Each of the three-day days features seven races, with the first race starting at 1:45 pm and the final race of the day going off at 5:15 pm. It is one of the most popular National Hunt horse racing festivals every year.
Check out the Aintree Festival Tips for each of the 3 days.
The first day has some high-class racing, where the best of Britain take each other on, the second day of the Aintree Festival is Ladies Day and held on Friday 14th April and the final day on the 15th of April is The Grand National race which attracts millions of viewers for the iconic race.
In our Aintree Festival guide, we highlight everything you need to know about the famous Aintree horse racing festival:
The Manifesto Novices’ Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase available to horses aged five and above. It is held at Aintree over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs, with sixteen hurdles to jump during the race. The race is for novices and takes place every year in April during the Grand National meeting.
The Manifesto Novices’ Chase is a Grade 2 race that involves horses who have often previously competed in the Arkle Challenge Trophy and the JLT Novices’ Chase.
The event was upgraded to Grade 1 level in 2012.
4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle
The 4-Y-O Novices’ Hurdle is a race that takes place on the 1st day of the Aintree Festival at 2.20.
The Anniversary 4-Y-O Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle competition for horses aged four years and up.
It is run at Aintree over a distance of approximately 2 miles and 1 furlong, with nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers and takes place every year in early April during the Grand National meeting.
The race was originally known as the Lancashire Hurdle in the 1960s and early 1970s, and it has since been given various different sponsored names.
It was classified as Grade 2 for a time until being upgraded to Grade 1 in 2005.
Aintree Bowl
The Aintree Bowl takes place at 2.55 on the first day of the Aintree Festival.
The Aintree Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle for horses aged four and higher. It is raced at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, with eleven obstacles to be cleared during the race.
The race was first held in 1976 and was originally run over a distance of 2 miles and 512 furlongs.
In 1988, it was shortened to its current length.
The event took place on the final day of the three-day Grand National meeting, which is normally held on Saturday, however, it was relocated to Thursday, the first day of the festival, in 2013.
Foxhunters Chase
The Foxhunters Chase will start at 4.05 on day one of the Aintree Festival.
It is raced at Aintree over an of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs and is hosted every year in April.
The Foxhunters’ is one of only three races held at the Aintree Festival that take place over Grand National fences, the other two being the Topham Chase and the Grand National itself. Randox Laboratories is the current sponsor of the race.
Red Rum Handicap Chase
At 4.40 on day 1 of the Aintree Festival, the Red Rum Handicap Chase will take place.
The Red Rum Handicap Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase for horses aged five and up. It is run over a distance of around 2 miles on the Mildmay course at Aintree, and there are twelve obstacles to jump during the race. It is a handicap race that takes place every year in early April.
The race is named after Red Rum, a three-time Grand National champion during the 1970s.
It was previously known as the Aintree Chase, but in 1997 it was renamed the Red Rum Chase.
Mares’ NH Flat Race
On the first day of the Aintree Festival at 5.15, the Mares’ NH Flat Race will be run.
The Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat Race is a Grade 2 National Hunt flat race held in the United Kingdom for fillies and mares aged four to six years old. It is held each year at Aintree over a distance of approximately 2 miles and 1 furlong, and it takes place during the Grand National meeting in early April.
Nickel Coin, the winner of the 1951 Grand National and the most recent mare to win the Grand National, is the reason this race has its name.
The race was first run as a Listed event in 2005, before being upgraded to a Grade 2 event in 2016.
Aintree Festival Day Two Races – Ladies Day Friday
Here are all the day two racing events for the Aintree Festival.
The Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle
The Handicap Hurdle is the opening race of Day 2 at the Aintree Festival.
The Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt handicap hurdle for horses aged four and up. It is held at Aintree over a distance of approximately 2 miles and 4 furlongs and is held every year in April.
The event was originally held in 1989, and in 2014 it was upgraded to Grade 3.
Oddbins sponsored it from 1991 to 2002, and it has subsequently had a number of sponsors, the most recent being Pertemps in 2021.
Top Novices’ Hurdle
On day 2 of the festival at 2.20, the Top Novices’ Hurdle will start.
The Top Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle race for horses aged four and up. It is held at Aintree over a distance of approximately 2 miles and half a furlong, with nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers and takes place every year in early April during the Grand National meeting.
The field normally includes horses that have already won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and Browne’s Gazette was the last horse to win both championships in 1984.
From its 2016 running, the British Horseracing Authority promoted the Top Novices’ Hurdle to Grade One.
Mildmay Novices’ Chase
At 2.50 on day two of the festival, the Mildmay Novices Chase takes place.
The Mildmay Novices’ Chase is a Grade One National Hunt chase for horses aged five and above. It is raced over a distance of around 3 miles and 1 furlong on the Mildmay course at Aintree, and there are 19 fences to leap during the race. The race is for novice chasers and occurs every year in early April during the Grand National meeting.
The race was originally run in 1981, and the first two winners, Bregawn and Burrough Hill Lad, went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
In 2017, Betway became a sponsor of the event.
From 2014, it was elevated to Grade One.
Melling Chase
The Melling Chase is taking place on Day 2 of the Aintree Festival at 3.25.
The Melling Chase, now known as the Marsh Chase for sponsorship purposes, is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase for horses aged five and above. It is raced at Aintree over a distance of around 2 miles and 4 furlongs, with 16 hurdles to jump during the course. Every year in early April, the race will take place.
Melling Road, a public road that runs through the racetrack, is the reason this race is named Melling Chase. It was founded in 1991 and has maintained Grade 1 classification throughout its existence. The event now takes place on the second of three days of the Grand National meeting.
Topham Chase
At 4.05 on day two of the festival, the Topham Chase will take place.
The Topham Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt handicap chase held in England for horses aged five and up. It is held at Aintree over a distance of approximately 2 miles and 5 furlongs and is held every year in April.
Cavani Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle
The Cavani Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle will take place on day 2 of the festival at 4.40.
The Cavani Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle takes place in the UK as a Grade 1 race. It is held at Aintree Racecourse during the Grand National meeting with a distance of 3 miles and 149 yards.
Park Palace Ponies Handicap Hurdle
The Park Palace Ponies Handicap Hurdle will take place at 5.15 on day 2 of the festival.
This is the final race of day 2 at the Aintree Festival.
The EFT Systems Handicap Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle competition held for horses aged four and up.
It is run at Aintree over a distance of approximately 3 miles and 12 furlongs, with thirteen hurdles to be jumped along the way. It is a handicap race that takes place each year at the Grand National meeting in early April.
The Betway Mersey Novices’ Hurdle
The Mersey Novices’ Hurdle is held on Day 3 of the Festival at 2.25.
The Mersey Novices’ Hurdle is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle competition held in the United Kingdom for horses aged four and up. It is held in Aintree, Merseyside, over a distance of approximately 2 miles and 4 furlongs, with eleven hurdles to be jumped.
Maghull Novices’ Chase
On day 3 of the festival at 3.00, the Maghull Novices’ Chase will take place.
The Maghull Novices’ Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase held in the United Kingdom for horses aged five and up. It is held at Aintree over a distance of around 2 miles, and there are twelve fences to jump during the race. The race is for rookie chasers and takes place every year in early April during the Grand National meeting.
Liverpool Hurdle
The Liverpool Hurdle takes place on Day 3 of the Aintree Festival at 3.35.
The Liverpool Hurdle, now known as the Ryanair Stayers Hurdle due to sponsorship reasons, is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle competition held in the United Kingdom for horses aged four and up.
It is run at Aintree over a distance of approximately 3 miles and 12 furlongs, with thirteen hurdles to leap along the way. Each year, the race will be held at the Grand National meeting in early April.
Betway Handicap Steeple Chase
The Betway Handicap Steeple Chase is held during the Aintree Festival on Day 3 at 4.15.
The Betway Handicap Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt handicap chase in the United Kingdom open to horses aged five and up. It is run at Aintree over a distance of approximately 3 miles and 1 furlong (3 miles and 210 yards, or 5,020 metres), with 19 jumps to be jumped during the race.
The Grand National
The Grand National is the most important race at the Aintree Festival, the race starts at 5.15.
The Grand National is a National Hunt horse event contested annually in Liverpool, England at Aintree Racecourse. It is a handicap steeplechase run over an official distance of roughly 4 miles and 212 furlongs, with horses jumping 30 obstacles over two laps. It was first run in 1839.
Handicap Hurdle
The Aintree Festival is finished with the Handicap Hurdle at 6.20.
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