15:30 Thursday

The Aintree Hurdle is a Grade 1 hurdle at the Grand National Festival open to runners who are aged four or older, run over a trip of two miles and four furlongs featuring 11 hurdles. Here is a runners guide from Stu Williams followed by his betting tips for the race.

Aintree Hurdle Runners Guide

Bob Olinger

Bob Olinger has bounced back to something like his best this term achieving a brace of Grade 2 victories at Navan and Cheltenham respectively before chasing home the high-class State Man in the Irish Champion Hurdle.

Both of those victories were achieved over two-and-a-half-miles and connections clearly decided to swerve the Cheltenham Festival with their dual Cheltenham Festival scorer in order to save him for a race over his optimum trip, which seems significant.

Bob Olinger’s blend of speed and stamina should be well suited to the demands of Aintree and he is arguably the one to beat on all known form.

Impaire Et Passe

2023 Gallagher’s Novices’ Hurdle hero Impaire Et Passe has also fallen victim to State Man this term having placed second behind his stablemate in the Grade 1 Matheson Hurdle at Christmas and third in the Irish Champion Hurdle.

The Simon Munir and Isaac Souede owned six-year-old finished 1 length behind subsequent Stayers’ Hurdle hero Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle on his only other outing this term and a return to two-and-a-half-miles will be in his favour. 

Impaire Et Passe arguably remains open to the most improvement in this field and he, like Bob Olinger, will have freshness on his side having bypassed Cheltenham.

Langer Dan

Langer Dan became the first horse to win multiple Coral Cups when triumphant last month and he has certainly earned a crack at prize such as this.

Dan Skelton’s charge posted a career best effort on that occasion and while some may have him pinned as a Cheltenham Festival specialist, it’s worth remembering that he landed a competitive handicap hurdle over this very course and distance in April 2022.

Langer Dan has around 10lbs to find with those towards the head of the betting and will therefore need to step-up again. However, he is clearly in a good place at present and his yard has been firing in the winners.

Luccia

Luccia’s third place finish in the Champion Hurdle was a rare bright spot in an otherwise turbulent Cheltenham Festival week for Nicky Henderson and the talented mare will attempt to take advantage of her 7lbs allowance once again.

Third in the Top Novices’ Hurdle at this meeting last year, Luccia placed third in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle in November before landing the Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot prior to Christmas.

Like Langer Dan, Luccia will require a career best effort in order to trouble those towards the head of the betting. However, she’s not a million miles away when you factor in her aforementioned allowance.

Nemean Lion

Nemean Lion brings a progressive profile to the table and stepping back-up in trip could easily eke-out further improvement.

Kerry Lee’s seven-year-old landed the Welsh Champion Hurdle in October and the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle in February, slotting in a fifth placed effort in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham and a narrow defeat in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton in between.

The Golden Horn gelding was far from disgraced when placing sixth in the Champion Hurdle last month and his runner-up effort at Kempton suggests that this two-and-a-half-mile trip will suit. 

Marie’s Rock

2022 Mares’ Hurdle heroine Marie’s Rock was pulled-up in the corresponding contest last month and will need to bounce back to her very best in order to feature here.

Nicky Henderson’s mare demonstrated that the fire still burns brightly when landing a Grade 2 Mares’ contest at Doncaster in January. However, that success was achieved over 3 miles and came just four weeks after proving no match for Bob Olinger in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Like stablemate Luccia, Marie’s Rock will receive a 7lbs mares allowance and will certainly handle conditions. However, she may lack the gears to trouble the main protagonists. 

Beacon Edge

Beacon Edge has maintained his steady level of form since joining Gordon Elliott last summer, landing the He’llberemembered Hurdle on his stable debut at Thurles and placing second in the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle at Navan February.

The experienced ten-year-old also managed a fourth placed effort in Grade 1 company at Christmas and again ran respectably in the Coral Cup last month, placing ninth.

Official ratings suggest he has around 16lbs to find with his chief rivals on this occasion and it’s hard to see him playing a starring role.

Mahons Glory

Mahons Glory hasn’t been sighted on the racetrack since routing a competitive looking field at Kempton on Boxing Day and it’s interesting that connections have decided to pitch him into this company.

That success earned the Fame And Glory gelding a 10lbs rise to a career high mark of 136, which still leaves him around 24lbs shy of the highest rated contenders in this field.

Front-running tactics clearly paid dividends at Kempton and they will presumably be deployed once again. However, he will have a harder time holding off classier rivals here.

Aintree Hurdle Tips & Prediction

Coral Cup hero Langer Dan rates an intriguing contender coming off a career best effort, especially given his course and distance form. Luccia also took her form to a new level last month and could easily find improvement over this trip.

Impaire Et Passe seemingly had the world at his feet when sprinting clear in the Gallagher’s Novices’ Hurdle last year and he remains a fascinating long-term prospect in spite of failing to get his head in-front this term.

Willie Mullins’ charge should appreciate the return to two-and-a-half-miles after finding stablemate State Man too hot to handle over the minimum trip this winter.

However, he finished five lengths adrift of BOB OLINGER in the Irish Champion Hurdle and Henry de Bromhead’s charge can confirm that form here.

The classy nine-year-old has travelled powerfully on all three of his visits to the racecourse this term and there was clearly no shame in chasing home champion hurdler State Man over the minimum trip in February.

The form of his Relkeel Hurdle success received a boost when Brewin’Upastorm triumphed at Fairyhouse last week and he may ultimately have too much class for his rivals.