Irish horses to run at Aintree

Irish-trained horses have been given the go-ahead to run at this week's Grand National meeting at Aintree, Liverpool, it was …

Irish-trained horses have been given the go-ahead to run at this week's Grand National meeting at Aintree, Liverpool, it was announced today.

Chairman of the Irish Racehorse Trainers' Association Willie Mullins said today: "The Department of Agriculture has changed its stance and they are allowing horses to go over to Aintree," he told the Press Association.

"At the moment they won't be allowed back [to Ireland] in the foreseeable future."

In February, due to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain, the Irish government banned racing and asked trainers not to travel to England.

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Two weeks ago, the Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh, confirmed the stance.

The Aintree meeting culminates Saturday with the Grand National, where horses jump over England's biggest fences in one of the sternest steeplechasing tests in the world.