2016 Grand National runner profile: Goonyella
David Metcalf | April 8, 2016
Coral’s horse racing experts profile all 40 entrants in the 2016 Crabbie’s Grand National, the most prestigious steeplechase of the National Hunt season.
Goonyella
Age: 9
Weight: 10st 8lb
Owners: Ann and Alan Potts Partnership
Grand National Record:
2014 Buckers Bridge (11th)
Trainer: Jim Dreaper
Grand National Record:
1972 Black Secret (3rd)
1981 Barney Maclyvie (Fell 1st)
1986 Kilkilowen (13th)
1988 Hard Case (Fell 19th)
Jockey: Jonathan (JJ) Burke
Grand National Record:
No previous rides
Form
33P1/25827/2U7312-3942
Like many of the Potts family horses, Goonyella’s name has a mining connection. He is named after an open-cut coal mine in central Queensland, where the haulage trucks have the names of racehorses.
He started his career with one bumper run for Nigel Twiston-Davies before reverting to pointing (very successfully) for a season and working his way back to the mainstream through hunter chasing.
Has proved a thorough stayer and is one of the few in the field with form at 4m and more, for example a victory in last year’s Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter and runner-up spot in a photo for the Coral Scottish Grand National the following month.
Goonyella has run twice over the Grand National fences, unseating at the first in the 2014 Becher Chase and completing the same contest a year later, last of nine finishers.
Jumps race record
Goonyella is an out-and-out stayer who will have no problem with the marathon trip. He will come into his own if the going becomes soft or worse. Hails from a yard that does well with it’s chasers.
Starts: 21
Wins: 3
2nd: 3
3rd: 4
Career win and place prize money: £153,906
Related
You’ll find many more Grand National runner profiles over on our Aintree page.
