2019 Aintree Grand National Meeting Guide 2019 Grand National meeting, Aintree FULL RUNNING ORDER Grand National Thursday - 4 April 1.45pm Devenish Nutrition Manifesto Novices’ Chase Welcome to the 2019 Randox Health (Grade 1) (4000m) Grand National Festival 2.20pm Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1) (3400m) Three days of top-class racing built around one of Britain’s most 2.50pm Betway Bowl Chase (Grade 1) (5000m) iconic sporting events, the Grand National. 3.25pm Betway Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1) (4000m) 4.05pm Randox Health Foxhunters’ Chase (4200m) Well over £3million in prize money is on offer across the 21 races. 4.40pm Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase (3200m) Indeed, only three jumps racedays in the UK all year long offer four 5.15pm Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open NHF Race Grade 1 races – and two of those are at this meeting. (Grade 2) (3400m) However, there is no doubting the highlight of the three days, the Ladies Day, Friday - 5 April world’s most famous horseracing contest over jumps. 1.45pm Merseyrail Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) (4000m) 2.20pm Betway Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (3400m) Since the inaugural running at Aintree Racecourse way back in 1839, 2.50pm Betway Mildmay Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (5000m) when Lottery became the first winner, victory in the Grand National 3.25pm JLT Melling Chase (Grade 1) (4000m) has been the pinnacle of ambition for owners, trainers and jockeys. 4.05pm Randox Health Topham Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (4200m) 4.40pm Doom Bar Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (5000m) Actors, aristocrats, business people, comedians, celebrities, media 5.15pm Weatherbys Racing Bank Standard Open NHF Race moguls, politicians, pop stars, sporting heroes, Kings, Queens (Grade 2) (3400m) and Princes have all tried for glory, but only a fortunate few have succeeded. Grand National Day, Saturday - 6 April 1.45pm Gaskells Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) (5000m) It is one of the biggest tests for racehorse and rider, who must 2.25pm Betway Mersey Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (4000m) complete two circuits of the iconic Grand National course - with a total 3.00pm Doom Bar Maghull Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) (3200m) of 30 fences to be jumped over nearly 7000m. 3.40pm Ryanair Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) (5000m) 4.20pm Betway Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (5000m) Some of the race’s famous landmarks, such as Becher’s Brook, the 5.15pm Randox Health Grand National (6900m) Canal Turn, Valentine’s Brook and The Chair, are well known to the 6.20pm Pinsent Masons Handicap Hurdle (3300m) millions who watch the race each year. GRAND NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE FAVOURITES LONGEST ODDS JOCKEYS WINNER’S AGE FIVE of the last 25 WINNERS FIVE HORSES have won the TO FOLLOW NINE-YEAR-OLD HORSES have have been favourites or joint- Grand National at 100/1, FIVE RACES TAKE PLACE EACH won 45 of the 171 runnings of favourites. The most recent most recently the VENETIA YEAR over the Grand National the Grand National, but more favourite to win was DON’T WILLIAMS-TRAINED MON fences, and the current rider recently EIGHT-YEAR-OLDS PUSH IT IN 2010. No favourite MOME in 2009. His victory was with the best record is SAM have done best, winning three has started at 5/1 or less since the first at those odds since WALEY-COHEN with six victories of the last four renewals – MANY 1975, but TIGER ROLL could FOINAVON memorably avoided over the course. Just in behind is CLOUDS (2015), ONE FOR well be an even shorter price a pile-up in front of him to score RUBY WALSH with five. ARTHUR (2017) AND TIGER this year as he bids to win the in 1967. ROLL (2018). race for the second year running. 1 Thursday 4 April IN FOCUS: Betway Aintree Hurdle (Race 4) Sent off at the head of the betting for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last month, both Buveur D’Air and Apple’s Jade get the chance to show their true colours on the opening day of the meeting. DAY 1 - THE KEY STATS The Gordon Elliott-trained Apple’s Jade was the marginal favourite at • Race 1 - Nine of the 10 winners so far of the Manifesto Novices’ Cheltenham, after completing a Grade One hat-trick with a scintillating Chase had come here from the Cheltenham Festival, but all had display in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown. However, the been beaten at that meeting. star mare completely failed to fire and finished a well-beaten sixth. • Race 2 - Eight of the last 19 winners of the Doom Bar 4-y-o Nicky Henderson’s Buveur D’Air was bidding to become the sixth Hurdle had lined up in the Finesse Hurdle at Cheltenham earlier horse in history to win three Champion Hurdles, but only made it as in the season – the race was run this year by Fakir D’Oudaires. far as the third flight before taking off too soon, hitting the hurdle and French-bred horses also have a notably good record in the race. coming to grief - the first fall of his 17-race jumping career. He will bid to bounce back in the 4000m contest that he won two years ago. • Race 3 – The Betfred Bowl is an unusually good race for older horses. In its 35 renewals to date, the winner has been aged 10 Melon, twice runner-up in the Champion Hurdle, is one of three or over a remarkable 15 times, with 11-year-olds rolling back the possible starters for reigning Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins, years for eight of those victories. Horses who have run in the Gold along with Benie des Dieux and Faugheen. Cup at Cheltenham are not profitable to follow in this contest. The best bet – Pentland Hills (Race 2) • Race 4 – Nicky Henderson has won the race in four of the last Backing horses at Aintree who have produced career-best efforts only eight years, including with Buveur D’Air two years ago, who bids weeks earlier at Cheltenham isn’t usually a profitable strategy, given to win the race for a second time. Previous winners have a good how hard it can be at the end of a long campaign to keep producing record, while 29 of the 42 winners came here after running in the big performances. Champion Hurdle. ‘However, Pentland Hills did so much wrong and yet still managed to • Race 6 – Inexperienced chasers have a good record in the ‘Red claim the Triumph Hurdle on just his second public appearance over Rum’, with novices – those in their first season over fences – obstacles. The time of his victory was good and his jumping improved often coming out on top of their more-exposed rivals. as the race went on. He will take some beating if turning out again.’ 2 Friday 5 April IN FOCUS: Betway Mildmay Novices’ Chase (Race 3) Early indications suggest that the RSA Chase at last month’s Cheltenham Festival might turn out to be one of the great races of DAY 2 - THE KEY STATS the year, three exciting performers scrapping it out up the hill. • Race 2 - The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is the usual route into It was Topofthegame who came out in front for Paul Nicholls and Harry this contest for the winner and, interestingly, three of the last Cobden there and the seven-year-old bids to confirm his status as the seven winners all finished second at Cheltenham. All three of most exciting staying novice chaser around by following up here. those were trained by Nicky Henderson, who has an excellent record in this race. Interestingly, though, he has different rivals to prove himself against here with the talented mare La Bague Au Roi taking the eye, especially • Race 3 – Experience is the key in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase given the weight allowance she receives. with the vast majority of winners having won at least a couple of races over fences. It’s 10 years since any horse who hadn’t Warren Greatrex was always inclined to give Cheltenham a miss in order previously finished in the first two in a Grade 1 took this. to wait for this race and she had Topofthegame a length and a half behind at Kempton earlier this season under the same weight terms. • Race 4 – The first two home in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham have an excellent record when coming on here, The best bet – Dallas Des Pictons (Race 6) with Politologue bidding to continue that run here. The idea of a horse having been beaten in handicap company proving to be a great bet in a Grade 1 contest is, perhaps, a little counter- • Race 5 – Previous form over the Grand National fences is intuitive. However, Dallas Des Pictons emerged from his latest run valuable with 10 of the last 15 winners having had experience of when second in the Martin Pipe Hurdle, with huge credit. the course previously. Sent on two out, he was run down close home by the strongly- • Race 6 – The Sefton Novices’ Hurdle has thrown up some big- supported Early Doors, but the way he travelled through the race priced winners in the last 10 years, including those at 20/1, 25/1, suggested that he is a horse of considerable talent and he can only 25/1 and 33/1 – so don’t be afraid to look for a surprise success. continue to progress, having had just five races over hurdles so far. He steps back up in distance to 5000m here but connections are confident that the extra test of stamina will bring out the best in him.