Racing:Dessie Hughes landed back-to-back totesport.com Becher Chases as Vic Venturi emulated stablemate Black Apalachi with victory over the Grand National fences at Aintree.
The likes of Silver Birch and Amberleigh House had proved their worth with a Becher win before going on to plunder the world-famous race in recent years, and Black Apalachi was in the process of running well when unseating his jockey last April.
Hughes confirmed Black Apalachi will be back again for another tilt next year and he and his stablemate are Coral's
20-1 co-favourites alongside Tricky Trickster for the 2010 National.
Totesport were most taken with Vic Venturi and make him their outright favourite at 16-1 while Ladbrokes and William Hill quote the nine-year-old at 25-1.
Vic Venturi jumped the final fence in a line of three with Keenan's Future and last year's Scottish Grand National winner Hello Bud, who had forced the issue for the duration of the three-mile-two-furlong trip.
Paddy Flood's mount asserted soon after and the 7-1 chance pulled five lengths clear of Keenan's Future on the run-in with veteran Royal Rosa staying on for third.
Hello Bud had been fancied to provide Nigel Twiston-Davies with a much-needed tonic after Imperial Commander's defeat at the hands of Kauto Star on Saturday, but the 100-30 favourite faded back to fifth in the testing conditions.
Hughes said: "I am very pleased with that as I was a little afraid of the weight, but he stays and Paddy was very good on him.
"He gave him a chance and he has stayed the trip well.
"He got into trouble at the third fence but after that he was fine and his jumping was very safe.
"There is only one race for him now and the Grand National will be the target.
"He may have a run over hurdles after Christmas to keep him ticking over and he'll then go for the Bobbyjo Chase once the National weights have come out.
"We'll have to come back for the National and Black Apalachi will also be back.
"We could have two contenders for the National this year - it is just a shame there are 38 others!"
Flood added: "Up the straight I was only going through the motions and I didn't want to get there too soon.
"The main issue was whether he would jump round but he took to the fences like a duck to water.
"He will be a National horse. He's a bit small but has plenty of class and jumps like a buck."
While Hughes will try to conserve the winner's handicap mark until after the publication of National weights in February, Keenan's Future's trainer Ian Williams will be doing exactly the opposite.
He said: "That was a lovely run - he jumped and stayed while not appreciating the ground.
"The question is now whether we can get him high enough to get into the National. He will go up in the weights for today but we will need to get him even higher.
"I think he would make a lovely National horse as he loved it out there."