Coneygree, off the track for 671 days, made a winning return at Newbury in the Grade 2 Fuller’s London Pride Novices’ Chase yesterday.

The seven-year-old, from Mark Bradstock’s Letcombe Bassett stables, near Wantage, was controversially denied a run at Plumpton last week when the racecourse vet deemed him unfit to race.

But the gelding jumped like an old hand under Nico de Boinville to hold off Dell’ Arca by a length and a half in the two-and-a-half mile contest.

Bradstock’s wife, Sara, said: “He is a very tricky character and he was ready to run at Plumpton.

“Nico said he just knows where his feet are, and I think he is very good.”

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