Good to soft ground at Aintree with rain expected

Aintree’s three-day Grand National meeting is set to start on predominantly good to soft ground on Thursday.

Following a wet day on Monday when over 10 millimetres of rain fell, Tuesday was much drier but it was rainy and windy on Wednesday.

The ground is reported to be good to soft on the hurdle and chase tracks, while conditions are described as good to soft, soft in places on the National course itself, with further rain anticipated.

Clerk of the course Sulekha Varma said: “Officially we’ve had about three millimetres of rain according to the rain gauge, though due to the high winds I think realistically that may have been distorted and we’ve probably had more – it’s certainly walking that way.

“I’m expecting further rain tonight, possibly another 4-6mm, but we’ll see. We’re expecting sunny spells and scattered showers on Thursday and 1-2mm and similar again on Friday, except for heavier showers and up to 5mm.”

Constitution Hill is the star turn in Thursday’s William Hill Aintree Hurdle, while the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl Chase has drawn headline names such as Ahoy Senor, A Plus Tard and Shishkin.

Varma added: “We’re absolutely delighted with the quality of the races on Thursday, they are out of this world really, fantastic. And Friday looks pretty good as well, we’re very pleased.

“To attract horses like Constitution Hill and a race like the Bowl, it is what this festival is about really. It’s what everyone has been pushing towards all these years, so it is great to be rewarded.

“That extra week between Cheltenham and now has helped. Very early on the trainers cottoned on and were planning for it. Because they had that extra week, it just takes the pressure off them a little bit I think.”