MR VANGO won this year’s Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter.
Now the giant nine-year-old can add the Welsh version to his CV on Saturday.
Sara Bradstock’s chaser is being trained to win the biggest National of them all at Aintree in April.
But connections won’t be hiding him away meantime and the three and three quarter miles at Chepstow will be right up his street.
The £30,000 winner of a three-finisher British point-to-point went off 4-1 favourite for last year’s Scottish Grand National won by Macdermott.
But he was pulled up on ground deemed to be too fast and hasn’t looked back since.
Nico de Boinville rode him to win the London Grand National at Sandown 12 months ago.
That first run since Ayr was followed by victory in Haydock’s Peter Marsh chase in January and his biggest win yet at Uttoxeter when it was clear he wouldn’t make the cut for Aintree.
A subsequent 9lbs rise made sure that this season’s Grand National place will be a formality if he’s fit and well come April.
Jockey Jack Tudor gave his mount a great “sighter” over the National fences in this month’s Becher Chase when they were only beaten in a bobbing finish which went the wrong way by a short head.
The handicapper lumped on another 3lbs for that run but Mr Vango goes unpenalised off his Becher mark of 152 at Chepstow.
It looks an inspired move to go for a £170,000 race with conditions in his favour given the chance of unsuitable fast ground in the spring.
Jonjo and AJ O’Neil will re-oppose my selection with London National second Collectors Item which is 12lbs better off with Mr Vango for a length and a half second at Sandown.
But the Bradstock stayer has his ideal trip and ground in Wales and the biggest dangers could be O’Connell and Jubilee Express.
Both have light weights to carry despite being penalised 4lbs for last time out wins for O’Connell at Sandown (London National) and Jubilee Express in Chepstow’s Welsh National Trial.
Mr Vango will have come on for that return at Aintree and I expect him to win.
Saturday’s other big staying handicap is the three miles Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown (3.0) and Gavin Cromwell can strike here with his successful July Market Rasen raider BALLYSAX HANK.
The six-year-old made it two from four over fences by winning that Summer Plate off 128 and he’s back over the bigger obstacles for the first time since after winning a maiden on the Flat and finishing second over hurdles.
Ballysax Hank is 11lbs higher at Leopardstown than he was at Market Rasen.
That would be a perfectly reasonable rise for that five-lengths win and his two races since would suggest he’s still on the upgrade anyway.
Friday’s King George VI Chase is the biggest Grade 1 showdown of the season so far and I’m siding with defending champ BANBRIDGE to win the race again with new partner Sean Bowen.
Joseph O’Brien’s charge downed the then French hope Il Est Francais 12 months ago.
There’s no reason he won’t beat that horse again, despite the switch to Britain and addition of Harry Cobden.
The big two Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File will take out a huge chunk of the market but 14-1 Banbridge is the forgotten horse. Bowen can steer the first-time visored nine-year-old to victory.
Gavin Sheehan’s mount WENDIGO is taken to beat Salver in Friday’s Grade 1 Kauto Star at Kempton (1.20) with SAINT ANAPOLINO a confident selection to win Wincanton’s 2.03.
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