Cheltenham Gold Cup winner a major doubt to defend his title in March

Ante-post betting for the Gold Cup in March just got a whole lot more interesting.

The defending champion Coneygree has been removed from the markets after news today filtered through that the 2015 champion is set to miss this weekend's action at Kempton due to an injured hock. The eight-year-old, who made his seasonal comeback just last month at Sandown, was penciled in to feature at either the King George VI Chase at Kempton or, most interestingly for Irish horse fans, in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. But reports today suggest he may miss the entire rest of the season, after it was confimred by the wife of owner and trainer Mark Bradstock that the horse had sufered a serious injury. However, Sara Bradstock is hopeful the injury is not career-ending.

"He is injured and will not run in the King George or the Lexus. The Christmas run is out. I've just loaded him on to the horsebox myself and he on his way to Newmarket to be reassessed. "He is in no distress and walked on to the box sound. We know the engine is there, but the long legs that serve him so well on the racecourse are a little bit fragile. Everyone knows I think the world of this horse, which is why we're being careful. "There will be no corners cut. He will be back, but at this stage I can't tell you when that will be."

https://twitter.com/Ladbrokes/status/677052396078555136 The news of the injury and the absence form the ante-post betting means that Don Poli is now joint favourite for the feature at Cheltenham next year at 9/2 with Ladbrokes, alongside Vautour, Djakadam and Don Cossack.