No Irish horses for Aintree
Tuesday, 13 March 2001Irish racelovers were dealt a fresh blow today when it emerged that the Aintree Grand National would be a no-go area for all Irish horses. The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that horses will not be allowed to travel until 30 days after the last foot-and-mouth case in the UK, which rules out the prestigious event.
This is the latest in a catalogue of crippling setbacks which have rocked the sport following the outbreak of FMD in Britain. The Aintree showpiece, a traditional favourite amongst racing enthusiasts in the Republic, is due to take place on April 7th, but there is no question of any Irish horses travelling under the new ruling.
The course is disease free at the moment, but officials in the Republic are keen to maintain their strict stance to keep the disease from infiltrating the country at any cost. Irish trainers have already been forced to avoid the Cheltenham Festival, which was due to get under way today, while all cards in the 32 counties have been cancelled since the disease began to take a foothold in the UK almost a month ago.
Filed by Shane Murray
