The Aintree Hurdle is the most exciting of the four Grade 1s on the opening day of the Festival.
Day 1 sets the tone for the Randox Grand National Festival with a card full of Grade 1 quality and intriguing clashes.
Key storylines include Selma De Vary renewing rivalry with Maestrokhan in the Juvenile Hurdle, while Lulamba steps up in trip in the Manifesto Novices’ Chase after his Arkle effort. The Bowl Chase sees Gold Cup runner-up Jango Baie head the field, and the Aintree Hurdle brings together much of the Champion Hurdle form, with The New Lion and Brighterdaysahead among the leading contenders alongside El Fabiolo.
Add in the Foxhunters’ over the Grand National fences and Sans Bruit’s bid for a Red Rum hat-trick, and Day 1 delivers a series of compelling showdowns from start to finish.
What to Expect on Day 1 of the Aintree Festival
The 2026 opener is loaded with storylines:
- The Triumph rematch kicks off the day in the Juvenile Hurdle.
- Lulamba, the Arkle third, steps up in trip for the Manifesto.
- Jango Baie, runner‑up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, heads the Bowl.
- The Aintree Hurdle brings together the 2nd–5th from the Champion Hurdle plus the fresh, dangerous El Fabiolo.
- The Foxhunters’ gives us the first sight of the National fences.
- Sans Bruit attempts a Red Rum hat‑trick.
- The Mares’ Bumper closes the day with several unbeaten prospects.
Ground: Good to Soft on both courses.
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Aintree Day 1 Racecard & Race Guide
1:45 – Grade 1 Boodles Anniversary 4YO Juvenile Hurdle (2m 4f)
The meeting gets underway with a strong renewal of the Juvenile Hurdle, as the Triumph Hurdle form is put firmly under the microscope.
Selma De Vary, Maestro Conti, Minella Study, and Indian River all re-oppose following their Cheltenham efforts, while Winston Junior adds further depth to a competitive opener.
Of those, Selma De Vary has attracted the most market support since final declarations and heads the betting.
Key contenders:
- Selma De Vary – 11/4
- Maestro Conti – 7/2
- Minella Study – 7/2
- Winston Junior – 5/1
- Mange Tout - 11/2
2:20 – Grade 1 William Hill Manifesto Novices’ Chase (2m 1f)
A high-class novice chase where Lulamba looks to build on a solid third-place finish in the Arkle at Cheltenham.
Stepping up in trip, he sets a strong standard and is a short-priced favourite. Koktail Divin appeals as the main danger, while Jax Junior could outrun his odds in what is a smaller but quality field.
Key Contenders:
- Lulamba - 4/6
- Koktail Divin - 3/1
2:55 – Grade 1 Racing Welfare Bowl Chase (3m 1f)
The feature staying chase on Day 1 sees Gold Cup form come to the fore.
Jango Baie, runner-up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, heads the market and sets the benchmark. Spillanes Tower is declared here but remains a possible Grand National contender, while Impaire Et Passe has been notably well backed in the build-up.
Key contenders:
- Jango Baie – 11/10
- Impaire Et Passe – 4/1
- Spillanes Tower – 9/2
3:30 – Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase (2m 5f)
The first race over the famous Grand National fences always provides drama.
Barton Snow and Its On The Line renew their rivalry following a thrilling clash at Cheltenham, while Unexpected Party adds further intrigue in what looks a typically competitive Foxhunters’.
Key contenders:
- Barton Snow – 15/8
- Unexpected Party – 9/2
- Its On The Line – 5/1
4:05 – Grade 1 William Hill Aintree Hurdle (2m 4f)
Arguably the race of the day, featuring a deep field drawn heavily from the Champion Hurdle.
The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th from that contest reappear here, while El Fabiolo adds a fascinating dimension having skipped Cheltenham to arrive fresh. The New Lion heads the market in what looks a top-class renewal.
Key contenders:
- The New Lion – 2/1
- Brighterdaysahead – 9/4
- El Fabiolo – 11/2
4:40 – Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase (2m)
A typically fast and competitive handicap where course form and sharp jumping are crucial.
Sans Bruit bids for a remarkable hat-trick in the race, having won the last two renewals, and will be a popular contender despite the depth of opposition.
Key Contenders:
- Sans Bruit - 10/3
- Inthepocket - 13/2
- Highlands Legacy - 7/1
- Javert Allen - 8/1
5:15 – Grade 2 Goffs Nickel Coin Mares’ Bumper (2m 1f)
The curtain comes down on Day 1 with a race that often showcases future stars.
A number of unbeaten mares line up, and while the market is still taking shape, this is a contest worth noting for future festivals.
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Thursday's Best Bets from Our Tipsters
There are two selections both Road To Cheltenham and Jake Price agree have a great chance of winning on the opening day of Aintree Festival.
MANGE TOUT (Boodles Anniversary 4YO Juvenile Hurdle)
Both Road To Cheltenham and Jake Price are in agreement that Mange Tout has been primed for this race.
Road To Cheltenham points to her targeted preparation, skipping the Triumph Hurdle to arrive fresher than rivals like Selma De Vary, and notes that Aintree’s flatter track and likely better ground should suit her better than Cheltenham.
vJake Price builds on that by referencing her Grade 3 win at Fairyhouse, where she beat the highly-regarded Narciso Has, and her 1.5-length defeat to Selma De Vary at the Dublin Racing Festival, suggesting that effort can be reversed given the turnaround in conditions and fitness edge.
Summary: Both believe her freshness, stronger suitability to Aintree’s conditions, and high-quality Irish form give her a leading chance to turn the tables and win.
HIGHLANDS LEGACY (Red Rum Handicap Chase)
There’s strong agreement between Road To Cheltenham and Jake Price on Highlands Legacy, with both pointing to specific pieces of form that make him well handicapped. Road To Cheltenham highlights his second at Aintree in November behind Mambonumberfive, a race that has produced multiple subsequent winners, and notes his three wins over obstacles have all come on left-handed tracks, which suits here.
Jake Price expands on the profile, pointing to his second behind Mighty Bandit (rated 152) at Newbury, where he also beat Lookaway (now a dual winner since), and his comfortable win at Windsor despite not handling soft ground ideally. He also emphasises that he was balloted out of the Grand Annual, suggesting this has been a target since.
Summary: Both tipsters highlight strong, specific handicap form lines, proven Aintree performance, and optimal conditions (track, ground, pace) as key reasons he’s expected to go very close.
Key Races to Watch on Day 1 at Aintree
The headline race of day 1 at Aintree festival is the Aintree Hurdle at 16:05.
The Aintree Hurdle sets up as a fascinating extension of the Champion Hurdle form, minus the standout winner, with just a narrow margin separating the key protagonists at Cheltenham and a step up to 2m4f now likely to reshuffle the pack.
Brighterdaysahead arguably has the most compelling case for improvement, having shaped as though this longer trip and Aintree’s flatter, less demanding track will play more to her strengths, while her previous Grade 1 success over course and distance underlines her suitability to conditions.
The New Lion remains open to further progress at this trip, but still has questions to answer at the very top level, whereas El Fabiolo adds an intriguing layer, his recent return to hurdles has been solid, and although he may lack the gears for an elite two-mile test, this intermediate distance and a track he clearly enjoys could see him bridge some of the gap.
With others like Potters Charm arriving on a hat-trick and the race likely to be run at a strong tempo, this looks a deeper and more tactical renewal than first impressions suggest.
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Key Aintree Stats & Trends for Day 1
It's worth checking out these key trends if you're looking for the best use of Grand National free bets across next week's racing.
Boodles Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle:
- 18 of the last 22 winners ran at the Cheltenham Festival last time out
- 17 of the last 22 winners finished in the top three last time out
- 15 of the last 22 winners returned 3/1 or shorter in the betting
- 14 of the last 22 winners ran in the Triumph Hurdle last time out
- 10 of the last 22 winners were favourites
- 17 of the last 20 winners had won at least twice over hurdles
- 14 of the last 20 winners had won a Grade 1 or Grade 2 earlier that season
- 11 of the last 20 winners finished in the top three in the Triumph Hurdle
- 15 of the last 20 winners had won a graded race that season
- Horses rated 152+ have produced 5 winners from 8 since 2007
- 12 of the last 17 winners began their careers in France
- 15 of the last 26 winners were French-bred (including 8 of the last 10)
- Willie Mullins has won 3 of the last 9 runnings
William Hill Manifesto Novices’ Chase:
- 16 of the last 16 winners did not win last time out
- 14 of the last 16 winners came from the top 3 in the betting
- 13 of the last 15 winners were rated 150+
- 12 of the last 16 winners had run 8 or fewer times over hurdles
- 12 of the last 14 winners had run between 4–5 times over fences
- 11 of the last 16 winners had run in either the Arkle or Golden Miller at Cheltenham
- 9 of the last 11 winners had won exactly once over fences
- 8 of the last 12 winners were aged 6 years old
- 4 of the last 9 winners were Irish-trained (including the last 3 runnings)
- No winning favourites (1 favourite in the last 16 runnings)
Aintree Bowl Chase
- 20 of the last 22 winners did not win last time out
- 16 of the last 22 winners ran at the Cheltenham Festival last time out
- 14 of the last 22 winners finished in the top 4 last time out
- 12 of the last 22 winners ran in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last time out
- 13 of the last 16 winners were aged 9 or younger
- 12 of the last 15 winners returned 7/2 or shorter in the betting
- 9 of the last 12 winners were ranked top two on BHA ratings
- 8 of the last 22 winners were winning favourites (7 of the last 10 favourites have won)
- 12 of the last 15 winners were favourite or second favourite
Aintree Hurdle
- 21 of the last 22 winners were aged 8 or younger
- 27 of the last 31 winners were aged between 6–8 years old
- 18 of the last 22 winners returned 6/1 or shorter in the betting
- 16 of the last 17 winners came from the top 3 in the betting
- 17 of the last 22 winners ran at the Cheltenham Festival last time out
- 12 of the last 22 winners ran in the Champion Hurdle last time out
- 15 of the last 22 winners finished in the top 4 last time out
- 6 of the last 22 winners were trained by Nicky Henderson (6 of the last 14)
- 9 of the last 15 winners were placed in the top 4 of that season’s Champion Hurdle
- 16 of the last 19 winners had already won a Grade 1
- Only 1 of the last 48 winners was aged 10+
- Willie Mullins has won 3 of the last 9 runnings (including the last 2)
What’s Coming Up on Day 2 at the Aintree Festival
Day 2 of the Randox Grand National Festival, known as Ladies Day, takes place on Friday 10 April at Aintree Racecourse and features a strong mix of Grade 1 contests alongside competitive handicaps.
The card is anchored by top-level races beginning with the Mildmay Novices’ Chase and Top Novices’ Hurdle, before the Melling Chase provides a mid-afternoon highlight over a testing trip for elite chasers.
Attention then turns to the Topham Handicap Chase, run over the famous Grand National, before the Grade 1 programme concludes with the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle.
