Grand National Ladies’ Day tips and race previews
We’re right in the middle of one of the most exciting weeks of the year for horse racing fans, with Aintree hosting the three-day Grand National Festival in Liverpool.
With the first day now behind us, attention switches to Day Two, which is known as Ladies Day. Traditionally held on a Friday, the meeting combines the action on the track with fashion and culture, with up to 50,000 people set to flock to Aintree and thousands of those entering the best dressed competitions each year.
There’s plenty to get stuck into on the racecourse as well, with no less than four Grade 1 races for punters to navigate. With so much to sort through, we’ve put together the very best Grand National Day 2 tips and analysis for you in this handy guide.
Grand National Day 2 race schedule
While plenty of eyes will be on the fashion and entertainment taking place at Aintree on Ladies Day, there is some excellent racing action set to take place on the track.
There are no less than four Grade 1 races on Day Two of the Grand National races in Liverpool, with the feature being the My Pension Expert Melling Chase, in which Jonbon will be hoping to justify favouritism for the Nicky Henderson team.
We’ve listed the schedule of all seven races on the second day of the Grand National meeting for you below.
Time
Race
Distance
Type
13.45
Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
3m1f
Chase
14.20
William Hill Handicap Hurdle
2m4f
Hurdle
14.55
Trustatrader Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
2m½f
Hurdle
15.30
My Pension Expert Melling Chase (Grade 1)
2m4f
Chase
16.05
Randox Supports Race Against Dementia Topham Handicap Chase (National Course)
2m5f
Chase
16.40
Cavani Sartorial Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
3m½f
Hurdle
17.15
Lydiate Handicap Hurdle (Conditional Jockeys & Amateur riders)
2m½f
Hurdle
Grand National Ladies’ Day tips and predictions
It may have to share the limelight with the fashion and the entertainment at Aintree on Friday, but the Ladies Day card is an excellent one, with no less than four top level races set to take place across the card.
With all of the top yards and jockeys set to be represented, we’ve taken a look at the form and picked out what we feel are the very best Grand National Ladies Day tips at the five-day entries stage for you below.
The Mildmay Novices’ Steeple Chase tips
This is a race which regularly throws up a star of the future, with winners from the last few years including a subsequent Gold Cup winner in Native River (2016) and a Betfair Chase winner in Lostintranslation (2019).
We could have as many as four Cheltenham Festival winners line up here, with each of Corbetts Cross (National Hunt Chase), Grey Dawning (Turners Novices’ Chase), Inothewayurthinkin (Kim Muir) and Chianti Classico (Ultima Handicap Chase) all entered – though the first two named are highly likely to head elsewhere.
The field could cut up quite dramatically by the time the final declarations are confirmed and with that in mind it could be worth getting Iroko on side at around 10-1 at the time of writing. He faced a tough task when fifth in the Turners on just his second chase start after an absence, but he shaped well enough there and should be much sharper here.
He looked a nice prospect when winning a notable novice contest at Warwick in November and it would be no surprise should last season’s Martin Pipe winner have plenty more to offer yet over the larger obstacles.
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The William Hill Handicap Hurdle tips
This race regularly proves to be a tough puzzle to solve, with winners often returning at a double figure price.
Langer Dan justified favouritism in this two years ago and would be a threat to all if taking his chance, but he could head elsewhere after being hiked up in the weights for his Coral Cup win, while stablemates Boombawn and Kateira both merit consideration for the red-hot Dan Skelton team.
It’s possible to make a case for plenty of these – especially at the five-day stage at the time of writing – though it could be worth siding with Below The Radar each-way at around 14-1 for the Paul Nicholls team.
The six-year-old has been progressing at a rate of knots, completing a hat-trick under Rules when winning in heavy ground at Uttoxeter last month. This is tougher but the form of his runs so far are all working out well and it would be no surprise to see him hit the frame at the very least in this wide open affair.
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The Trustatrader Top Novices’ Hurdle tips
We regularly see some of the big players from the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in this race and Slade Steel will be bidding to become the first horse since Browne’s Gazette in 1984 to complete the double for Henry De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore.
There was plenty to like about the six-year-old’s victory at last month’s Cheltenham Festival and he’s fancied to buck recent history by confirming that form with the reopposing Mystical Power (second) and Firefox (third). Another to note is the Grade 1 winner Caldwell Potter, who missed the Festival and could make his first start since joining Paul Nicholls.
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The My Pension Expert Melling Chase tips
The feature race is shaping up into a blockbuster, with Jonbon aiming to gain compensation for missing last month’s Cheltenham Festival. Nicky Henderson’s charge doesn’t come without risk due to the form of the yard of late, though he’s the clear form pick and would likely be much shorter than the 10-3 on offer in normal circumstances.
He could prove to be much shorter odds by Friday should Shishkin and Sir Gino perform well on Thursday and it looks worth getting him on side at this stage. Several deserve respect in opposition, including the recent Grade 1 winner Pic D’orhy and the Ryanair Chase winner Protektorat – though the latter could take his chance on Thursday in the Aintree Bowl.
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The Randox Supports Race Against Dementia Topham Chase tips
The second race of the week to be held over the famous Grand National fences, the Topham Chase has been won more often than not by one of the market principals in recent years.
It’s possible to make a case for the majority still in the race at this stage, but it could be worth chancing The Goffer each-way at around 16-1. He didn’t quite get home in the conditions when fifth in last month’s Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham, meaning the slight drop back in trip ought to play into his hands.
He’s been remarkably consistent in this sphere over the last couple of years, holding his own in a string of competitive races, and he should relish this jumping test. It would be no surprise should he go very close here off the same mark. However, it’s worth noting he is also guaranteed a run in the Grand National and may opt to head there, meaning it’s worth making sure your bookmaker offers ‘non-runner, no bet’ on the Topham Chase if you do choose to side with him.
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The Cavani Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle tips
All eyes will be on last month’s Albert Bartlett winner Stellar Story, as he bids to seal back-to-back Grade 1 victories. Winners of that race don’t have a good record here however, with At Fishers Cross being the last to complete the double in 2013, meaning it could be worth looking elsewhere on this occasion.
The Jukebox Man was denied by Stellar Story in agonising fashion last month, but he had a hard race that day and it could be worth chancing Readin Tommy Wrong to bounce back for the all-conquering Willie Mullins operation.
He was pulled-up in the same race last month but can be forgiven that as it was too bad an effort to be true. He’d shown some strong form prior to that – winning a Grade 1 at Naas in January – and ought to be right there if back to his best here.
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The Abersoch Land and Sea Handicap Hurdle tips
We finish up with a fiendishly difficult handicap for conditional and amateur jockeys, which was won by a 40-1 chance 12 months ago.
It’s difficult to look past the current 8-1 favourite at the time of writing Go Dante, who arrives here on the back of an excellent effort to win last month’s Imperial Cup at Sandown. He’s won two highly competitive handicap contests now this term and may have more room for manoeuvre in his mark just yet, having been raised 5lbs for that win here. He does also have an entry in the two and a half mile race on the card, but this seems the likelier route.
It could also be worth chancing Goobinator each-way at a huge price. He hasn’t been the easiest to train for Donald McCain but he’s shown useful form when he’s made the track and having blown away the cobwebs on the Flat last week, it would be no surprise to see this front-runner run well off a featherweight if he can sneak into the field.
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About the Grand National Festival Ladies’ Day 2024
The Grand National Festival is one of the biggest horse racing events of the entire year, with thousands of punters flocking to Liverpool for the three-day event.
While the first day is all about the racing on the track, Day Two (also known as Ladies Day) features fashion and culture, with the annual best dressed competitions offering huge prizes and attracting thousands of entries each year.
Ladies Day regularly sees around 50,000 people head to Aintree for the big day, which offers some pulsating action both on and off the track.
In terms of the racing, the feature race is the Grade 1 Melling Chase over two and a half miles, which tends to feature key players from the previous month’s Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
1
How to bet on Grand National day 2 races. 18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly
How to bet on Grand National Day 2 races
The Grand National races is one of the biggest betting events of the entire year and sees people who wouldn’t normally bet on the horse racing having a go on the big event.
With that in mind, betting on horse racing can seem a daunting thing if you’re not used to it, but it’s a relatively simple thing to do once you know how. To help you out, we’ve put together this quick step-by-step guide to betting on the Grand National Festival.
Sign into your betting account. If you don’t already have one, we have listed some of the best betting sites on the market in this article.
If you need to create an account, head to your chosen site and press ‘sign up’. Make sure you take advantage of any relevant free bet offers when doing so.
Once you have logged into your account, navigate to the ‘horse racing’ section of the site.
Find the racing taking place at Aintree on Friday 12th April 2024.
Pick out the horse you’d like to bet on. You should be able to see all of the runners and riders on the betting site, but you can also view free form on the Racing Post website.
Once you have picked a horse, add them to your betting slip by clicking on the odds next to their name.
You should see your selection in your betslip. Enter your stake into the box, making sure you check the each-way box if you would like to place an each-way bet.
Once you’re happy with everything, click on ‘place bet’.
Your bet should be placed. Good luck!
How to watch Grand National Festival Ladies’ Day races
You can watch all three days of the 2024 Grand National Festival live on ITV Racing, who are showing five races on the first two days from 2pm-5pm. If you would like to watch the two races that haven’t been selected for terrestrial broadcast, you can tune into Racing TV or you can stream the races live on your betting site. Most horse racing bookmakers will offer streams of all UK and Irish racing to their customers, but do check with your operator before placing any bets.
Other race previews and Grand National tips
We may be focusing on the second day of the 2024 Grand National races in this article, but the nature of a three-day meeting means that plenty of eyes will be on the other two days as well. With that in mind, we’ve listed our very best bets for day 2 and Grand National Day for you below in this article.
Grand National day 2 tips and races preview
The feature race on day 2 of the Grand National meeting is the Grade 1 Aintree Bowl, which is shaping up into a cracking contest. The Gold Cup runner-up Gerri Colombe deserves plenty of respect after a stellar campaign so far, but Shishkin may prove to be too tough a nut to crack.
Siding with the 10-year-old wouldn’t come without its risks, with the Nicky Henderson team desperately struggling for form of late, but he put up a top-class performance when winning this 12 months ago and would be the one to beat on form if fully firing. In behind the top two in the betting, each of Bravemansgame, Corbetts Cross and the Ryanair Chase winner Protektorat all merit serious respect.
Grand National Day tips and races preview
With just 34 places on offer in the world’s most famous steeplechase for the first time this year, it’s harder than ever to get a run in the big race. Corach Rambler will be popular with plenty as he aims to emulate the great Tiger Roll by becoming the second dual winner this century, but it could be worth having a go each-way on Mr Incredible at around 14-1.
Willie Mullins’ sole victory in this race came with Hedgehunter in 2005 and he looks to have several key players this time around, including the eight-year-old, who’s been putting in a string of stamina-laden performances in competitive staying chases over the last couple of years.
He was unfortunate to unseat his rider at the second Canal Turn last year and he returned by blowing away the cobwebs with a fine run to finish second in tough conditions in last month’s Midlands National at Uttoxeter.
He took to the fences well 12 months ago and with the ground likely to be testing here, it would be no surprise to see him run well off a 5lbs higher mark this time around.
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FAQ about Grand National Ladies’ Day tips and previews
The fantastic thing about the Grand National meeting is the fact that it has a habit of drawing new eyes to the sport of kings, meaning that there will be plenty of punters who aren’t used to betting on the racing.
If that applies to you, fear not. We’ve listed three of the most frequently asked questions about betting on the racing on fast withdrawal casino sites for you below and provided a handy answer for each.
1. Which bookmakers are offering the best promotions or bonuses for Day 2 of the Grand National races?
In short, there are plenty of fantastic free bet offers and promotions available on Day Two of the Grand National Festival. Bookmakers will be pulling out all the stops to entice you to bet with them on such a massive betting week and we’ve listed some of the very best sign up offers on the Grand National in this article.
2. What’s the best way for beginners to use the Grand National tips betting?
When taking in Grand National betting advice, the key thing to remember is to trust your gut at the end of the day. There are so many free horse racing resources available to punters these days, meaning it’s very easy to get overwhelmed by taking in too much information. The best advice is to read as much form and expert advice as possible, but to then use it to make an informed decision yourself.
3. What’s the best day of the Grand National Festival?
The answer to this question will be different depending on which horse racing fan you speak to about the Grand National Festival! You can expect out and out horse racing fans to answer day 2 due to the strength of the card that day, while more social punters will tell you that Ladies Day is the best due to the entertainment on offer that day. Meanwhile, your more general sports fans will probably argue that it’s Grand National Day itself due to the prestige and the history. Essentially, there’s no right or wrong answers to this question!
About the author
Nick Seddon
A sports journalist with more than a decade of experience, Nick has covered some of the biggest events in sport, from the Grand National and the Epsom Derby in horse racing to Walsall against Wigan Athletic in League One.
Follow Nick on X: @nickseddon_
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