Aintree Course Guide
Home to the world-famous Grand National, Aintree’s three-day April Festival is one of the highlights in the National Hunt calendar which stands second only to Cheltenham in terms of importance in the UK. Aside from the marathon steeplechase, highlights at the meeting include the Aintree Hurdle, Liverpool Hurdle, Bowl Chase and Melling Chase – all Grade 1 races – plus the Fox Hunters Chase and Topham Chase, both of which are run over the big spruce fences.
Aintree also stages two important meetings in the first half of the season; the early November fixture features the Old Roan Chase – a Grade 2 contest over two and a half miles – whilst the December meeting features the Becher Chase and Grand Sefton Chase, a once-a-year opportunity to watch two races over the National fences in a single afternoon.
Advance Going
The Grand National course is triangular with its apex (at the Canal Turn) the furthest point from the stands. Inside is the easier Mildmay course which has birch fences. A major feature of the Mildmay course is its sharpness and the fences there are stiffer than used to be the case. The Grand National is run over two complete circuits taking in sixteen spruce fences first time round and fourteen the second and still provides one of the toughest tests ever devised for horse and rider. The run in is 494 yards long and includes an elbow.
Even though it’s flat, it can be very testing for a horse, so you need one that can travel. The winner is almost always still on the bridle leaving the back straight - take a look at some old tapes if you want proof - and those that aren’t really struggle to get home. It’s a long, long way from the home turn to the line and a very long run-in, so you need to have a bit of horse left under you all the way up the home straight to have any chance. As a general rule, it’s the horses that can get into a rhythm, racing nicely on the bridle, who do best at Aintree.
View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald
Upcoming races
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16:45 Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race)
(Class ) (2m 4f) -
17:20 William Hill Manifesto Novices' Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race)
(Class ) (2m 1f 110y) -
17:55 The Aintree Bowl Chase (Grade 1)
(Class ) (3m 1f) -
18:30 William Hill Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race)
(Class ) (2m 4f) -
19:05 Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase
(Class ) (2m 5f 19y) -
19:40 Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race)
(Class ) (1m 7f 176y) -
20:15 Goffs Nickel Coin Mares' Standard Open NH Flat Race (Grade 2) (GBB Race)
(Class ) (2m 209y)
Results
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Distance Horse (Going) Date Winning time 1m 7f 176y Jonbon (Good to Soft) 15 Apr 2023 3m 47.89s 2m 3f 200y Flic Ou Voyou (Good) 16 May 2025 4m 50.91s 2m 5f 19y Colonel Harry (Good to Soft) 08 Nov 2025 5m 18.94s 3m 210y Sail Away (Good) 16 May 2025 6m 9.67s 3m 1f 188y Ashtown Lad (Good to Soft) 03 Dec 2022 6m 50.97s 4m 2f Noble Yeats (Good to Soft-Good in places on Chase & Hurdle course) 09 Apr 2022 9m 3.06s Distance Horse (Going) Date Winning time 2m 103y Father Of Jazz (Good) 16 Jun 2023 3m 54.21s 2m 4f Gelino Bello (Good) 24 Oct 2021 4m 47.56s 3m 149y Sire Du Berlais (Good to Soft) 15 Apr 2023 5m 59.82s Distance Horse (Going) Date Winning time 2m 209y Green Splendour (Good) 05 Apr 2025 3m 59.4s -
Trainer Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L P F Nicholls 32 8 £456K 25% £9.33 W P Mullins 47 6 £1,360K 12.77% £21.00 Dan Skelton 52 5 £113K 9.62% -£31.65 Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies 26 5 £71K 19.23% -£5.00 N J Henderson 19 5 £501K 26.32% £0.70 D McCain Jnr 28 4 £91K 14.29% -£12.50 P Hobbs & J White 11 4 £60K 36.36% £0.58 G Elliott 33 3 £275K 9.09% -£28.71 Jonjo & A J O'Neill 12 3 £33K 25% £6.75 B Pauling 18 2 £97K 11.11% £4.50 Trainer Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L Dan Skelton 52 11 £236K 21.15% £7.08 W P Mullins 24 7 £573K 29.17% -£3.15 N J Henderson 34 6 £271K 17.65% -£12.77 G Elliott 31 4 £309K 12.9% -£10.80 Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies 23 4 £81K 17.39% -£11.25 Mrs M Rowley 10 4 £35K 40% £12.17 O Murphy 36 3 £161K 8.33% -£20.50 P F Nicholls 23 3 £61K 13.04% -£17.35 A King 16 3 £30K 18.75% £2.00 D McCain Jnr 29 3 £31K 10.34% -£9.80 Trainer Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L F O'Brien 13 3 £66K 23.08% £12.50 Miss Lucinda V Russell 9 1 £4K 11.11% -£0.50 Dan Skelton 10 1 £8K 10% -£9.09 W P Mullins 6 1 £28K 16.67% -£1.67 B Gibbs 2 1 £4K 50% £2.00 D Pipe 2 1 £10K 50% £1.00 Miss R Curtis 2 1 £4K 50% £9.00 A J Honeyball 6 1 £8K 16.67% -£1.67 B Pauling 6 1 £28K 16.67% £0.50 N G Richards 3 1 £28K 33.33% £16.00 -
Jockey Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L H Cobden 28 6 £345K 21.43% -£1.68 B S Hughes 31 5 £104K 16.13% -£11.63 Harry Skelton 39 5 £113K 12.82% -£17.65 Sam Twiston-Davies 31 5 £140K 16.13% £10.00 Paul Townend 13 3 £635K 23.08% £2.25 Jonjo O'Neill Jr. 13 3 £33K 23.08% £6.75 N de Boinville 12 3 £421K 25% -£5.48 M G Nolan 7 3 £42K 42.86% £1.58 S Bowen 28 2 £22K 7.14% -£21.67 Mark Walsh 11 2 £152K 18.18% £5.50 Jockey Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L Harry Skelton 32 7 £148K 21.88% -£8.92 B S Hughes 35 5 £49K 14.29% -£4.55 Paul Townend 14 5 £455K 35.71% £2.50 H Cobden 23 4 £66K 17.39% -£11.35 Mark Walsh 9 4 £315K 44.44% £9.35 N de Boinville 19 3 £218K 15.79% -£14.27 Jonjo O'Neill Jr. 25 3 £67K 12% £3.00 S Bowen 35 2 £146K 5.71% -£22.00 Sam Twiston-Davies 27 2 £63K 7.41% -£21.25 James Bowen 16 2 £50K 12.5% -£5.00 Jockey Runners Wins Prize Money Strike-Rate P/L H Cobden 8 2 £12K 25% £9.33 Kielan Woods 7 2 £36K 28.57% £2.41 J J Burke 7 1 £10K 14.29% -£3.00 Mr P W Mullins 4 1 £28K 25% £0.33 Jack Tudor 4 1 £10K 25% -£1.00 S Bowen 11 1 £4K 9.09% £0.00 P J Brennan 3 1 £28K 33.33% £4.50 Mr D Andrews 2 1 £4K 50% £2.33 Freddie Mitchell 2 1 £4K 50% £2.00 P W Wadge 3 1 £4K 33.33% £5.50
Future Fixtures
Address & Contact
Aintree Racecourse
Ormskirk Road
Aintree
Liverpool
L9 5AS
0151 523 2600
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