Aintree Races Today – Get Aintree Tips from the Home of the Grand National
As it’s the track where they run the world’s most famous steeplechase, there’s an obvious importance to Aintree races today in present, but also the past and future. This racecourse just outside Liverpool plays a vital role in the later part of the National Hunt season.
If you believe the Merseyside venue is simply about one famous race in the Grand National, then think again. We have Aintree tips on everything going on at the track, so check out the latest that appear below:
History of Aintree Racecourse
Horse racing in the Liverpool area dates back to the Tudor period. By the Eighteenth Century, organised races took place on the sands at Crosby. The first meeting at Aintree Racecourse happened on 7 July 1829.
The sort of race held then is very different to what we see now as it was on the Flat. Aintree races today is all about the National Hunt code. Hurdle races started in 1835 and the following year saw the introduction of the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase.
Historians accept this race is a forerunner of the Grand National, but consider the 1836, 1837 and 1838 editions as unofficial. What they do agree on is 1839 for the first official running of the race that developed into the world’s most famous steeplechase.
Won by the aptly named Lottery, the National was originally held in late February or early March. In the Victorian era and Edwardian period, there was no Cheltenham Festival, so that explains the earlier slot in the racing calendar.
Fast forward to 1949, and the Topham Handicap Chase also run over the famous National fences had its inaugural edition. The Mildmay Course opened some four years later, so standardised steeplechases and hurdle races could also take place at Aintree.
This quickly led to the establishment of races like the Maghull Novices’ Chase (1954) and Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle (as the Lancashire Hurdle in 1960) at the Aintree Festival. The Grand National meeting grew apace into its modern incarnation from there.
Seven years prior to The Jockey Club purchasing the track in 1983, the Aintree Hurdle had its inaugural running. The Aintree Bowl joined it in the spring following this transfer of ownership.
Is Aintree Races Today Flat or Jumps?
Despite its initial purpose for Flat racing only, Aintree Racecourse is very much a National Hunt track no matter which course the horses run on. Both are left-handed, so races go anticlockwise.
The Mildmay Course is a tight, sharp oval of about a mile and three furlongs round. On the hurdles track, there are six flights to jump with three in the home straight and three more down the back.
Steeplechases on the Mildmay Course involve eight fences. The third of four in the back straight and second of three after turning for home are open ditches. There is also a cross fence between these lines that catches some horses out.
The Grand National Course at Aintree races today has modified fences, but still with spruce coverings. This is to ensure equine safety and reduce injuries and fatalities to potential runners in the big race.
A complete circuit of the National fences involves 15 jumps on average. In Aintree’s centrepiece race, they have 16 obstacles on the first lap and 14 on the second with The Chair and Water Jump only taken once.
At more than two miles round, the Grand National Course features other famous fences with iconic names. Each has its own story and history behind it from Becher’s Brook to the Foinavon Fence, and the Canal Turn down by where the track starts to run alongside the Leeds And Liverpool Canal.
These obstacles, alongside Valentine’s Brook, are among 14 fences jumped twice when horses contest the Grand National. Many are larger than standard steeplechase fences, so accurate jumping is essential.
Key Aintree Races Fixtures
While Aintree Racecourse hosts a summer jumps meeting in May outside of the core National Hunt season, the other five fixtures are all ones to note. Resuming during autumn with the Old Roan Chase day in October, the Grand Sefton Chase now takes place in November on a separate card to the Becher Chase day in early December.
Aintree races today now also include a Boxing Day horse racing meeting introduced in 2023. This saw the transfer of the old Tolworth Hurdle from Sandown Park and rebranding of the race as the Formby Novices’ Hurdle.
Naturally, the three-day Aintree Festival in April that has built itself up around the Grand National is the track’s premier fixture. This feature meeting contains 11 Grade 1 events, as well as big race over the famous spruce fences. Let’s take a look at each of these five fixtures in more detail.
Old Roan Chase Day
Headlining the card on the last Sunday in October is a Grade 2 limited handicap chase on the Mildmay Course over two-and-a-half miles. The Old Roan Chase, established in 2004 as the Wigan Chase, soon gained notoriety as a good starting point in the core jumps season for steeplechasers.
In 2006, Kauto Star won the race on his reappearance en route to a flawless campaign. He followed-up with Betfair Chase victory around Haydock Park, the other horse racing venue on Merseyside; then made a successful defence of the Tingle Creek down in trip at Sandown, before the first of five King George VI Chase triumphs at Kempton and taking the Aon Chase around Newbury with the campaign culminating in Cheltenham Gold Cup glory.
Monet’s Garden won three editions of the Old Roan Chase in 2007, 2009 and 2010 for Penrith trainer Nicky Richards. That is a record. Albertas Run (2011) and Frodon (2018) are other notable winners of the race. Those giving Aintree tips today on the Old Roan must consider horses that go well fresh.
The chief supporting race on this card used to be the John Parrett Memorial Trophy, a two-mile handicap chase. In more recent years, Aintree races today has one of the legs of the Veterans’ Chase Series. This race remembers Vieux Lion Rouge, a horse trained by David Pipe who had an excellent record over completing over the Grand National fences.
Grand Sefton Chase Day
Now run on the second Saturday in November since 2021, the original Grand Sefton dates back to 1865. Initially a key part of the Aintree Autumn Meeting and always over the Grand National fences, by 1965 this race lost its way. It was discontinued, then revived in 2003.
Realigned to the same two miles and five furlongs distance and starting point as the Topham Chase, rather than a three-mile race, the Grand Sefton Handicap Chase gives horses key course experience. It is open to younger types than the Grand National, so can provide early indicators if runners take to the unique test.
The main supporting race on the card is another tricky one for those providing Aintree betting tips, because it is a Pertemps Qualifier. This series of staying handicap hurdles is now “win and you’re in”, provided the horse’s official BHA rating is within the weight range from entries made for the Pertemps Final during the Cheltenham Festival.
The difficulty with Pertemps Qualifiers like the one at Aintree races today is that anything which finishes in the first four is also eligible for the Final. This encourages trainers and jockeys to do the bare minimum to qualify for the Premier Handicap when the series culminates at Cheltenham in March.
Becher Chase Day
In 1992, Aintree introduced a race honouring Captain Martin Becher, the amateur jockey who lends his name to Becher’s Brook. It wasn’t enough simply to have a fence on the Grand National Course called after him.
The Becher Chase run on the first or second Saturday in December, always a week after the Hennessy / Coral Gold Cup at Newbury, is a Premier Handicap over three miles and two furlongs. It is roughly three-quarters of the distance of the Grand National over the famous fences.
Amberleigh House and Silver Birch have both gone on to win the big one at Aintree Racecourse subsequent to their Becher Chase heroics. The race also has a history of dual winners that include Hello Bud, Vieux Lion Rouge and Walk In The Mill.
Aintree races in December has often had a Listed juvenile hurdle on Becher Chase day. At first this was one for three-year-old fillies only. The BHA decided to move the Summit Juvenile Hurdle from Doncaster to the Merseyside track from 2023 onwards, however.
Aintree Races on Boxing Day
The newest fixture and meeting at Aintree is their Boxing Day card. As noted above, the feature contest is the Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle. Formerly the Tolworth Hurdle when run at Sandown in early January, this race transfer happened because both tracks are Jockey Club Racecourses.
Originally dating back to 1976, Desert Orchid appears on the Tolworth roll of honour and is by far the most ramous racehorse to win it under any name. Since moving away from the Esher venue to Aintree races today, Jango Baie and Potters Charm are the two victors so far. Both could make up into useful horses in future.
Supporting races on Boxing Day is an area that both Aintree Racecourse and The Jockey Club are still working on. The card contains various handicaps like all other meetings from the track do, but this fixture is still establishing itself really.
Aintree Grand National Festival
Last but not least, we come to one of the biggest racing fixtures anywhere in the world. The three-day Aintree Festival in April builds up to the Grand National itself on the first or second Saturday of the month depending on when Easter falls.
Each day and card has multiple Grade 1 races on it. The opening day of the Grand National Festival includes both the Aintree Hurdle and Aintree Bowl. There’s the Melling Chase on the Mildmay Course and Topham Chase over the big fences on the Friday, meanwhile.
As for Grand National day itself, that contains the Liverpool Hurdle and the Festival’s feature contest. The latter is always towards the end of the card, so punters have plenty of time to consider any Aintree tips on it.
We’re dealing with arguably the biggest race in horse racing in the Grand National. It is a unique test of equine stamina and jumping, but also of the jockeys riding the brave horses taking part.
The Biggest Races We Give Aintree Tips On
There are obviously some very valuable races at Aintree today in springtime. At the top of the list is a racing event that needs no introduction to even casual fans.
While prize money has a heavy weighting towards the Aintree Festival, a couple of other events earlier in the core jumps season carry decent pots too. Our Aintree horse racing tips cover any race at the track where AI algorithms identify potential winners, but it makes sense to discuss the feature races further.
Grand National
By far the biggest and most valuable of all Aintree races today, the Grand National has an entire three-day Festival supporting it. Dating back to Victorian times, it is remains one of the few horse races that transcends the sport and brings in wider public interest.
Multiple winners like Red Rum and Tiger Roll achieved something almost unprecedented in modern times with back-to-back victories in the world’s most famous steeplechase. First prize in the Grand National is £500,000 today.
Second and third places are also worth big money at £200,000 and £100,000 respectively. Those giving Aintree tips today must remember the Grand National now has a reduced maximum field of 34, down from 40, but up to four reserves can also be called upon to deputise for any late non-runners in the big race.
Melling Chase
Run in recent years under its sponsored title of the Marsh Chase, this two-and-a-half miles Grade 1 contest is the feature on the Mildmay Course on the second day of the Grand National Festival. First held in 1991, it gets its name from the Melling Road which crosses Aintree Racecourse.
A win for Remittance Man in 1992 immediately gave the Melling / Marsh Chase legitimacy. Since his success, six horses have enjoyed consecutive victories in the race. They are Viking Flagship, Direct Route, Native Upmanship, Moscow Flyer, Voy Por Ustedes and Fakir D’Oudairies.
Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls have four wins apiece thanks to horses including Sprinter Sacre and Jonbon for the former, and Master Minded and Pic D’Orhy for the latter, so any tips for Aintree today must seriously consider runners from their powerful stables. First prize in 2024 saw over £143,000 go to the winner.
Aintree Bowl
An extended three-mile steeplechase with Grade 1 status, the Aintree Bowl had its inaugural running in 1984. Designed as a sort of consolation race for beaten horses from the Cheltenham Gold Cup, it now has joint-top billing on the opening day of the Grand National Festival in April.
Wayward Lad won the race twice, one of five to do so, in its early years. Other famous horses on the roll of honour include Desert Orchid, See More Business and Florida Pearl. Paul Nicholls saddled both Silviniaco Conti and Clan Des Obeaux to consecutive victories.
A key consideration for Aintree race tips on the Bowl is the gap between Cheltenham and the Grand National Festival. In some years, it can be four weeks, but when there’s just three weeks backing up from the Gold Cup to this race is a challenge. Winning the Aintree Bowl in 2024 came with over £140,600 in prize money.
Liverpool Hurdle
Transferred to Aintree from Ascot and renamed in 2004, this staying hurdle race became a Grade in 2010. Like its Cheltenham equivalent, the World / Stayers’ Hurdle, the Liverpool Hurdle is synonymous with four-time winner Big Buck’s. He landed both races in every season during a run of 17 consecutive victories from 2009 and 2012.
Mighty Man, Whisper and Sire Du Berlais are other multiple Liverpool Hurdle winners. Acting as the chief supporting race on the Grand National card at Aintree races today, this tests stamina over the smaller obstacles.
It has a longer trip than the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, Rendlesham Hurdle around Haydock or Ascot’s Long Walk Hurdle. First place had prize money of £140,400 in the 2024 edition of the Liverpool Hurdle.
Aintree Hurdle
Dating back to 1976 in the middle of a golden age for hurdling, this two-and-a-half miles hurdle race instantly attracted big names to the Grand National Festival. Comedy Of Errors won the inaugural running of Aintree Hurdle, which is the co-feature race on the meeting’s opening day.
Night Nurse and Monksfield then famously dead-heated the following year. The latter horse then won the race outright in 1978 and 1979. Morley Street dominated the Aintree Hurdle in the early 1990s with four consecutive victories. Nicky Henderson has six successes in the race including with champions like Buveur D’Air and Constitution Hill.
The Champion Hurdle provides a source of Aintree races tips for this event on Merseyside. In terms of prize money, first place was worth £140,300 in 2024. Although significantly less than the Champion Hurdle winnings, the Aintree Hurdle is still one of the most valuable open hurdle races of the entire season.
Aintree Grand National Tips
It’s also worth looking at the Grand National Festival in even more detail. When it comes to Aintree races today tips, this is the major meeting on Merseyside and has so much more than just the big field competitive handicap. Now is a good time to assess the Aintree Festival and its quality racing day by day.
Aintree Day 1 Tips – Aintree Bowl & Hurdle Day
The Grand National Festival starts off with four consecutive Grade 1 races. Our Aintree tips on Thursday include AI selections for the Manifesto Novices’ Chase and the Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle for juveniles.
Despite the frontloaded card, there is also a Premier Handicap that honours Grand National legend Red Rum and a Grade 2 bumper for mares only. The Aintree Bowl and Aintree Hurdle headline proceedings.
Don’t think the Grand National fences miss out on the action either. Aintree races today also include the Foxhunters, a hunter chase over the same trip as the Grand Sefton and Topham. Here is a full breakdown of every race we give Aintree racing tips for on the opening day of the meeting:
Race Name | Class of Race | Distance | Age of Horses |
Manifesto Novices’ Chase | Grade 1 | 2m 3f 200y | 5yo+ |
Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m 209y | 4yo |
Aintree Bowl Chase | Grade 1 | 3m 210y | 5yo+ |
Aintree Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m 4f | 4yo+ |
Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase | Class 2 | 2m 5f 19y | 6yo+ |
Red Rum Handicap Chase | Premier Handicap | 1m 7f 176y | 5yo+ |
Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race | Grade 2 | 2m 209y | 4yo-6yo |
Aintree Day 2 Tips – Melling & Topham Chase
Four more Grade 1 races grace the middle day of the Grand National Festival. Aintree tips on Friday from the meeting must consider stamina for the Mildmay Novices’ Chase and Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, but also speedier types in the Top Novices’ Hurdle.
Again, both the Mildmay Course and Grand National fences see action. Aintree Friday tips also include similar types of horses targeting either the Melling / Marsh Chase and the Topham Chase on the respective tracks.
There are also two handicap hurdles, one for conditional jockeys and amateur riders only. This is the entire card from this Friday fixture for your reference:
Race Name | Class of Race | Distance | Age of Horses |
Mildmay Novices’ Chase | Grade 1 | 3m 210y | 5yo+ |
William Hill Handicap Hurdle | Premier Handicap | 2m 4f | 4yo+ |
Top Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m 103y | 4yo+ |
Marsh Chase (Registered as the Melling) | Grade 1 | 2m 3f 200y | 5yo+ |
Topham Handicap Chase | Premier Handicap | 2m 5f 19y | 5yo+ |
Sefton Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 3m 149y | 4yo+ |
Conditional Jockeys’ And Amateur Riders’ Handicap Hurdle | Class 2 | 2m 103y | 4yo+ |
Aintree Day 3 Tips – Grand National Day
And so to the third and final day of the meeting. Aintree tips and Saturday selections from the Grand National card have a lot more than the big race to consider.
There are three Grade 1s on the supporting card with the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle and Liverpool Hurdle over the smaller obstacles, plus the Maghull Novices’ Chase on the Mildmay Course.
Aintree Grand National tips are the main source of interest for an audience wider than the usual betting public, however. It is one of three Premier Handicaps taking place on this day, alongside the Freebooter Handicap Chase and a staying handicap hurdle.
The concluding race on the card is a Grade 2 bumper, so that really means Aintree Saturday tips should cover a wide range of events. This table contains everything happening on Merseyside on Grand National day:
Race Name | Class of Race | Distance | Age of Horses |
William Hill Handicap Hurdle | Premier Handicap | 3m 149y | 4yo+ |
Mersey Novices’ Hurdle | Grade 1 | 2m 4f | 4yo+ |
Freebooter Handicap Chase | Premier Handicap | 3m 210y | 5yo+ |
Liverpool Hurdle | Grade 1 | 3m 149y | 4yo+ |
Grand National | Premier Handicap | 4m 2f 74y | 7yo+ |
Maghull Novices’ Chase | Grade 1 | 1m 7f 176y | 5yo+ |
Aintree Champion Bumper / National Hunt Flat Race | Grade 2 | 2m 209y | 4yo-6yo |
FAQs
When is Aintree races on?
There are currently six meetings of Aintree races today with five of those in the core jumps season between October and April. They use the track in late October, November, early December and on Boxing Day, as well as the three-day Grand National Festival in the spring. There is a further fixture at Aintree Racecourse in the middle of May.
Where can I watch Aintree races today?
Every race from the track is live on Racing TV. This is a subscription only channel. Selected Aintree races today on TV, like those from the Grand National Festival, will be part of ITV Racing coverage.
What time does Aintree races start?
This depends on the meeting in question and what time of year it is. Fixtures in December have an earlier start time than those in the autumn or spring. The May meeting is on a Friday evening, so that is latest of all.
Where is Aintree Racecourse?
The track is just outside Liverpool on Ormskirk Road on the A59. Aintree is in Merseyside’s Metropolitan Borough of Sefton with a postcode of L9 5AS.
How many races at Aintree today?
It is unusual for there to be more than seven races at Aintree on any given day.