Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Coneygree has been ruled out of Saturday's Hennessy Gold Cup after failing to sparkle in a schooling session at trainer Mark Bradstock's Letcombe Bassett stables near Wantage.

His participation in the Newbury highlight had been under a cloud following a small setback.

However, noises coming out of his camp had been more positive in recent days and as long as he came through his exercise for which he was partnered by his regular jockey Nico de Boinville, he was due to take his chance.

Bradstock and his wife, Sara, were not happy enough with his performance to give him the green light.