Junior gets green light for Irish National

Junior has been given the go-ahead to attempt to defy top weight in the Ladbrokes Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Monday.

The David Pipe-trained 10-year-old, who is owned by Middleham Park Racing, has been a tremendous servant to connections, winning at both the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot.

He fell in last year’s John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree and has been out of luck in his three starts since landing the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle in December.