King can show that he has more than Bear essentials

Get on board the Bear. That's the message to Grand National punters from the Wiltshire stables of trainer Alan King.

King, who had his first ever Cheltenham National Hunt Festival win last month, said: "Bear On Board has amazed me just lately. At the beginning of the season I thought that if we won a handicap with him we would be doing well, but he has been working better than ever.

"He is a very straightforward horse who started the season on an official rating of 114, now he is up to 130. They say that Haydock is the best trial track for the National, and he has been round there twice, plus Cheltenham as well."

King added: "To think that last October I described the horse as 'very lazy' and that he would win in his own class. I have certainly changed my mind about him now!"

In fact, Bear On Board, who has been backed down to 12-1 with the major bookmakers, has won three on the bounce, at Haydock, Bangor and Cheltenham.

The big, bold-jumping chaser, who is jointly owned by retired accountant Jim Brown and Sue Faccenda, was picked out for King by talent-spotter Michael Stroud after he had won a point-to-point in Ireland.

Tomorrow he will be ridden by Robert 'Chocolate' Thornton, who partnered King's first Festival scorer, the grey Fork Lightning to victory in the William Hill National Hunt Handicap Chase.

King, 36, certainly had a good grounding. He was formerly assistant to brilliant trainer David 'The Duke' Nicholson at the Jackdaws Castle stables near Cheltenham.