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Ladies Day is full of colour, style and fashion as Aintree celebrates individuality and creativity, with all designs and looks in the spotlight.
On the track the action is no less sparkling, with day two on Merseyside headlined by the Grade 1 Melling Chase and the Topham Steeple Chase – the latter run over the Grand National fences.
You can watch all the Day 2 action from Aintree via live streaming when logged into MansionBet.
Betting Tips & Predictions
Get the latest betting tips for every race on Day 2 of the Grand National Festival by clicking the race names below:
Grand National Festival Day 2: Ladies Day Racecard April 9th 2021
Day two at Aintree is brimming with quality and ultra-competitive jumps racing fare, headlined by the Melling Chase. The full Friday programme is below.
TIME | RACE | DISTANCE | PRIZE MONEY |
13:45 | The Alder Hey Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3) | 2m4f | £70,000 |
14:20 | Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) | 2m½f | £100,000 |
14:50 | Mildmay Novices’ Steeple Chase (Grade 1) | 3m1f | £100,000 |
15:25 | Melling Steeple Chase (Grade 1) | 2m4f | £200,000 |
16:05 | Topham Steeple Chase (Grade 3) | 2m5f | £120,000 |
16:40 | Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) | 3m½f | £100,000 |
17:15 | Champion Standard Open NH Flat Race (Grade 2) | 2m1f | £45,000 |
Race 1 – 13:45 The Alder Hey Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)
A Grade 3 handicap hurdle over two-and-a-half miles launches day two at Aintree. Auroras Encore won this contest in 2008 and would land The National itself five years later for Sue Smith.
YEAR | WINNER | TRAINER | JOCKEY | ODDS |
2019 | Rather Be | Nicky Henderson | Jerimiah McGrath | 10/1 |
2018 | Jester Jet | Tom Lacey | Robbie Dunne | 20/1 |
2019 | Three Musketeers | Gordon Elliott | Jack Kennedy | 8/1 |
Race 2 – 14:20 Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
This race became a Grade 1 event as recently as 2016 and can feature horses that have previously run in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
YEAR | WINNER | TRAINER | JOCKEY | ODDS |
2017 | Felix Desjy | Gordon Elliott | Jack Kennedy | 8/1 |
2018 | Lalor | Kayley Woollacott | Richard Johnson | 20/1 |
2017 | Pingshou | Colin Tizzard | Robbie Power | 10/1 |
Race 3 – 14:50 Mildmay Novices’ Steeple Chase (Grade 1)
Run over a three-miles-one-furlong distance, the Mildmay Novices’ Chase is a through stamina test for up-and-coming chasers. Might Bite was the most recent Cheltenham Festival winner to land this in 2017.
YEAR | WINNER | TRAINER | JOCKEY | ODDS |
2019 | Lostintranslation | Colin Tizzard | Robbie Power | 3/1 |
2018 | Terrefort | Nicky Henderson | Daryl Jacob | 3/1fav |
2017 | Might Bite | Nicky Henderson | Nico de Boinville | 8/13fav |
Race 4 – 15:25 Melling Steeple Chase (Grade 1)
The Melling Chase is named after the public road that crosses Aintree racecourse. It often attracts horses that have run in the Queen Mother Champion Chase or the Ryanair Chase at the previous month’s Cheltenham Festival and is the feature race on day two.
YEAR | WINNER | TRAINER | JOCKEY | ODDS |
2019 | Min | Willie Mullins | Ruby Walsh | 2/1 |
2018 | Politologue | Paul Nicholls | Sam Twiston-Davies | 11/1 |
2017 | Fox Norton | Colin Tizzard | Robbie Power | 4/1 |
Race 5 – 16:05 Topham Steeple Chase (Grade 3)
The Topham is a tough jumping test over the National fences and it’s most successful participant was the Peter Bowen-trained Always Waining, winner in three successive years from 2010 onwards.
YEAR | WINNER | TRAINER | JOCKEY | ODDS |
2019 | Cadmium | Willie Mullins | Paul Townend | 8/1 |
2018 | Ultragold | Colin Tizzard | Harry Cobden | 14/1 |
2017 | Ultragold | Colin Tizzard | Harry Cobden | 50/1 |
Race 6 – 16:40 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
An out-and-out staying test for the novices, this race is run over a trip of close to three-miles and one-furlong. It is perhaps not quite as daunting as the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham but, nonetheless, requires a proper stayer to win.
YEAR | WINNER | TRAINER | JOCKEY | ODDS |
2019 | Champ | Nicky Henderson | Mark Walsh | 9/4fav |
2018 | Santini | Nicky Henderson | Nico de Boinville | 6/4fav |
2017 | The World’s End | Tom George | Adrian Heskin | 3/1 |
Race 7 – 17:15 Champion Standard Open NH Flat Race (Grade 2)
Aintree’s Champion Bumper race is more of a speedy affair than the counterpart at Cheltenham. The New One and Lalor are recent winners that returned to taste victory over jumps at this meeting.
YEAR | WINNER | TRAINER | JOCKEY | ODDS |
2019 | McFabulous | Paul Nicholls | Harry Cobden | 2/1fav |
2018 | Portrush Ted | Warren Greatrex | Gavin Sheehan | 25/1 |
2017 | Lalor | Kayley Woollacott | Richard Johnson | 33/1 |
Betting Promos for Grand National Festival Day 2
You can watch every race from Aintree on day two of the Grand National Festival via live streaming when logged into MansionBet. We’ll have the latest odds in the lead-up to Aintree and special offers and promotions across the three days of the Festival itself; including – extra-place races, best odds guaranteed and new customer offers.
Also be sure to check out the horse racing section of our blog for daily tipping advice from our racing experts on all three days of the Grand National Festival.