The Grand National is one of Britain’s biggest sporting events, with winning horses, trainers and jockeys becoming household names. This £1m race is run over 4m2½f, with runners navigating 30 fences in two circuits of the famous Aintree Grand National Course.
Aintree’s Grand National Meeting takes place over three days, running from Thursday to Saturday. The Grand National is scheduled for 4pm on the Saturday.
In total there are 21 races at the meeting, seven on each of the three days, including eleven Grade 1s, two Grade 2s and six Premier Handicaps.
Thursday 9th April 2026, Opening Day
The Grand National meeting opens with three Grade 1 races in the 2m1f Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle, the 2m4f Manifesto Novices’ Chase and the 3m1f Aintree Bowl Chase.
Race four is the 2m5f Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase on the Grand National Course ahead of the fourth Grade 1 race of the day in the 2m4f Aintree Hurdle. Day one closes with the 2m Red Rum Handicap Chase, a Premier Handicap, and the Grade 2 Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race over 2m1f.
- 1:45pm: Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m1f, 4yo, £110,000 - 2:20pm: William Hill Manifesto Novices’ Chase
Grade 1, 2m4f, 5yo+, £120,000 - 2:55pm: Racing Welfare Bowl Chase
Grade 1, 3m1f, 5yo+, £250,000 - 3:30pm: Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase
Class 2, 2m5f, 6yo+, £50,000 - 4:05pm: William Hill Aintree Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m4f, 4yo+, £250,000 - 4:40pm: Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase
Premier Handicap, 2m, 5yo+, £100,000 - 5:15pm: Goffs Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race
Grade 2, 2m1f, 4-6yo, £50,000
Friday 10th April 2026, Ladies Day
The middle day of the Grand National Meeting on Friday is Ladies Day. The 2m4f William Hill Handicap Hurdle is the first race on the card before three Grade 1 races in the 3m1f Mildmay Novices’ Chase, the 2m½f Top Novices’ Hurdle and the 2m4f Melling Chase.
The racing concludes with the 2m5f Topham Handicap Chase, the final Grade 1 of the day in the 3m½f Sefton Novices’ Hurdle and the 2m½f Debenhams Handicap Hurdle.
- 1:45pm: William Hill Handicap Hurdle
Premier Handicap, 2m4f, 4yo+, £75,000 - 2:20pm: William Hill Mildmay Novices’ Chase
Grade 1, 3m1f, 5yo+, £120,000 - 2:55pm: ThatPrizeGuy Top Novices’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m½f, 4yo+, £100,000 - 3:30pm: JCB Melling Chase
Grade 1, 2m4f, 5yo+, £250,000 - 4:05pm: Randox Topham Handicap Chase
Premier Handicap, 2m5f, 5yo+, £150,000 - 4:40pm: Oddschecker Sefton Novices’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 3m½f, 4yo+, £100,000 - 5:15pm: Debenhams Handicap Hurdle
Class 2, 2m½f, 4yo+, £50,000
Saturday 11th April 2026, Grand National Day
The action on Grand National Day starts with the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase over 2m and the 3m½f William Hill Handicap Hurdle. The Grade 1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle over 2m4f follows before the 3m1f William Hill Handicap Chase and the last of the Grade 1s in the 3m½f Liverpool Hurdle.
The 4m2½f Grand National Handicap Chase itself is the penultimate race of the day with a maximum field of 34 runners lining up to compete for a share of £1m in prize money.
The racing on Saturday, and indeed the meeting, concludes with the Grade 2 Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race over 2m1f.
- 12:45pm: Hallgarten & Novum Wines Maghull Novices’ Chase
Grade 1, 2m, 5yo+, £120,000 - 1:20pm: William Hill Handicap Hurdle
Premier Handicap, 3m½f, 4yo+, £75,000 - 1:55pm: Mersey Novices’ Hurdle
Grade 1, 2m4f, 4yo+, £100,000 - 2:30pm: William Hill Handicap Chase
Premier Handicap, 3m1f, 5yo+, £100,000 - 3:05pm: Jet2 Liverpool Hurdle
Grade 1, 3m½f, 4yo+, £250,000 - 4:00pm: Randox Grand National Handicap Chase
Premier Handicap, 4m2½f, 7yo+, £1,000,000 - 5:00pm: Weatherbys nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race
Grade 2, 2m1f, 4-6yo, £50,000
