Aintree Race Card: Your ultimate Grand National Festival day 2 guide on Friday

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By / Horse Racing News / 9 months ago

A stonking renewal of the Grade 1 Melling Chase tops the bill on the second day of the Grand National Festival at Aintree.

Jonbon bids to make up for missing last month’s Champion Chase by adding another top-level victory to his CV but six rivals lie in wait including last year’s scorer Pic D’Orhy and the winners of the last two Ryanair Chase, Protektorat and Envoi Allen.

There are three more Grade 1s on Friday’s card as Cheltenham Festival winners Chianti Classico and Inothewayurthinkin face off in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase, Supreme second and third – Mystical Power and Firefox – feature in the Top Novices’ Hurdle, while Albert Bartlett runner-up The Jukebox Man attempts to gain compensation in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle.

We get another look at Aintree’s iconic spruce fences ahead of Saturday’s Grand National courtesy of the Topham Handicap Chase, while the William Hill Handicap Hurdle has attracted a bumper field.

The only thing that could the fun is testing conditions at Aintree as record rainfall in England means the word heavy could still be in the going description.

Grand National odds can be found on the Paddy Power website and Paddy Power app, otherwise, everything you need to know about day two of the meeting is below.

Aintree Races

Our Racecards page has details of the runners and riders plus Timeform’s horse-by-horse analysis for every renewal on the Grand National Festival schedule.

The following seven races take place at Aintree on Friday, April 12:

13:45: Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
14:20: William Hill Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
14:55: TrustATrader Top Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
15:30: My Pension Expert Melling Chase (Grade 1)
16:05: Randox Supports Race Against Dementia Topham Chase (Premier Handicap)
16:40: Cavani Sartorial Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
17:15: Lydiate Handicap Hurdle

Aintree Going

The latest report conducted at Aintree on Thursday, April 11 has the official going as Soft, Heavy (in places) on the Mildmay course and Heavy, Soft (in places) on the Grand National course.

Aintree TV Schedule

ITV Racing are broadcasting five of the seven races at Cheltenham on Friday.

ITV1: 14:00 – 17:00
Virgin Media One: 14:00 – 17:00

ITV Racing’s The Opening Show will build up to Friday’s action with a 60-minute preview show.

ITV4: 09:30 – 10:30

Aintree Live Stream

You can live stream every single race at Aintree on Friday on the Paddy Power website and via the Paddy Power app for FREE!

Just head to paddypower.com or the Paddy Power app and sign up or log in. Once you’ve done that, find the betting page for the renewal you wish to watch and click the button that says ‘Watch Live’.

You don’t even have to place a bet to catch all the action.

Aintree Tips

Paddy Power News is your home for Grand National Festival betting tips. Our superstar stable of pundits includes former jockeys Ruby Walsh and Mick Fitzgerald, shrewd tipster Rory Delargy and ITV Racing personality Matt Chapman.

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