Sara Bradstock is keen to give Mr Vango his first taste of the Grand National fences in Saturday’s Becher Chase at Aintree.
The nine-year-old emerged as a likely contender for the world’s most famous spire last season by winning the London National at Sandown, the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock and the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter.
Bradstock has been waiting for some ease to unleash her steady star this season and with conditions expected to be mild on Merseyside this weekend, Mr Vango is set to make his return in a race where the winner will claim a £500,000 bonus from William Hill if they can follow up in April.
“They call it good to soft, soft in places on the National course, which would help me, but I would like it to be on the soft side of good to soft,” Bradstock said.
“It won’t be his favorite tough ground but it should be safe for him and although there is the London National at Sandown on Saturday, which he won last year, if we are half thinking about targeting him at the National we have to find out whether he likes the place or not.
“We recently trained him over the national fences in Lambourn and he didn’t really notice any difference.
“He’s clearly at top weight, but if there’s any horse that can carry that, it’s him and the field won’t be too big, which is nice. If it’s tough ground and four runners, that would be perfect!”
With an assigned weight of 12 stone, Mr Vango leads 19 horses to hold out for the three and a quarter mile race in the confirmation phase.
Dan Skelton could saddle Galia Des Liteaux, who finished her first eighth in the 2024 Grand National, attempting only the famous hurdles, while Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero have gone in both Gaboriot and White Rhino.
The pair finished second and ninth respectively in the shorter Grand Sefton Handicap Chase around the Grand National course four weeks ago, while Gaboriot also finished third in the same race last season.
Other contenders include Tanganyika, whose trainer Venetia Williams claimed the Becher Chase last year with Chambard, Warren Greatrex’s 2023 Topham Chase winner Bill Baxter and Gavin Cromwell’s Irish raider Bioluminescence.
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