Goonyella out to maintain tradition The Dreaper name is perhaps more synonymous with Irish National Hunt racing than any other. Tom Dreaper was best known for training arguably the two greatest steeplechasers of all time in Arkle and Flyingbolt and in all he sent out 26 winners at the Cheltenham Festival. The Cheltenham Gold Cup triumphs for 'Himself' contributed to Dreaper's five victories in the race, while he also clinched the Arkle Challenge Trophy five times and the Queen Mother Champion Chase on six occasions. Dreaper also won the Irish Grand National 10 times, seven times consecutively between 1960 and 1966, but the one major chase prize to elude him before his retirement in 1971 was the Grand National itself at Aintree. The legendary trainer did hit the crossbar on a couple of occasions, with his son, Jim, partnering Black Secret to finish second in the 1971 National, losing out by a neck. Jim swiftly took over training duties from his father and it was soon evident the formula for success remained intact, with young Dreaper crowned champion jumps trainer in Ireland in each of his first five seasons. The big-race winners from Greenogue continued to flow, with Jim training the likes of 1975 Gold Cup hero Ten Up, Carvill's Hill, Merry Gale and three-time Irish Grand National hero Brown Lad. Major successes have been harder to come by in recent years, with Willie Mullins dominating the Irish scene, and it is almost five years since Dreaper's last Grade One winner, Notre Pere. However, the Dreaper name may soon be up in lights again as Goonyella aims to give the family a first Grand National triumph on Saturday. Dreaper said: "This is pretty much the only big race over fences my father didn't manage to win, so it would be nice to do it. Hopefully we'll be there to give it a go, anyway." A multiple point-to-point winner before graduating to hunter chases towards the end of 2012, Goonyella showed enough against quality opposition in that sphere to earn him a tilt at last year's Irish Grand National. His chances of Fairyhouse victory were ruined after his saddle slipped, but he ended the season with victory at the Punchestown Festival and he has done enough in the current campaign to encourage connections to make the trip across the Irish Sea. Decent efforts in the Troytown Chase at Navan and the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow were followed by an encouraging run over hurdles at Clonmel on February, with the winner, Don Poli, going on to success at the Cheltenham Festival. Dreaper said: "We hope to be there, all being well. I would be a little bit concerned if the ground came up good, as it quite often does, as he's not a quick horse, but he does stay well. He had been jumping a bit slow and deliberate, which is why we switched him back to hurdles the last day in Clonmel. "Don Poli beat us easily on the day. I was always brought up to judge a horse by what he beats rather than what beats him. Something had to be second, but we were happy with the run and hopefully it will have done him good."
