Grand National faller Mr Vango expected to make full recovery after hospital stay

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Trainer Sara Bradstock has issued a positive update on Mr Vango, who was taken to a veterinary hospital after falling at the sixth fence in the Grand National on Saturday.

Last year's Midlands Grand National winner was slowly away under Jack Tudor but had recovered to sit midfield when he made a mistake and came down at Becher's on the first circuit. 

He was assessed and returned to the racecourse stables before being sent to Leahurst Equine Hospital in Liverpool for further tests, and Bradstock is hoping to take him home to her Oxfordshire yard soon.

"Thank God he's going to be okay," she said on Sunday morning. "We had a very stressful time because he got very ataxic [lack of voluntary muscle coordination]. We brought him to Leahurst and they did some x-rays and found a small avulsion fracture, which is when the muscle pulls the chip off the wing of a vertebra, but it's not anywhere near the spinal cord and he should be fine. 

"He's having a CT scan as we speak to check there's nothing more sinister, but he's doing very well. He's quite happy and he's moving normally. If the CT doesn't find anything, we'll probably bring him home tomorrow."

Mr Vango: popular staying chaser is hoped to return home this eveningCredit: Grossick Photography (racingpost.com/photos)

The ten-year-old finished runner-up to Twig in the Becher Chase over the National fences in December and it is hoped he will return to racing next season.

"He'll be on box rest and then hopefully if it resolves as it should then he should be fine," Bradstock said. "We'll look after him, as we always do. I hope he'll be back next season. 

"It was extraordinary because he missed the start but he was loving it. He's so clever, they just came across him slightly so he put a short one in and just landed on the lip and didn't get his landing gear out."

Quai De Bourbon fell at the second fence and after undergoing assessment returned home to Willie Mullins' yard overnight. Top Of The Bill, who fell at the final fence, was assessed on the course and back at the racecourse stables. His rider Toby McCain-Mitchell was suspended for ten days for failing to pull up when the horse had tailed off.

Willy Twiston-Davies, joint-trainer of Top Of The Bill and Beauport, who unseated his rider at the 19th, said on Sunday morning: "Both of ours are fine. Top Of The Bill trotted up sound and he's all good. Beauport loved it – I just wish Sam [Twiston-Davies] had stayed on him."

Robbie Dunne was taken to hospital after his fall from Stellar Story and is set for a spell on the sidelines after his agent Ian Popham revealed he has broken his collarbone.

Popham said: "Robbie is okay. He's broken his collarbone, so he's obviously a bit sore, but luckily there's no other damage anywhere else. 

"As jockeys go, that's not too bad of an injury really. Hopefully he'll be back in a few weeks."

Read more:

Grand National: 'Superstar' I Am Maximus becomes first since Red Rum to regain Aintree title and lands huge gamble 

'I had such a smooth run round, it was just magical' - Ben Jones revels in Grand National third on Jordans 

Robbie Dunne taken to hospital after Grand National fall but all horses walked away from race 

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