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Grand National Festival Day 1 Tips - Thursday's Best Bets for Aintree

Jon Vine

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Last updated: Wed 08 Apr 2026 13:24

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Jon Vine 08 Apr 2026

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Free tips for day 1 of the 2026 Grand National Festival
Four Grade One races will be run at Aintree on Thursday 9th April
Ammes, Fairly Famous and Ryan's Rockett feature in our day one selections

Expired

Aintree racecourse. (Getty)

Thursday's Tips for Aintree

Grand National Festival 2026 Day 1 Card
1:45pm Aintree - Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle Tips
2:20pm Aintree - Manifesto Novices' Chase Tips
2:55pm Aintree - Aintree Bowl Tips
3:30pm Aintree - Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase Tips
4:05pm Aintree - Aintree Hurdle Tips
4:40pm Aintree - Red Rum Handicap Chase Tips
5:15pm Aintree - Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race Tips

The 2026 Grand National Festival begins at Aintree on Thursday. Four Grade Ones will take place on the opening afternoon, as well as the Red Rum Handicap and the Hunter Chase held on the Grand National course.

Here are my best betting tips for Aintree on Thursday.

Grand National Festival 2026 Day 1 Card

Time	Track	Title
1:45pm	Aintree	Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m1f
2:20pm	Aintree	William Hill Manifesto Novices' Chase (Grade 1) 2m4f
2:55pm	Aintree	Racing Welfare Bowl Chase (Grade 1) 3m1f
3:30pm	Aintree	Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase (Class 2) 2m5f
4:05pm	Aintree	William Hill Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m4f
4:40pm	Aintree	Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 2m
5:15pm	Aintree	Goffs Nickel Coin Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Grade 2) 2m1f

Grand National Festival 2026 Day 1 Tips

1:45pm Aintree - Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle Tips

The Triumph Hurdle form will be well advertised in Thursday's opener, and there isn't much to separate Selma De Vary, Maestro Conti and Minella Study from their runs at Cheltenham. Mange Tout skipped the Festival to focus on Aintree, and Winston Junior steps into Grade One company after a staying-on second in the old Fred Winter.

AMMES (33/1) wasn't unfancied for that Festival handicap, having pushed Minella Study hard when they two met in Listed company back in October. Sean Bowen's mount was a little slowly away, and was forced to jostle for his position coming down the hill as he tried to keep the leader in his sights. Bowen decided to go wide on the approach to the final flight, but Ammes didn't have much left in the tank, and faded in the final furlong to eventually finish 12th.

Owen's youngster had only run once in a flat handicap between his October clash with Minella Study and the Fred Winter, so he was entitled to be a little rusty. A visor goes on for the first time on Thursday, and there's plenty of evidence in Ammes' autumn form to suggest that he could run far better than his current odds would suggest.

2:20pm Aintree - Manifesto Novices' Chase Tips

I won't be having a bet in the Manifesto. As much as I like Koktail Divin, Lulamba is far too solid to be taken on, as I think he'll improve plenty for this step up in distance.

2:55pm Aintree - Aintree Bowl Tips

Read our full guide to the 2026 Aintree Bowl if you want to find out who we've backed in Thursday's third Grade One.

Visit our Aintree Bowl Live Stream page if you want to watch any of Thursday's races at Aintree via a mobile or tablet.

3:30pm Aintree - Randox Foxhunters' Open Hunters' Chase Tips

I never back anything at short prices in the Hunter Chases, but I do fancy a punt on FAIRLY FAMOUS (40/1) at a price.

This nine-year-old has claimed plenty of victories in high-profile Hunter Chases. Fairly Famous has won twice at Cheltenham's Hunter Chase meeting in May, and was touched off on Hunter Chase Finals Day at Stratford last season by Famous Clermont - who won this very race in 2024.

Now trained and ridden by the excellent Gina Andrews, Fairly Famous travels to Aintree on the back of three successive victories between the flags. Andrews has ridden the winner of this race for her husband, Tom Ellis in the past, but to saddle and guide Fairly Famous home would be the highlight of her glittering career.

4:05pm Aintree - Aintree Hurdle Tips

Find out who we've backed in the final Grade One at Aintree in our full guide to the 2026 Aintree Hurdle.

Head to our Aintree Hurdle Live Stream page if you want to watch this race via a mobile device.

4:40pm Aintree - Red Rum Handicap Chase Tips

Sans Bruit has won the last two renewals off the Red Rum off a mark of 130, and Paul Nicholls has managed to get the defending champion's mark down to 133 over the course of the season. I'm going to give another chance to RYAN'S ROCKET (8/1), who I was hoping to back in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham.

Fergal O'Brien's charge was balloted out of that Festival handicap, and instead ran over two-and-a-half miles at Kempton on the Saturday after Cheltenham. O'Brien has often insisted that Ryan's Rocket is better over that distance, but Jonny Burke's mount was a clear non-stayer that day - and that's not the first time that he's failed to see out an extended trip.

Over the minimum distance, Ryan's Rocket's form is strong. Burke's mount bolted up on his reappearance at Newbury, and was travelling sweetly before unseating in the Desert Orchid at Kempton over Christmas. Good ground should be ideal, and the handicapper has dropped his mark by two pounds for that tame effort at Kempton. The conditions of this contest should be much more suitable.

5:15pm Aintree - Mares' Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race Tips

If Fairly Famous were to win the Hunter Chase, then an excellent day for the Andrews/Ellis family could be capped by LADIES DAY (20/1) in the card-closing bumper.

A point-to-point winner last March, Tom Ellis' filly went close in two summer bumpers, and was touched off by Edith Pelham over this course-and-distance in October. Despite the ground going against her, Ladies' Day then ran a blinder in the Listed Henrietta Knight Flat Race at Huntingdon in December, where she was outstayed late on by Ti'mamzel.

Ti'mamzel has boosted that form significantly since, but might not be as well suited by quick ground at Aintree as Ladies' Day will be. Jack Andrews is the retained jockey for his brother-in-law, and they've clearly been training Ladies' Day with this target in mind.

Verdict

Grand National Festival 2026 Day 1 Tips

Aintree Day 1 Top Tips:

Ryan's Rocket

4:40pm Aintree

@8/1 - 5 Units

Bet £20 Get £10

Use promo code NEWBONUS

18+ New customers only. Bet £20 (or more) EVS (2.0) or greater Get 2 x £5 Free Bets. 1 x £5 Free Bet paid automatically & following £5 Free Bet after 24hrs. Min Free Bet odds 4/1 (5.0) on accumulators Trebles & upwards. Expires after 24hrs. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

Bet at Star Sports

Ladies' Day E/W

5:15pm Aintree

@20/1 - 5 Units

Bet £10 Get £30

with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code NEWBONUS can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. #ad

Bet at bet365

Ammes E/W

1:45pm Aintree

@33/1 - 5 Units

Bet £10 Get £40

in free bets

18+. New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. Free bet applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. Account & Payment method restrictions apply. 1 Free Bet offer per customer, household & IP Address only. 18+. T&Cs apply.

Bet at BOYLE Sports

Fairly Famous E/W

3:30pm Aintree

@40/1 - 5 Units

Bet £10 Get £30

with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code NEWBONUS can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. #ad

Bet at bet365