Grand National Thursday tips and race previews

It may not feel like it thanks to the weather, but spring is well and truly upon us and taking the stage this week is the biggest horse race of the entire year, the Randox Grand National.

Everybody from your nan to the local postman will likely be having a bet on the big race on Saturday 13th April 2024 but there’s plenty of racing action to get stuck into in the meantime, with Aintree in Liverpool hosting a three-day Festival that kicks off on Thursday.

The opening day is an excellent one and will feature no less than four Grade 1 races, with the feature being the Grade 1 Aintree Bowl, which is set to feature several key players from last month’s Cheltenham Festival.

With so much to sort through, we’ve taken a look at the race card and picked out some of the best Grand National Day 1 tips and betting offers and placed them below in this handy guide.

Grand National Day 1 race schedule
While all three days of racing at the Grand National Festival are special, the first day is arguably the best in terms of the racing action.

Fashion very much takes centre stage on Ladies Day on Day Two, but day one of the Grand National Festival is all about the action on the track, with no less than four Grade 1 races across the seven race card.

The feature is the Grade 1 Aintree Bowl, which regularly features the main players from the previous month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.

This year’s renewal is set to be a fabulous one, with the Gold Cup runner-up Gerri Colombe set to lock horns with last year’s Bowl winner Shishkin as well as the King George VI Chase winner Hewick to name just two.

We’ve listed the full schedule for day one of the Grand National meeting for you below.

Time
Race
Distance
Type

13.45
Manifesto Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
2m4f
Chase

14.20
Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)
2m1f
Hurdles

14.55
Aintree Bowl Chase (Grade 1)
3m1f
Chase

15.30
William Hill Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1)
2m4f
Hurdles

16.05
Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase (National Course)
2m5f
Chase

16.40
Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase
2m
Chase

17.15
Goffs Nickel Coin Mares’ National Hunt Flat Race (Grade 2)
2m1f
Bumper

Grand National Thursday tips and predictions
The opening day of the 2024 Randox Grand National Festival doesn’t disappoint, with five graded races on the card alongside two hugely competitive handicaps.

With so much to sort through, we’ve taken a look at the race card and put together expert advice and betting strategies on each of the seven races for you below.

Manifesto Novices’ Chase tips
This race regularly features the key players from the previous month’s Arkle Trophy and Turners Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham and Grey Dawning will be hoping to follow up in this after striking in the latter for Dan Skelton.

The seven-year-old is the 9-4 favourite in the odds at the time of writing to see off the reopposing Ginny’s Destiny, with the score currently standing at 1-1 this term.

A winner over three miles, Grey Dawning can put his stamina to good use here in forecast testing conditions and follow up that Cheltenham form, with the Arkle second and third Found A Fifty and Il Etait Temps likely to be best of the rest for Ireland.

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Jewson Anniversary 4YO Juvenile Hurdle tips
This is another race where Cheltenham Festival form often proves to be important and while the Triumph Hurdle winner has won this twice in the last six renewals, we are without Cheltenham hero Majborough this time around.

That seemingly opens the door for Sir Gino, who was forced to miss last month’s festival due to ongoing issues in the Nicky Henderson yard. The four-year-old looked a fine prospect when winning a Grade 2 Triumph trial at Cheltenham in January and with Seven Barrows having a welcome winner at Ludlow last week, he’s fancied to justify 5-4 favouritism by taking this.

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Aintree Bowl Chase tips
We often see a rematch from the previous month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup in the feature, though with Galopin Des Champs absent, it falls to the runner-up Gerri Colombe to uphold the form.

The 2023 Brown Advisory winner was impressive when following up in a Grade 1 novice here last season and he’s the right favourite after a string of impressive performances this term, though he may find Shishkin too hot to handle.

The 10-year-old will require something of a leap of faith due to the form of his yard at the moment – plus his occasional lapse in temperament – but he showed stamina in abundance when producing a top-class performance to win this last year, form which will make him hard to beat if in the same form.

The King George winner Hewick demands respect if taking his chance for all that the ground may prove too testing on this occasion, while each of Bravemansgame, Corbetts Cross and the Ryanair Chase winner Protektorat all merit serious respect.

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William Hill Aintree Hurdle tips
With Constitution Hill ruled out and the Champion Hurdle hero State Man staying at home, the door is open for someone else to make their presence felt in this two and a half mile Grade 1 contest.

The Grade 1 winner Bob Olinger is probably the right favourite, heading the market at 2-1 at the time of writing ahead of the Champion Hurdle runner-up Irish Point (5-2) and State Man’s stablemate Impaire Et Passe (3-1), but this is a contest with a distinctly winnable feel to it.

With that in mind, it could be worth chancing Langer Dan each-way at around 12-1. The eight-year-old has an engagement in a handicap on the Friday of the meeting, a race he won two years ago, though he’s been hiked 10lbs in the weights for his win in last month’s Coral Cup.

Langer Dan benefitted from some rather fiendish placing from his trainer Dan Skelton on that occasion and bearing in mind that this looks a highly winnable Grade 1 race, it would be no surprise to see him chanced up in grade on ground which ought to play to his strengths.

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Randox Foxhunters’ Chase tips
The first of three races to be held over the Grand National fences this week, the Foxhunters’ isn’t averse to throwing up a big-priced winner, with Cousin Pascal striking at 66-1 back in 2021.

A proven ability over the famous fences is a big bonus, meaning plenty will be behind last year’s winner Famous Clermont. He can be forgiven for his defeat at Wincanton in February when getting the last fence all wrong and is the right favourite at around 9-2 in the odds at the time of writing.

The St James’s Palace second and third Its On The Line and Time Leader deserve respect after fine runs at the Cheltenham Festival, while Spyglass Hill won a race at Haydock in February which often proves to be a useful pointer for this sphere.

However, it could be worth chancing Tea Clipper each-way at around 25-1. The nine-year-old isn’t the force of old, but he’s placed at this meeting twice in the past and was holding his own in much hotter races as recently as this time last year.

Admittedly, he’s been turned over at short prices in two starts in this sphere so far, but he’s a sound jumper and it could be worth chancing he takes a step forward considering his propensity for big-field scenarios.

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Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase tips
A race which is regularly won by an upwardly mobile type, including the subsequent Grade 1 winner Editeur Du Gite back in 2021.

Last year’s winner Dancing On My Own is 12lbs higher in the weights than for his win 12 months ago but will likely give this a good go for Henry De Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore, while graded performers Boothill and Pembroke merit respect dropped in class.

It’s possible to make a case for several – particularly at the five day entries stage at the time of writing – but Path D’oroux makes plenty of appeal each-way at odds of around the 10-1 mark.

The seven-year-old has been consistently shaping well in competitive handicaps this term, finishing a fine third in last month’s Grand Annual at Cheltenham, and he can be competitive again here raised just 2lbs by the assessor.

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Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open NH Flat tips
The card closes with a Grade 2 mares’ bumper which often proves to be a tricky puzzle to solve, with plenty swerving the Champion Bumper in favour of this.

Aurora Vega has a long way to go before she can emulate her mother Quevega but the six-year-old has made a solid start to her career, winning three of her four starts to date.

She was a solid fourth on her first try at this level at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in February, form which reads well in the context of this race, and she will likely take all the beating on ground which will suit her.

There are plenty of unexposed and improving types in behind and each of Baby Kate, Jubilee Alpha and Honky Tonk Highway deserve respect for powerful yards, while Austins Hill Lass could be worth a look at a much bigger price for Fergal O’Brien – who has an excellent record in this sphere.

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About the Grand National Festival Thursday 2024
The Grand National is arguably the most famous horse race in the world and there will be millions and millions of people tuning into the big race on Saturday afternoon – along with thousands more heading to Liverpool to watch the race live.

The Grand National races are one of the very few horse racing events which breaks into the public conscious each year and everyone from the pub landlord to your nan and grandad will likely be having a punt on the big race.

The Grand National Festival is more than just one race however and Aintree Racecourse in Merseyside will host three days of top-class racing this week, with each day offering something different to those in attendance.

The first day is all about the racing action on the track and the Thursday of the National meeting arguably boasts one of the strongest cards of the year, with no less than four Grade 1 races for punters to get stuck into. The feature is the Grade 1 Aintree Bowl, which was first run in 1984 and has become a key race for those in the Cheltenham Gold Cup division.

With thousands set to be in attendance, the opening day of the Grand National Festival is not one to be missed.

How to bet on Grand National day 1 races. 18+ BeGambleAware.org Please play responsibly
How to bet on Grand National Day 1 races
The Grand National Festival is one of the biggest racing events of the entire year and punters up and down the country will be logging into their betting accounts to have a bet on the action over the next few days.

With racing being such a data-heavy sport, placing a bet on horse racing can seem daunting if you’re new it, but it’s a simple task. We’ve put together this short guide to help you out.

Log into your betting account. If you are new to sports betting, you can find a list of operators with free bet offers higher up in this article.
If you need to create an account, choose a site which suits your needs and follow the free bet offer to join.
Once you have logged into your account, navigate to the ‘horse racing’ section of the website.
Locate the racing taking place at Aintree on Thursday 11th April 2024, where you should be able to see the runners and riders. If you would like some more in depth form, you can view it for free on sites like Racing Post and Timeform.
Once you have picked a horse, load them into your betslip by clicking on the odds next to their name.
You should be able to see your selection in the betslip. Enter your stake and make sure you select the each-way option if you want to place an each-way bet.
Once you are happy, select ‘place bet’.
Your bet on day 1 of the Grand National meeting should be placed. Good luck!

How to watch Grand National Festival Thursday races
You can watch the Grand National races live on ITV Racing, who are broadcasting all three days live. ITV will screen five races on day 1, with their broadcast from Liverpool running from 2pm-5pm on Thursday 11th April.

You can watch the two races not selected for terrestrial broadcast live on Racing TV, while the majority of horse racing bookmakers will be streaming each race from Aintree to their customers – though do check beforehand if there are any wagering requirements to tune in.

Other race previews and Grand National tips
We may be focusing on the opening day of the Grand National Festival in this article, but it would be folly not to pick out a couple of horses which have caught our eye on the other two days of the meeting at this stage.

Our best Grand National Ladies’ Day tip and race preview
The feature race on Ladies Day is the Grade 1 Melling Chase over two and a half miles, which looks wide open at this stage. Protektorat and Envoi Allen were first and second in last month’s Ryanair Chase and would be big threats if taking their chance, as would the Grade 1 winner Pic D’Orhy, but Jonbon could prove to be a great bet at around the 10-3 mark.

He would represent something of a risky proposition due to the form of the Nicky Henderson yard at the moment – with the majority of his runners missing Cheltenham – but he’s the clear pick in this on the form and would likely be much shorter in different circumstances. Jonbon could well be much shorter by Friday morning should Shishkin and Sir Gino perform well on day one, meaning he could be worth a small bet at 10-3 at this stage.

Our best Grand National Day tip and race preview
This will be the first year that the world’s most famous steeplechase has 34 runners, down from the original 40, meaning it’s harder than ever for connections to get a run in the race. A lot can change between now and Saturday afternoon, but it’s worth getting last year’s winner Corach Rambler on side at around the 5-1 mark.

The 10-year-old is 13lbs higher than for his win last year, but he finished a magnificent third in last month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup and is able to take his chance 3lbs well in here. With conditions likely to suit, it would be no surprise to see him put in a bold bid to emulate Tiger Roll by becoming the second horse to win the race twice this century.

FAQ about Grand National Thursday tips and previews
The great thing about the Grand National meeting is the fact that it attracts people to horse racing that perhaps wouldn’t watch the sport at any other time of the year.

Because of that, there are a few questions which often pop up from punters who aren’t quite as experienced when it comes to betting on horse racing on fast withdrawal casino sites.

To help you out, we’ve listed three frequently asked questions about betting on the Grand National Festival and answered them for you below.

1. Which bookmakers are offering the best promotions or bonuses for Day 1 of the Grand National races?
With so much competition on the market, bookmakers offer some of their most competitive offers for the Grand National Festival. It means that there’s plenty of excellent betting offers on the market, particularly if you are new to sports betting. We’ve listed some of the best sports betting sites towards the top of this article, with some sign up offers alongside.

2. What’s the best way for beginners to use the Grand National tips when betting?
The key thing to remember is not to get overwhelmed by information and to trust your gut. There is so much information available for free in this day and age, in the form of horse racing tips, previews, data and stats, which means that it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Make sure you read up as much as you can to try and get the best understanding of each individual race, but at the end of the day, make sure you avoid doubting yourself by following your own judgement.

3. What’s the best day of the Grand National Festival?
There is no right answer to this question, as each individual day has its own merits! There are strictly three answers to your question. Racing fans will likely tell you that the best day is the opening day, due to the racing arguably being the strongest on that day. People who like to go to the races for the social side of things will day the second day (Ladies Day) due to the emphasis on fashion and culture, while your general sports fans will almost certainly side with day three and the Grand National itself. It’s all down to personal taste!

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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