There is no horse in the Grand National field quite like Mr Vango. He stands at 18 hands, enormous even by the standards of the sport, and he has a story behind him that goes well beyond what the form book can tell you.
At 66/1 he is one of the outsiders in the race, and two recent pulled ups have done nothing to shorten that price. But dismiss him on the basis of this winter’s form, and you risk missing the point entirely.
Sara Bradstock: Training in the Shadow of Loss
Mr Vango is trained by Sara Bradstock, who took over the licence at the Wantage yard following the death of her husband Mark, one of the most respected trainers in British jump racing.
Mark Bradstock trained Coneygree to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2015, and he was still working through his illness when Mr Vango gave him one of his last great days in racing, winning the Devon National by 60 lengths on the bottomless ground he loves.
Sara has carried the yard forward in his memory, and this horse has been at the centre of that story.
She has spoken about Mr Vango with the kind of unsentimental affection that comes from knowing a horse inside out.
“He has always been a sweet, gentle giant with a wonderful attitude,” she wrote earlier this year. The public clearly feels the same way.
He has become one of those rare horses that racing fans follow not just for what he might win, but for what he represents.
Mr Vango’s Career: Built for Staying Tests
The story of how Mr Vango came to be in training is worth telling.
Sara Bradstock spotted him at a point-to-point at Horseheath on a wet day in spring 2023, bought him at the Cheltenham April sale for a modest price because he had a reputation for being slow, and proceeded to win with him over hurdles on his first attempt.
He was always going to be a chaser, and a staying one at that.
His record since switching to fences has been remarkable for a horse operating in good quality company.
He won the Devon National, the London National at Sandown, and most significantly, the Midlands National at Uttoxeter in March 2025, a race over four miles two furlongs that showed he could stay and grind in the company of decent handicappers.
The Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock in January 2025 was another win, this time over three miles on ground that suited, where he galloped rivals into submission on the hill.
The Becher Chase: Proof He Can Handle Aintree’s Fences
The most important run of his career for Grand National purposes came at Aintree in December 2025.
He lined up for the Becher Chase, run over the same Grand National fences, and finished second to Twig at 9/2 favourite.
What followed was a tale of frustrating near-misses and difficult conditions.
Connections had planned to run him in the Classic Chase at Warwick, but the meeting was cancelled, and the Welsh National was skipped as he was not quite back in top form.
He went to Sandown in January and was pulled up, but Sara Bradstock was clear about why.
“I think in the end it was not the right ground for him, not the right trip and not the right track. It all went against him.”
A second pulled up followed at Newcastle in February, again on ground that never suited.
After Newcastle, Sara spoke plainly about the situation ahead of Aintree. “He’s in excellent condition, but I’m not hopeful that the ground will be soft enough.
“The issue is that Aintree dries out so quickly, though the recent wet weather has been beneficial for us. It’s unfortunate that it’s not Grand National week, but some heavy rain would be music to my ears.”
Does Mr Vango Fit the Grand National Winner Profile?
At ten years old, he sits just above the ideal age bracket, though horses of that age do win this race.
His weight of 10st 12lb is within a range that has produced winners. He is British-trained, which runs counter to recent renewals dominated by the Irish, though that is far from an absolute barrier.
He has already jumped the Grand National fences in the Becher Chase and handled them well. He stays four miles plus emphatically, which cannot be said of every horse in the field.
The honest reservation is the ground. Aintree waters carefully to prevent conditions getting too quick, and Good to Soft has become the typical state of the track on National Day.
But there is a difference between managed Good to Soft and the naturally soft or heavy ground that Mr Vango thrives on.
A wet week on Merseyside was what connections were really hoping for, but they are unlikely to get it at this stage of the game.
Grand National 2026 Odds of 80/1: Is Mr Vango Worth a Bet?
At 66/1 the market is telling you clearly that it thinks the ground will not be soft enough, and it may well be right. But Grand National betting at long odds is rarely about certainty.
It is about finding a horse with a genuine reason to run well if things fall right, and Mr Vango has exactly that.
He has already jumped the fences, he stays the trip better than almost anyone in the race, and he is trained by someone who knows him as well as any trainer knows any horse.
In a race with as many variables as the Grand National, taking a small each-way interest in a horse like this costs very little and could make for a memorable afternoon.
BETFRED
