Cane Brake will head a maximum field of 30 runners in Monday's Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National after an early morning inspection of the Fairyhouse track yesterday by Tom Taaffe resulted in the topweight getting the green light to run.
Taaffe had been concerned about the ground getting too quick for his horse, winner this season of the Troytown and the Paddy Power Chase, but the trainer was happy with what he found yesterday.
"They are watering the track today and tomorrow and I feel it should be perfectly safe jumping ground," he said.
Cane Brake will have to emulate the likes of Desert Orchid and Flashing Steel, the last horse to successfully carry 12st in Ireland's most valuable steeplechase, in 1995, but he remains a general 10-1 shot in ante-post betting.
Favouritism, however, is being disputed by two English-trained horses, Juveigneur and Distant Thunder, who form part of a six-strong cross channel team.
Tony McCoy is due to team up with the JP McManus-owned Butlers Cabin, winner of the four-mile National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham. And Donald McCain, the son of Red Rum's trainer "Ginger" McCain, will have a first ever runner in Ireland in another Cheltenham festival victor, Cloudy Lane.
Both horses are in line for a 100,000 bonus for adding the Irish National to a Cheltenham success.
One horse who will not be in action at Fairyhouse, however, is Homer Wells, who was taken out of the National by Willie Mullins because of the ground.
William Hill bet: 8 Distant Thunder, 10 Cane Brake & Juveigneur, 12 Cloudy Lane & Whyso Mayo, 14 Nine De Sivola & Oulart, 16 A New Story, Dix Villez, Gazza's Girl, Kings Advocate & Ross River, 20 Bar.
