Most people arrive at the Aintree Festival on Saturday for the Grand National and do not realise that Thursday and Friday carry some of the best jump racing of the entire season. Four Grade 1 races feature on Thursday April 9th — the opening day of the Festival — before Ladies Day on Friday and the Grand National on Saturday. If you are planning to bet across the three days, here is everything on Thursday's card and why it matters.
13:45 — Boodles Anniversary 4-Year-Old Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)
The first race on the Aintree card on Thursday is a Grade 1 juvenile hurdle for four-year-olds. This race regularly attracts the best juvenile hurdlers of the season who have already competed at the Cheltenham Festival or who bypassed it to arrive fresh at Aintree. It is a race worth watching for future stars — horses that win the Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle frequently develop into top-level hurdlers in subsequent seasons.
14:20 — William Hill Mildmay Novices' Chase (Grade 1)
Over 2m4f, the Mildmay attracts the best staying novice chasers of the season. Horses that run well here are often the following season's Gold Cup and Ryanair contenders. For Saturday's Grand National context, the Mildmay tells you about ground conditions, how the course is riding and whether the going description matches the actual feel underfoot — all useful for handicapping the Grand National field.
14:55 — Aintree Bowl Chase (Grade 1)
The Bowl Chase over 3m1f is one of the most informative trials for the Grand National itself. Run over the Mildmay course rather than the Grand National course, it still tests horses over a staying trip on Aintree ground. Horses that run well in the Bowl are demonstrably comfortable staying three miles at Aintree — the stamina and jumping quality that transfers most directly to Saturday.
16:05 — William Hill Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1)
The Aintree Hurdle over 2m4f on the hurdle course is a championship race for staying hurdlers. The New Lion is prominent in the market. This race carries its own significance as a Grade 1 championship but has limited direct relevance to Grand National assessment.
16:40 — Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase
Run over two miles on the Mildmay course, the Red Rum is a competitive sprint handicap that rounds off Thursday's card. It is Aintree's closest equivalent to a flat-track speed test over jumps.
What Thursday Tells You About Saturday
Most importantly: watch how the ground rides. The going description on Thursday morning will be refined through the day as horses race on it. If the going description shifts between Thursday morning and Friday morning, that shift is significant for Saturday's Grand National betting. Horses whose form is specifically tied to a particular going condition need to be reassessed as the ground picture clarifies.
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