Midlands National glory for Mr Vango and Sara Bradstock

Mr Vango defied top weight to continue his excellent season and claim the JenningsBet Midlands at Uttoxeter.

Sara Bradstock’s nine-year-old took the London National at Sandown in December and then triumphed in the Peter Marsh at Haydock in January when defeating Iwilldoit by three lengths.

He is a strapping horse who has always been considered an out-and-out stayer, with the four-and-a-quarter-mile Midlands National providing a real test of his stamina.

The ground was not as deep as it often is at the meeting and not as testing as it was assumed he would need when starting at 11-1 under Jack Tudor among a field of 16.

He never looked outpaced, however, and travelled and jumped happily throughout under his top-weight burden to come home an impressive one-length winner from Tanganyika.

Bradstock told ITV Racing: "We ran him with slight trepidation on this slightly faster ground, but he just keep doing it. 

"He's the biggest thoroughbred I've ever seen and he's probably only coming to full strength now.

"That will be that for this season, but we're dreaming of Grand Nationals."