What is the Aintree Festival?
The Aintree Grand National Festival is one of the great fixtures of the British jumps season, three days of high-quality racing on Merseyside that build, afternoon by afternoon, to the Grand National itself. It comes hard on the heels of the Cheltenham Festival, and the two meetings together form the spring's championship climax, with many of the season's best horses turning out at both.
Three days of racing
While the Grand National is the headline act, the Aintree Festival is a serious meeting in its own right. Across the three days it stages a clutch of Grade 1 races, including the Aintree Bowl for top staying chasers, the Aintree Hurdle, and the Melling Chase, contests that frequently pit Cheltenham winners against the horses they beat, on different terms and a flatter, more galloping track.
The Topham Chase, run over the famous National fences, gives racegoers a second chance to see those unique obstacles tackled during the week.
How to watch the Aintree Festival
Each afternoon of the festival is broadcast on UK television, and major bookmakers stream the races to eligible, funded account holders. Aintree confirms the full broadcast and start-time schedule in the build-up to the meeting.
Betting at the Aintree Festival
With the Grand National as its centrepiece and Grade 1 action across all three days, Aintree is one of the spring's biggest betting meetings. For race-by-race analysis, see our individual hubs, starting with the Grand National.