The Grand National is the headline race, but the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle is the perfect entrée just beforehand.

Joe Napier previews the race directly before the Grand National, with one of the Nicky Henderson trio expected to come out on top.

2026 Liverpool Hurdle Runners 

11 runners will contest this Grade 1 including the last two winners of the race. Hiddenvalley Lake has run no race in two starts since, but does go well fresh, as is the case for Strong Leader. Olly Murphy’s charge appears the more likely candidate this time around after finishing second a year ago. He was also runner-up in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle in December.

Remarkably, Stayers’ Hurdle hero Home By The Lee is not in the top four in the betting. However, the 11-year-old is far form guaranteed to maintain that form and was pulled up here a year ago. The fifth that day, Honesty Policy, has much greater potential, but no six-year-old has won this since 2010. He represents no value.

Nicky Henderson runs a trio here. Impose Toi won the Long Walk but has done precious little since at Cheltenham. He could be revived by the move away from Prestbury Park, but Jingko Blue was excellent from the front in the BetMGM Cup. He is back up in class from handicap company, but he could be up to this level over 3m. Doddiethegreat continues to have something to find here.

The veteran Hewick is on the wane nowadays, while the consistent Take No Chances has given her running in weaker races than this. She is one of three mares with Martin Pipe winner Air Of Entitlement, who could be returning to her best, and Pertemps Final runner-up Lavida Adiva, who has a lot on her plate.

2026 Liverpool Hurdle Racecard

2026 Liverpool Hurdle Trends 

• The last ten winners have been aged 7 or above
• Irish yards have won three of the last four renewals
• Four of the last six winners had skipped Cheltenham
• Only one of the last seven favourites have won

2026 Liverpool Hurdle Tips 

Last year’s winner Hiddenvalley Lake has shown too little since to be trusted. Strong Leader should be on the premises while Honesty Policy has untapped potential. However, Jingko Blue won the BetMGM Cup at the Cheltenham Festival so impressively from the front that he could prove a Grade 1 horse in staying hurdle events.

FAQs

When and where is the Liverpool Hurdle run?

The Liverpool Hurdle will take place at Aintree racecourse on Saturday 11 April, 2026 at 3.05pm.

How can I watch the Liverpool Hurdle on Saturday?

The Liverpool Hurdle is shown live on ITV at 3.05pm on Saturday.

When were the Liverpool Hurdle tips published?

The tips for the Liverpool Hurdle were published at 2.10pm on Friday 10 April.

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