23 February 2024 , 18:06
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Mr Vango turned the Devon National into a procession to end a 450-day drought for Gold Cup-winning trainer Mark Bradstock.
On just his second chasing start under rules, the 11-4 favourite sluiced through Exeter's mud for a 60-length romp. It helped jockey Ben Jones to a seasonal best of 42 wins, after a 730-1 Ascot treble last weekend and a long-awaited Cheltenham triumph on Harry Redknapp's chaser Shakem Up'Arry.
Bradstock famously trained 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Coneygree, the first novice to take the race for 41 years. Before yesterday's My Pension Expert-sponsored race, Mr Vango was his last winner on November 30, 2022.
The eight-year-old's finish was particularly dominant, but his backers were given a scare when he ploughed through the third last fence.
"You don't see many horses win by that sort of distance," said Wantage-based Bradstock, preparing Coneygree to parade at the Festival next month. He's over 18 hands and conditions weren't a problem for him. It was very exciting, we are over the moon."
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Although Betfair slashed Mr Vango's price to 25-1 (from 66-1) for the National Hunt Chase on March 12, Bradstock said the Bet365 Gold Cup is a more likely long-term aim.
The 11-4 favourite was a fence ahead of the pack up the straight (@RacingTV/Twitter)Former stablemate Step Back, who his daughter Lily now trains, secured the Sandown jumps season finale handicap in 2018 – carrying the same Cracker and Smudge Partnership colours. At Newcastle, officials are "hugely relieved" by a break in the weather which has all but guaranteed the Eider Chase's survival.
With 64 UK flood warnings in place earlier today, conditions at Gosforth Park bucked the trend with bright sunshine. Clerk of the course Eloise Quayle said tomorrow's meeting will be staged after their lowest weekly rainfall total in four months.
Mark Bradstock pictured celebrating Coneygree's success in the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup (David Davies/PA)"We've had 7mm and reached 13C at one stage so we have been lucky," she said. "For the past five meetings it has been close to the wire every time. We've also had to omit fences repeatedly at recent fixtures, but there should be no problems on Saturday."
A waterlogged track forced the cancellation Sunday's £80,000 Grade Two Star Sports National Spirit Hurdle, the biggest event of Fontwell's centenary year.