Sara Bradstock is keen to get some match practice over the famous Grand National fences for her stable star Mr Vango in the Becher Chase at Aintree.
The Oxfordshire handler has earmarked the £150,000 Premier Handicap on December 6th as the first major target for the giant-framed nine-year-old, who won all three of his starts last season.
After making a triumphant return to action last term in the Betfair Exchange London National Handicap at Sandown Park in December the son of Ocovango backed that success up the following month in the Sky Bet Peter Marsh Handicap Chase at Haydock Park.
However, Mr Vango arguably saved his best until last when carrying top weight to glory in the JenningsBet Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter.
But with Mr Vango having failed to make the cut for last year’s Randox Grand National, Bradstock hopes she can work back from the Aintree showpiece this season.
Bradstock said: “There are all sorts of plans, but we just have to wait for the ground. It is not just that he is best on soft ground, but he stands over eighteen hands tall so he can’t be running on good ground, so we just have to be patient.
“He hates the all-weather so we have got to wait for the grass to be okay before we can really gallop him.
“I’m thinking of the Becher Chase if we can get there as I would love to let him look at the fences as the aim this season would be the Grand National as if the conditions were right he would take a lot of beating as he just stays on.
“He didn’t get put up enough after his Peter Marsh Chase win to get in the Grand National last season, but he wouldn’t have run in it as the ground was too fast.
“He is in great nick though and we are lucky to have him.”
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