CHAMPION jockey Tony McCoy will be able to use the benefit of a family connection if he partners Coneygree in next weekend's Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury.

Coneygree, owned by a syndicate in the Cotswolds, is prominent in the betting for the RSA Chase for novices at the Cheltenham Festival having won both his chases, the latest a 40-length rout of his rivals in the Grade One Feltham Chase at Kempton.

He has also been given an entry in the Gold Cup.

Coneygree has been ridden in all his eight races by either the now-virtually retired Mattie Batchelor or up-and coming conditional Nico de Boinville.

But de Boinville is suspended next weekend so connections have approached McCoy, who won three races on Coneygree's dam Plaid Maid, the first of those successes coming 15 years ago this month.

"We've been on to Dave Roberts (agent) and he thinks we can have AP (McCoy), so he's not a bad substitute," said trainer Mark Bradstock's wife, Sara.

Coneygree was due to take on his elders at Cheltenham last weekend in the race won by Many Clouds, but a late minor setback forced connections into plan B.

Sara added: "He just had a slight tweak which meant we couldn't run last week, so we'll go to Newbury for the Denman instead because I think he needs a shot at these older horses before we decide which way we head at the Festival.

"It's an open year. The favourite (Silviniaco Conti) has already had two cracks at the Gold Cup and not won, so if we win we'd feel stupid not being in it.

"The only time he's been beaten in his career was behind At Fishers Cross and The New One, apart from a bumper after which he went straight for a breathing operation."