Pere tops Irish National weights

Notre Pere has been handed top-weight of 11st 12lb in the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National and heads the 73 entries for the 3m5f handicap at Fairyhouse on April 13.

The Welsh National winner was forced to miss the Cheltenham Gold Cup with a slight setback but is now back in full training, and will bid to boost the great Dreaper family record in this race.

This year the top-weight will carry 11st 12lb rather than 12st for the first time in the race's history.

'If the horse is right on the day and conditions are right on the day, I would like to think that 2lb might make the difference,' said Notre Pere's trainer Jim Dreaper.

'He had a bit of a blip after the Hennessy and I was hoping to have him ready for the Gold Cup, but he had a relatively minor setback. As it happens the ground wouldn't have been right at Cheltenham and he seems fine now.'

'As long as the ground is yielding at Fairyhouse he would run in the absence of any other alternatives. There is also the Scottish Grand National at Ayr but it tends to be as bare as a baby's bottom and gets very quick there.'

Noel O'Brien, senior Irish National Hunt handicapper, said, 'Top weight of 11st 12lb is a departure from the past where the top-weight allotted was 12st and the last five top weights have all been pulled up.'

'I have dropped a number of horses 1lb or 2lb because historically the extreme distance of the race and the pressure that this puts on the top horses makes the concession to the lower weighted horses that much more difficult.'

A total of 73 have been entered for the race, including 19 from England with Air Force One, Wichita Lineman, According To John, Character Building and 2007 runner-up Nine De Sivola leading the charge.