IRISH WELCOME FOR BRITS

BRITISH horses can now race in Ireland - even if they can’t compete on home tracks.

The British Horseracing Authority was due last night to publish its decision on whether racecourse action can resume tomorrow despite the cases of equine flu it is investigating.

But, should the fixture blackout, currently standing at 21 meetings, go on, hometrained horses can pursue opportunities in Ireland denied to them in Britain - provided they are not barred from moving by a BHA lockdown.

A statement issued yesterday by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, which last week banned British thoroughbreds from running at its tracks, read: “Runners from Great Britain will be permitted to race in Ireland with immediate effect provided that the horses comply with the IHRB requirements.”

Last Friday, the IHRB put in place new measures — including booster vaccinations — to combat the spread of equine flu after cases of the highly contagious virus were confirmed in several Irish racing stables in January.

“We’ve risked-assessed our situation here,” added IRHB chief vet Dr Lynn Hillyer (left).

“The IHRB took the decision this afternoon that, looking at all the pros and cons, and looking at the increased measures that were published on Friday, if British horses were coming from a yard that was clear then they posed no extra risk than any of our Irish horses.”

Asked for a reaction to the lifting of the Irish ban, a BHA spokesperson said last night: “The decisions made in other racing jurisdictions are ultimately a matter for the relevant governing or regulatory body in that jurisdiction.”