The Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle is the feature race on day one of Aintree’s Grand National meeting. This year’s contest provides a fascinating canvas, with those who finished between second and fifth in the Champion Hurdle all coming here.

GG tipster Joe Napier has previewed the 2026 Aintree Hurdle below. He has sided with a value play for Thursday’s headline event…

2026 Aintree Hurdle Runners 

Second and third in the Champion Hurdle, Brighterdaysahead and The New Lion renew acquaintances. Gordon Elliott’s mare ran her best race yet at Cheltenham last time out. She is also a course and distance winner, hacking up as a novice here two seasons back, though The New Lion will likely appreciate the return to a longer distance. Dan Skelton’s charge has competed over 2m this term, but was a stellar novice at middle distances in 2025.

Both Alexei and Golden Ace add further depth. Alexei may well have challenged for second had he not made a total mess of the last. He managed to rally gamely to hold onto fourth and is interesting running over 2m4f. He is a much bigger price than those who finished ahead of him, though Golden Ace now appears to have found her ceiling.

El Fabiolo has returned to hurdling with some success this term. He ran no race at Leopardstown behind Brighterdaysahead before making light work of an odds-on opportunity in March. He is interesting at a track and trip where he chased home Jonbon four years ago.

Potters Charm is on a good run, but still needs to prove he can step up to this level. He was well behind The New Lion at Cheltenham last term, while Lucky Place has disappointed this term and requires some underperformances.

2026 Aintree Hurdle Racecard

2026 Aintree Hurdle Trends 

• The last three winners have been six-year-olds
• The last three winners have been priced at 5/4 or below
• Only two favourites have won in the last seven years though
• Four of the last six winners have been trained in Ireland
• No winner in the last decade has been trained in Britain apart from by Nicky Henderson

2026 Aintree Hurdle Tips 

At a significantly bigger price compared to those he was alongside at the last in the Champion Hurdle, Alexei could deliver a surprise in the Aintree Hurdle. The step up in trip on a flat track is worth exploring on a sounder surface and he represents good value compared to Brighterdaysahead, who can confirm form with The New Lion from Cheltenham. El Fabiolo is another interesting contender.

1. Alexei
2. Brighterdaysahead
3. The New Lion

FAQs

When and where is the Aintree Hurdle run?

The Aintree Hurdle will take place at Aintree racecourse on Thursday 9 April, 2026 at 4.05pm.

How can I watch the Aintree Hurdle on Thursday?

The Aintree Hurdle is shown live on ITV at 4.05pm on Thursday.

When were the Aintree Hurdle tips published?

The tips for the Aintree Hurdle were published at 1.27pm on Tuesday 7 April.

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