Irish National on agenda for Amigos and Coot The Irish Grand National is a potential long-term target for Los Amigos following his excellent run in defeat in last week's Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park. Jim Dreaper's seven-year-old was sent off favourite for the prestigious handicap following victory over hurdles at Thurles and lost little in finishing a clear second behind the Willie Mullins-trained On His Own. Dreaper reports his charge to have taken those exertions well and is now pondering his next move. "He is fine after the Thyestes and we are just reassessing our options with him now. We have no definite plans for the moment," said the trainer. "It will obviously be a three-mile plus chase that we will be looking for, maybe in late February or early March, and he will certainly get an entry in the Irish National." Trainer John Berry feels Cootamundra struggled to handle the testing conditions despite running a creditable race in defeat in the Thyestes. The 11-year-old was aiming to clinch his second major prize of the season after plundering the Troytown Chase at Navan at the end of November, but had to make do with an honourable fifth. Cootamundra finished down the field in last year's Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse, but another tilt at that marathon event could be on his agenda. Berry said: "He is all right after the Thyestes, he ran well - the ground probably got him. "I'm not sure where we will go, options are sort of limited with him really. He will probably go for the Irish National again, and then he is still a novice and there is an EBF novice final there at Navan (mid-March) that he might go for. "I'm not sure if I will run him in February as there is nothing much for him."
