by his younger brother, Flintham,

The eight-year-old ran easily his best race over fences to date when narrowly beaten by Bigbadjohn in last weekend's Reynoldstown Novices' Chase at Ascot and has the option of either the RSA or the National Hunt Chase at Prestbury Park.

"He won't run on anything fast, because we jarred him up at Cheltenham last year," Bradstock told Racing UK.

"If it's safe ground for him, but fast enough, he'll probably go for the four-miler.

"If it became soft - and there is a bit of rain forecast - we might take our chance in the RSA."