Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 18 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
2026 Aintree Hurdle Preview
Run at the Grand National meeting in April of each year at the Aintree racecourse is the Aintree Hurdle, a Grade 1 hurdle that is open to runners who are aged four or older.
The race is run over a trip of two miles and four furlongs in which eleven hurdles will have to be safely dealt with. First run in 1976 and it is worth noting those coming from the Champion Hurdle.
Aintree Hurdle Information:
If you are looking at Aintree picks then you may be interested in the Grand National tips as this is the course showpiece race of the season, forty runners over the national fences is a favourite among racing fans. We cover every race at the Aintree Grand National Meeting and below you can find links to all of the races for each of Thursday, Friday & Saturday.
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How competitive is the Aintree Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2012 when the race had an over-round of 109%. The race in 2009 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 119%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Aintree Hurdle, the over-round has been 114%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £114 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Aintree Hurdle Trends, see which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal, we also have a section that looks at the Aintree Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Aintree Hurdle over the last 20 renewals:
- Oscar Whisky (4:45.30) in 2011
- Al Eile (4:48.40) in 2007
- Jezki (4:48.80) in 2015
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? From the past 20 if you had followed the winner of the Aintree Hurdle next time out then you would have backed a total of 9 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since to win at SP next time out, would have returned an LSP of +1.38. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Aintree Hurdle remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 4:45.30 was set by Oscar Whisky in 2011, which is the quickest time over that period, the runner was trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Barry Geraghty. The slowest winning time was set in 2024 when Impaire Et Passe won in a time of 5:18.37, booked to ride was Paul Townend by the trainer W P Mullins.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Aintree Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Aintree Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won along with the age & weight of the horse. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Aintree Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 4:59.15 | Lossiemouth (FR) 6yo 11-3 5/4 | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2024 5:18.37 | Impaire Et Passe (FR) 6yo 11-10 1/1F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2023 5:03.09 | Constitution Hill (GB) 6yo 11-10 2/15F | Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2022 5:10.42 | Epatante (FR) 8yo 11-0 2/1 | Aidan Coleman Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2021 4:58.15 | Abacadabras (FR) 7yo 11-7 5/1 | Jack Kennedy Mrs Denise Foster (IRE) |
| 2019 5:10.00 | Supasundae (GB) 9yo 11-7 15/2 | Robbie Power Mrs John Harrington (IRE) |
| 2018 5:05.20 | LAmi Serge (IRE) 8yo 11-7 5/1 | Daryl Jacob Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2017 4:55.80 | Buveur DAir (FR) 6yo 11-7 4/9F | Barry Geraghty Nicky Henderson (GB) |
| 2016 5:06.00 | Annie Power (IRE) 8yo 11-0 4/9F | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2015 4:48.80 | Jezki (IRE) 7yo 11-7 3/1 | A P McCoy Mrs John Harrington (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Aintree Hurdle have been based:
- IRE: 11 winners with an additional 11 placings from 50 runners
- GB: 9 winners with an additional 19 placings from 109 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
- GER: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
Aintree Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Aintree Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Nicky Henderson who has won the race six times with those six winners coming from Oscar Whisky (2011 & 2012), Buveur DAir (2017), LAmi Serge (2018), Epatante (2022) and Constitution Hill (2023). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Aintree Hurdle are W P Mullins (3 wins), John Queally (3 wins), Nigel Twiston-Davies (2 wins) and Mrs John Harrington (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Aintree Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicky Henderson | 26-6-11 | -4.18 | -2.80 |
| W P Mullins | 13-3-8 | -7.31 | +0.14 |
| John Queally | 5-3-3 | +23.75 | +13.45 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 9-2-3 | -3.06 | -3.76 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 4-2-3 | +8.50 | +5.18 |
| Paul Nicholls | 13-1-2 | -6.50 | -7.20 |
| Thomas Mullins | 3-1-1 | +2.00 | +0.40 |
| C Byrnes | 1-1-1 | +6.00 | +3.00 |
| Mrs Denise Foster | 1-1-1 | +5.00 | +3.00 |
| Alan King | 7-0-1 | -7.00 | -4.00 |
Aintree Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Aintree Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Paul Townend who has won the race two times with those two winners coming from Impaire Et Passe (2024) and Lossiemouth (2025).
Here are some of the top Aintree Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Townend | 7-2-5 | -2.75 | -0.24 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 9-1-2 | -7.56 | -6.95 |
| Nico de Boinville | 5-1-1 | -3.87 | -3.92 |
| Jack Kennedy | 3-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.00 |
| Harry Skelton | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -1.70 |
| Harry Cobden | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -1.50 |
| Kielan Woods | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | +6.50 |
| Adam Wedge | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | +1.00 |
| James Bowen | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | +0.70 |
| Rachael Blackmore | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -1.28 |
2026 Aintree Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): F, 2, 10, (1, 2), 4, 3, 7, F, 2, 1, F, 1, 1, 2, 2, UR, F, 1, 1, F
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (56%) - No bigger than 12/1
- 20 / 20 (75%) - Had 2 - 6 placings (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Not in a G3/LST/Cl2/Cl5 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Had 5 - 14 wins (Career)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Ran over 1m - 2m2f (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Ran in a Non Handicap (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - No more than +3yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Had 4 - 14 placings (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - No bigger than 25/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Achieved a TS of 128+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Highest Won is not G3/LST/Cl3-4
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Had 6 - 19 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Had 3 - 11 wins (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Ran in 6 - 22 races (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Within the first 8 of the market
Remember to use the trends listed above along with the Aintree racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the Aintree Hurdle. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, It is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Aintree Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
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Aintree Hurdle Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor which had produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +14.94 is when runners were trained in Ireland.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 0 career wins with the jockey, when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-35.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Aintree Hurdle is Cheltenham, there has been a total number of 16 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes with the Male runners having produced a total of 16 winners from a total of 146 runners whilst the Female runners have produced 4 winners from a total of 16 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Aintree Hurdle:
- Alzao (3 Wins)
- Kings Theatre (2 Wins)
- Oscar (2 Wins)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Al Eile in 2007, winning for John Queally at odds of 12/1 under the guidance of Timmy Murphy. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals there have been 6 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Aintree Hurdle remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Aintree Hurdle
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Aintree Hurdle, these are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Lossiemouth Cheltenham - 1st of 10 (4/6) | Close Brothers Mares Hurdle |
| 2024 - Impaire Et Passe Leopardstown - 3rd of 4 (10/3) | Irish Champion Hurdle |
| 2023 - Constitution Hill Cheltenham - 1st of 7 (4/11) | Champion Hurdle |
| 2022 - Epatante Cheltenham - 2nd of 10 (16/1) | Champion Hurdle |
| 2021 - Abacadabras Cheltenham - F of 10 (10/1) | Champion Hurdle |
| 2019 - Supasundae Cheltenham - 7th of 18 (9/1) | Stayers Hurdle |
| 2018 - LAmi Serge Cheltenham - 8th of 15 (14/1) | Stayers Hurdle |
| 2017 - Buveur DAir Cheltenham - 1st of 11 (5/1) | Champion Hurdle |
| 2016 - Annie Power Cheltenham - 1st of 12 (5/2) | Champion Hurdle |
| 2015 - Jezki Cheltenham - 4th of 8 (6/1) | Champion Hurdle |
Schedule for Thursday at the Aintree Grand National Meeting
The three-day Grand National meeting kicks off on Thursday with four Grade 1 events on the seven-race card which features both the Aintree Hurdle and the Bowl Chase.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:45 Aintree Manifesto Novices Chase | Impaire Et Passe (FR) 7yo - 9/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:20 Aintree Anniversary 4YO Juvenile Hurdle | Murcia (FR) 4yo - 11/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:55 Aintree Bowl Chase | Gaelic Warrior (GER) 7yo - 11/4 | W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins |
| 15:30 Aintree Aintree Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 6yo - 5/4 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:05 Aintree Foxhunters Chase | Gracchus De Balme (FR) 9yo - 22/1 | J J O'Shea Mr Huw Edwards |
| 16:40 Aintree Red Rum Handicap Chase | Sans Bruit (FR) 7yo - 5/1 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 17:15 Aintree Nickel Coin Mares Bumper | Seo Linn (IRE) 5yo - 15/8 | P Twomey W J Lee |
Schedule for Friday at the Aintree Grand National Meeting
Day 2 of the Grand National meeting is Ladies Day or Fabulous Friday, the highlights on the track being the Melling Chase plus there is the Topham Chase over the Grand National fences.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:45 Aintree Mildmay Novices Chase | Caldwell Potter (FR) 7yo - 11/4 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 14:20 Aintree National Meeting 2m4f Handicap Hurdle | Wellington Arch (GB) 6yo - 14/1 | Jonjo & A J O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 14:55 Aintree Top Novices Hurdle | Salvator Mundi (FR) 5yo - 7/2 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 15:30 Aintree Melling Chase | Jonbon (FR) 9yo - 4/6 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 16:05 Aintree Topham Chase | Gentleman De Mee (FR) 9yo - 14/1 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Aintree Sefton Novices Hurdle | Julius Des Pictons (FR) 6yo - 14/1 | Jamie Snowden Gavin Sheehan |
| 17:15 Aintree National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle | Shes A Saint (IRE) 8yo - 25/1 | Dan Skelton Tristan Durrell |
Schedule for Saturday at the Aintree Grand National Meeting
The Grand National is obviously the showpiece of the Aintree meeting and day 3 also includes three Grade 1 events, the feature of those being the Liverpool Hurdle.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Aintree National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle | Deep Cave (IRE) 7yo - 28/1 | Christian Williams Jack Tudor |
| 13:55 Aintree Mersey Novices Hurdle | Honesty Policy (IRE) 5yo - 5/1 | Gordon Elliott Mark Walsh |
| 14:30 Aintree Freebooter Handicap Chase | Cruz Control (FR) 8yo - 10/1 | Tom Lacey Stan Sheppard |
| 15:05 Aintree Liverpool Hurdle | Hiddenvalley Lake (IRE) 8yo - 12/1 | Henry De Bromhead Darragh O'Keeffe |
| 16:00 Aintree Grand National | Nick Rockett (IRE) 8yo - 33/1 | W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins |
| 17:00 Aintree Maghull Novices Chase | Kalif Du Berlais (FR) 5yo - 15/8 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 17:35 Aintree Champion Standard Open NH Flat Race | Green Splendour (GB) 5yo - 100/30 | W P Mullins Mr P W Mullins |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Aintree Hurdle Preview are at hand, Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team team looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Tipster Competition Manager
Andy Powell
Content Editor
