SANDOWN PARK 14:25

Non Runners: PUFFIN BILLY (IRE). Fences: 22.

Time: 6m 16.4s Closing Sectional: (2.75f): 43.9s (97.6%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 106%, Betfair SP 101.2%

Sandown's decision to move this race from the first day of the Tingle Creek meeting to make a feature on a card transferred from Saturday on this weekend was rewarded with the reappearance of the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, who stood out on form against his 2 opponents - the race never likely to attract more than a handful of runners - and made short work of them, the suspicion that neither of them were at their best, Southfield Theatre clearly not, Coneygree's performance still promising much for the campaign ahead.

CONEYGREE had a straightforward task on his return and faced one if not 2 opponents who clearly weren't at their best, but there was still a lot to like about the style of his performance, and it augurs well for much tougher tasks ahead, all the qualities that made his unbeaten novice season so memorable on display; made all, jumped well, went with enthusiasm, kept on well after 3 out, unchallenged; he's set to run under topweight in the Hennessy at the end of the month, before heading to Kempton for the King George (for which he needs to be supplemented after a stable cock-up), the prospect of his doing to the Hennessy field what he did to the Gold Cup one back in March an exciting and very real one.

SEVENTH SKY (GER) ran about as well as could have been expected against the winner, though he hardly travelled any better than he had on his return and it remains to be seen whether his busy campaign last season has left a mark; tracked pace, labouring back straight, took second 3 out, no match for winner.

SOUTHFIELD THEATRE (IRE) was a smart novice last season, runner-up in the RSA Chase, but this was a lacklustre return, for all that he faced a stiff task at level weights with the winner, just not himself, that all 3 of the stable's runners performed poorly on the card perhaps suggesting something about their journey to the track may have caused them to perform as they did; tracked pace, jumped none too fluently, hit seventeenth, labouring after next; he holds entries in the Hennessy and King George, and, given his stable, should probably be judged on his form last season if he turns up at Newbury at the end of the month.