HE CAN DO IT:
Trainer Jim Dreaper fancies Goonvella to take top honours at Fairyhouse next week [GETTY]
Goonyella was among the reserves for the Aintree National but narrowly missed the cut.
The trainer also has Los Amigos as one of his possibles as the Dreaper family continue their love affair with the race.
“It could be for luck that Goonyellla missed Aintree. It means that we can go to Fairyhouse with a relatively fresh horse”
Jim Dreaper
Dreaper has been successful four times and his father, Tom, landed the contest an incredible 10 times.
“It could be for luck that Goonyellla missed Aintree,” said Dreaper.
“It means that we can go to Fairyhouse with a relatively fresh horse.”
Goonyella, 14-1 from 20-1 with the race sponsor for the Bank Holiday event, certainly deserves a change of luck. Not only did he miss out at Aintree, he was pulled up in last year’s Irish National due to his saddle slipping after jumping the sixth fence.
Los Amigos comes to the race with a similar profile, a lightly-raced seven-year-old, who stays three miles well.
“He’s also in good form,” added Dreaper.
“We know that he stays three miles well, and we are hopeful that he will stay three miles and five furlongs.
“Just because they stay three miles, it doesn’t always follow that they will stay three and a half, but we are hopeful that this fellow will.”
Jim Culloty, who became only the fourth person to have ridden and trained a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, hopes to add to his triumph in last month’s Gold Cup with Lord Windermere when he runs Spring Heeled.
The best of the English entries is Charlie Longsdon’s Pendra, who finished a respectable third behind Present View at last month’s Cheltenham Festival.