CONEYGREE is making good strides on the road to recovery, but his return to the track is yet to be decided.

Sara Bradstock, wife to trainer Mark at Letcombe Bassett, near Wantage, is delighted with the nine-year-old’s condition as they prepare to step up his work.

The 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner saw last season’s campaign derailed by a hock injury.

He is set to return in either the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on October 29 or Haydock’s Betfair Chase three weeks later.

“He’s started to swing along and he’s in very good nick,” Sara Bradstock said. “The vets are delighted with the healing and there’s no arthritic change in any of the places he had the little bony defects.

“Fingers firmly crossed, but everything seems to be absolutely fine at the moment and we’re aiming to have him ready for when the ground is good to soft or softer.

“He’s doing everything very pleasingly.

“He feels great and seems to have retained the old engine.

“He’s nowhere near fit and I haven’t let the handbrake off, but everything he does makes me think he’s the same horse.”

She added: “The great excitement is we have a new, state-of-the-art all-weather gallop, which is very helpful and Max [Coneygree] loves it – he’s doing all of his work on it.

“It’s broken the bank, but we’re hoping he can pay for it.”