Here is everything you need to know heading into day 2 of Aintree Festival including tips and trends!
Day 2 of the 2026 Aintree Festival delivers four Grade 1 races, the fiercely competitive Topham Chase over the Grand National fences, and a series of high‑profile clashes featuring Cheltenham stars such as Heart Wood, Sober Glory, Gold Dancer and Johnny’s Jury. With championship‑level action across hurdles and fences, plus the atmosphere of Ladies Day, Friday at Aintree promises top class racing.
If you’re eyeing up a bet in the Grand National this week, make sure you get the most out of your stakes and check out the Grand National free bets available through oddschecker.
What to Expect on Day 2 of the Aintree Festival
Gold Dancer vs Regent’s Stroll vs Salver – Mildmay Novices’ Chase showdown
The Mildmay brings together the second and third from the Brown Advisory plus the runner-up from the Jack Richards Novices’ Chase, setting up one of the deepest novice chases of the season. Gold Dancer and Regent’s Stroll re-oppose, while Salver steps back into Grade 1 company after a strong Cheltenham effort.
Sober Glory seeks Supreme compensation in the Top Novices’ Hurdle
A costly last-flight mistake denied Sober Glory in the Supreme, but Aintree’s flatter track and smaller field give him a prime chance to put that right. He faces just five rivals in a race that often produces future Champion Hurdle contenders.
Heart Wood headlines the Melling Chase
The emphatic Ryanair winner returns at his optimum trip, but faces a fascinating mix. Grey Dawning drops back from the Gold Cup, L’Eau Du Sud steps up from the Champion Chase, and Gidleigh Park arrives fresh and unexposed at the distance. This is the feature race of the day and arguably the most tactically intriguing contest of the festival.
Topham Chase: 30 runners, 30 stories
The first race of the week over the Grand National fences features a maximum field, with Cheltenham Plate hero Madara attempting to defy a 10lb rise. The Topham is always chaotic, always compelling, and always a major betting heat.
Johnny’s Jury brings Albert Bartlett form to the Sefton
The Sefton Novices’ Hurdle is the staying Grade 1 of the day, and Albert Bartlett winner Johnny’s Jury attempts to extend his unbeaten spring. Several Cheltenham rivals re-oppose, making this a true stamina test.
Wellington Arch bids for back-to-back wins in the opener
Last year’s winner returns for the William Hill Handicap Hurdle, attempting to repeat the feat in a race that regularly produces tight finishes and big-priced winners.
Aintree Day 2 Racecard & Race Guide
All times local. First six races live on ITV1.
1:45 – William Hill Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
2:20 – Mildmay Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
2:55 – ThatPrizeGuy Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
3:30 – JCB Melling Chase (Grade 1)
4:05 – Randox Topham Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)
4:40 – Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
5:15 – Debenhams Handicap Hurdle
Aintree Day 2 Ground & Weather
The official going is Good to Soft, with Good in places on the Mildmay Course and Good to Soft on the National Course. A cloudy afternoon is expected, with a chance of rain later in the card.
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Today's Best Bets from Our Tipsters
Zeus Power – Tipsters Concensus in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (16:40 Aintree)
Best price 11/2 at the time of publishing.
There’s clear agreement from the tipsters around Zeus Power in the Sefton.
Both Jake Price and Road To Cheltenham latch onto his eye-catching effort in the Turners at Cheltenham, where he stayed on strongly from the rear to finish third, shaping like a horse crying out for a step up in trip.
That move up to 3m at Aintree looks a major positive, particularly on a track that tends to reward rhythm and finishing speed.
Jake Price leans on the strength of that Turners form, arguably stronger than the Albert Bartlett, while also highlighting the likelihood of improved conditions and a more suitable pace.
Road To Cheltenham echoes the upside angle, noting he was unfancied at Cheltenham but outran expectations significantly, suggesting there’s still plenty more to come.
With Joseph O’Brien’s team in form and J J Slevin back on board, Zeus Power looks a progressive staying type in a race lacking depth, and one where his profile stands out as both solid and potentially ahead of the market.
Miami Magic – Most Backed Bet Today in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase (14:20 Aintree)
Best price 9/2 at the time of publishing.
Miami Magic is the one the market has latched onto, it is the most backed bet through oddschecker today.
An unbeaten record over fences tells its own story, but it’s the manner of his latest Newbury success that really stands out, quickening clear to win by 15 lengths over an extended 2m7f, he travelled with authority and found plenty when asked, suggesting there’s more to come now stepping up again in trip.
Crucially, he arrives here fresher than most of his key rivals having skipped Cheltenham, and that could prove a major edge in a race where several at the top of the market had hard races in the spring. His earlier form ties in well too, having already accounted for Regent’s Stroll over 2m4f, showing both a sharp turn of foot and the stamina to see it out strongly up the hill.
Tactically, he looks set to get a perfect setup. Likely to race prominently, he should get a solid tow into the contest, and on decent ground he has already shown he’s very hard to pass once hitting the front. The long Aintree straight will suit his galloping style, and if he jumps with the same fluency he showed at Newbury, he could take plenty of pegging back.
He does have a bit to find on official ratings, but his progression suggests he may not have reached his ceiling just yet. In a race lacking a standout, Miami Magic looks a strong, upwardly mobile contender who can make his presence felt from the front.
Frankie John - Aidan O’Hara Finds Big-Price Value in the Sefton (16:40 Aintree)
Best price 80/1 at the time of publishing.
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Aidan O’Hara is no stranger to landing a touch at a price, and he’s flagged up a massive outsider in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle that he believes is seriously overpriced. Frankie John is a horse whose best form has come in testing conditions in Ireland, but who could be primed for significant improvement now encountering much better ground at Aintree.
The key angle here is the ground switch. O’Hara’s view is that this runner has been shaping far better than the bare results suggest in deep-ground Grade 1 contests, and a return to a sounder surface, on a track that places less emphasis on attritional stamina, could unlock a completely different level of performance. Add in the fact he arrives fresher than many of his rivals having skipped Cheltenham, and there’s a sense he could outrun his odds in a race where plenty have already had hard races this spring.
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Key Races to Watch on Day 2 at Aintree
The feature race of Day 2 and one of Aintree’s crown jewels, the Melling Chase. It takes place at 3:30 today.
This year’s edition is stacked with class:
- Heart Wood – dominant Ryanair winner
- Grey Dawning – dropping back in trip after a huge Gold Cup run
- L’Eau Du Sud – Champion Chase third stepping up in distance
- Gidleigh Park – arrives fresh and unexposed
It’s a clash of divisions: Ryanair form vs Champion Chase form vs Gold Cup form.
Key Aintree Stats & Trends for Day 2
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.
William Hill Handicap Hurdle
- 11 of the last 12 winners had won between 2-4 hurdle races
- 10 of the last 12 winners were aged 8 or younger
- 9 of the last 12 winners carried 11-2 or less
- 9 of the last 12 winners ran within the last 4 weeks
- 8 of the last 12 winners were Irish bred
- 8 of the last 12 winners returned 10/1 or shorter in the betting
- 8 of the last 12 winners were placed favourites
- 8 of the last 12 winners were rated between 133-137
- 8 of the last 12 winners were unplaced last time out
- No outright favourites have won this race in the last 12 runnings
Mildmay Novices’ Chase
- 22 of the last 22 winners had raced within the last 55 days
- 19 of the last 22 winners were aged 7 or younger
- 19 of the last 22 winners finished in the top 4 last time out
- 19 of the last 22 winners had raced within the last 33 days
- 18 of the last 22 winners ran at the Cheltenham Festival last time out
- 10 of the last 22 winners ran in the Brown Advisory last time out
- 11 of the last 22 winners were favourites
- All of the last 22 winners were French or Irish bred
- No British-bred winner since 2002
- 38 of the last 43 winners had won at least twice over fences
- 19 of the last 22 winners ran at the Cheltenham Festival that season
- 24 of the last 26 winners had run in at least 4 chases
- Only one winner bigger than 11/1 since 1989
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Top Novices’ Hurdle:
- 21 of the last 22 winners had raced within the last 31 days
- 15 of the last 22 winners returned 7/1 or shorter in the betting
- 23 of the last 26 winners were aged 5 or 6
- 18 of the last 28 winners finished in the top 2 last time out
- 27 of the last 34 winners came from the top 4 in the market
- 11 of the last 13 winners ran in bumpers before
- Irish have won 5 of the last 6 runnings
- The Supreme runner-up has won 6 of the last 7 renewals
- 3 of the last 4 favourites have won
Melling Chase
- 19 of the last 22 winners had raced within the last 30 days
- 19 of the last 22 winners ran in the Ryanair or Champion Chase that season
- 19 of the last 22 winners were priced 8/1 or shorter
- 19 of the last 22 winners were aged 9 or younger
- 15 of the last 22 winners finished in the top 3 last time out
- 26 of the last 34 winners had won over at least 2m4f
- 35 of the last 38 winners were aged 7 or older
- 21 of the last 30 winners were favourite or second favourite
- 15 of the last 21 winners had won a Grade 1 that season
- 29 of the last 34 winners ran at the Cheltenham Festival that season
- 11 of the last 27 winners were trained in Ireland
- Joseph O’Brien is 2-from-3 in this race
Topham Handicap Chase
- 20 of the last 22 winners were aged 10 or younger
- 19 of the last 22 winners had raced within the last 34 days
- 18 of the last 22 winners were beaten last time out
- 7 of the last 11 winners were rated 141 or higher
- 5 of the last 11 winners ran at the Cheltenham Festival
Sefton Novices’ Hurdle:
- 18 of the last 22 winners had raced within the last 35 days
- 16 of the last 22 winners were aged 6 or younger
- 16 of the last 18 winners were aged 6 or 7
- 25 of the last 29 winners had won at least twice over hurdles
- 21 of the last 32 winners had won 4 or more hurdle races
- 15 of the last 31 winners had won over at least 2m7f
- 17 of the last 25 winners did not run at the Cheltenham Festival
What’s Coming Up on Day 3 at the Aintree Festival
Day 3 at Aintree needs little introduction, with all eyes firmly on the Randox Grand National, the most iconic race in jump racing. Run over a gruelling 4 miles 2½ furlongs and featuring 30 of the sport’s most famous fences, it’s a race that demands stamina, precision, and no shortage of luck. Scheduled for 4:00pm, it dominates not just the card, but the entire racing landscape on Saturday.
This year’s renewal looks as competitive as ever, with leading contenders including I Am Maximum, a proven stayer at the top of the market, the classy and smooth-jumping Grangeclare West, and the ultra-consistent Jagwar, who looks tailor-made for a test of this nature. Monty’s Star is another who has attracted strong support, dropping into handicap company with a profile that suggests he could be well treated.
