Paul Carberry has got his expected green light to ride the favourite Bobbyjo in Saturday's Grand National and another late addition to Ireland's Aintree team is Knife Edge who will take his chance in the Martell Aintree Hurdle.
Trainer Michael O'Brien had intended keeping Knife Edge for the Punchestown festival but said yesterday: 'The horse seems very well at the minute and he'll run at Liverpool.'
Knife Edge hasn't run over hurdles since finishing third to Istabraq in January's AIG Hurdle at Leopardstown but was a very easy winner of a competitive flat race at the Curragh 10 days ago and will now take on Hors La Loi and possibly Monsignor in Saturday's big hurdle.
'He's in great form which is always the right time to go for a big race and Istabraq not being there makes it attractive too,' O'Brien added. 'I don't know how he would take to fast ground because he wasn't right when he ran on it before but if you don't go, you won't know.'
The other Irish horses that currently remain in the Grade 1 race are His Song, Mantles Prince and Theatreworld.
Carberry's first chance to get back into racing action will probably be on Frozen Groom in the Sandeman Maghull Novice Chase, a Grade 1 contest run tomorrow.
Good news emerged yesterday from Monday's MRI scan on the jockey's back and Izo-Kenetic testing, a device that tests the strength, or lack of strength, in muscles was also carried out.
'We've given him the go-ahead which is a bit of a relief as there has been so much attention on the matter,' confirmed the Turf Club medical officer Dr Walter Halley yesterday.
Carberry commented: 'I'm delighted but I never had any doubt about being fit. I've just ridden Bobbyjo in a workout and he's in super form. I hope the ground dries out for Saturday and I would like 10st on his back - but you can't have everything!'
Frozen Groom, still going well when falling at the third last in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, is in good form according to trainer Noel Meade who said: 'He seems OK and has schooled well since Cheltenham. But he isn't getting that much weight in the race.'
Carberry will also ride his father Tommy's Native Status in the John Hughes Trophy but another Irish trainer with a team of four horses at Aintree will be Michael Hourigan.
Inis Cara will go in the John Hughes Trophy, Honey Trader in the Maghull Novice Chase, Afrostar in the first race tomorrow and Father Andy in the novice hunters chase on Saturday.
Hourigan confirmed the Heineken Gold Cup at the Punchestown festival as Dorans Pride's next race. 'It wasn't so much the ground as a very competitive race that went against him at Cheltenham. He's a little bit long in the tooth now but he's in good form and hopefully will pick up prizemoney at Punchestown,' Hourigan said.
