2024 Aintree Hurdle Tips

Bob Olinger could set the benchmark for the Aintree Hurdle and there is plenty to recommend him. The nine-year-old ran a game race when finishing second behind State Man at the Dublin Racing Festival, with the horse previously securing a victory at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

The season began with a victory at Navan where the horse fended off four other rivals when claiming a one-length triumph in the Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle. Beating Zanahiyr on soft to heavy ground was a decent achievement, with the horse then scoring a seven-length win in the Relkeel Hurdle over two miles, four and a half furlongs.

Irish Point lined up in the recent Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and the horse finished just over a length behind red-hot favourite State Man. The Gordon Elliott-trained charge was previously able to score at Down Royal and Leopardstown, with the former triumph seeing the charge oblige ahead of Magical Zoe.

At Leopardstown over the festive season, with the horse able to impress when winning by eleven lengths when fending off Asterion Forlonge. The even money favourite is definitely a strong contender based on that Champion Hurdle performance and there is also a shout for Lossiemouth who could benefit from the mares’ allowance in this race.

Aintree Hurdle 2023 Tips

Constitution Hill was a predictably comfortable winner when obliging in the 2023 Champion Hurdle, with the six-year-old claiming a nine-length victory and he is trading at a similar price to claim an Aintree Hurdle win on Day 1 of the Grand National meeting. Nicky Henderson’s charge is likely to be included in many horse racing accumulators.

There will be the opportunity to have a bet on Constitution Hill to win by a specific distance and some of the previous margins have been quite significant. Back on Boxing Day, the horse was able to claim a Kempton Park victory by seventeen lengths and it was quite telling that the horse who finished second that day was Epatante.

Epatante is the second favourite for this race and the former Champion Hurdler might be prepared to run into second place, with Nicky Henderson’s runner having disappointed in the recent Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Finishing 21 lengths behind Honeysuckle was hardly an ideal prep race.

On that basis, it could be worth considering a bet on Zanahiyr or even Knappers Hill when it comes to “without the favourite” betting. I Like To Move It and Pied Piper could be the other horses who are capable of running into a place, with the bookmakers prepared to offer some interesting straight forecast prices.