Tom George will put the finishing touches to Saint Are's Crabbie's Grand National preparation in a veterans' race at Doncaster on February 24.

George has campaigned the 10-year-old sparingly since he went close to winning the greatest race of them all last season, when second to Many Clouds.

He had a run at Cheltenham in November before the ground went against him in the Becher Chase back over the National fences.

"Saint Are is really starting to come to himself, he's definitely a spring horse," said George.

"He worked a couple of days ago and you could really see the change.

"We purposefully kept him quiet after the Becher and he's building up now towards a veterans' race at Doncaster in a couple of weeks.

"The weights are out just before it, but I'd imagine the handicapper knows exactly where he wants him."

George could be represented in Aintree's Fox Hunters' Chase by Big Fella Thanks, but he will first head to Wincanton after finishing runner-up at Wetherby on Saturday.

"A few people were quite concerned that he looked exhausted on crossing the line but what he does is pull himself up," said the Slad handler.

"There's a hunter chase at Wincanton which he won last year that suits him as it is over two-miles-five as that is the perfect trip for him.

"Because of that, I don't envisage him going to Cheltenham and as for Aintree, we'll see what happens at Wincanton.

"He's very well."