Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 20 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
2026 National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle Preview
The Premier Handicap Hurdle which is currently known as the Bridle Road Handicap Hurdle is scheduled to take place at the Grand National meeting each year at the Aintree racecourse.
The race is a premier handicap which is open to runners aged four or older and is run over a trip of around three miles and half a furlong in which the competitors will face a total of thirteen hurdles.
National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle Information:
- National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle Past Winners
- National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle Jockey Statistics
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Aintree tips on the day of the race, do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist or are they predicting other runners? 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.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2021 when the race had an over-round of 125%. The race in 2024 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 136%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle, the over-round has been 131%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £131 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 National Meeting 3m Handicap 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 National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle over the last 20 renewals:
- Battle Group (6:00.40) in 2011
- Aux Ptits Soins (6:00.80) in 2019
- Albertas Run (6:01.70) in 2007
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 National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle next time out then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since to win at SP next time out, would have returned an LSP of -11.37. Before placing your bet on the 2026 National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 6:00.40 was set by Battle Group in 2011, which is the quickest time over that period, the runner was trained by David Pipe and ridden by Barry Geraghty. The slowest winning time was set in 2006 when Refinement won in a time of 6:27.50, booked to ride was A P McCoy by the trainer Jonjo O'Neill.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the National Meeting 3m Handicap 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 National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 6:10.05 | Deep Cave (IRE) 7yo 11-2 28/1 | Jack Tudor Christian Williams (GB) |
| 2024 6:17.80 | Gwennie May Boy (IRE) 6yo 10-8 9/2 | Charlie Todd Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2023 6:04.60 | West Balboa (IRE) 7yo 11-2 9/2F | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2022 6:07.54 | Party Business (IRE) 6yo 10-7 11/2 | Charlie Todd (3lbs) Ian Williams (GB) |
| 2021 6:09.43 | Hometown Boy (IRE) 6yo 11-0 6/1F | Ciaran Gethings Stuart Edmunds (GB) |
| 2019 6:00.80 | Aux Ptits Soins (FR) 9yo 11-8 11/1 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2018 6:19.80 | Mr Big Shot (IRE) 7yo 11-5 7/1F | Tom Scudamore David Pipe (GB) |
| 2017 6:02.20 | Fountains Windfall (GB) 7yo 10-12 11/1 | David Noonan Anthony Honeyball (GB) |
| 2016 6:25.60 | Ubak (FR) 8yo 11-0 16/1 | Joshua Moore Gary Moore (GB) |
| 2015 6:03.40 | Taglietelle (GB) 6yo 11-6 7/1 | Paul Carberry Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 19 winners with an additional 52 placings from 367 runners
- IRE: 1 winner with an additional 8 placings from 45 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 3 runners
National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle over the last 20 renewals with David Pipe, Jonjo O'Neill and Dan Skelton having all won the race three times. David Pipe winners have been with Battle Group (2011), Doctor Harper (2014) and Mr Big Shot (2018). Jonjo O'Neill's winners have been Refinement (2006), Albertas Run (2007) and Ringaroses (2010). Dan Skelton winners have been with Aux Ptits Soins (2019), West Balboa (2023) and Gwennie May Boy (2024). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle, Nicky Henderson (0-26), Philip Hobbs (0-20), Nigel Twiston-Davies (0-17), Venetia Williams (0-13) and Donald McCain (0-12) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top National Meeting 3m Handicap 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Pipe | 22-3-6 | +12.00 | +9.76 |
| Jonjo O'Neill | 22-3-7 | -1.75 | +0.05 |
| Dan Skelton | 14-3-7 | +9.00 | +8.59 |
| Paul Nicholls | 19-1-3 | -13.50 | -10.81 |
| Gordon Elliott | 7-1-2 | +1.00 | -0.43 |
| Ian Williams | 6-1-2 | +0.50 | +0.32 |
| Anthony Honeyball | 5-1-2 | +7.00 | +5.13 |
| Stuart Edmunds | 5-1-2 | +2.00 | +1.75 |
| Paul Webber | 3-1-1 | +48.00 | +29.25 |
| Gary Moore | 3-1-1 | +14.00 | +8.00 |
National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle Jockey Statistics
There are two leading jockeys in the National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle over the last 20 renewals with both Harry Skelton and Charlie Todd who have both won the race two times. Harry Skelton winners have been with Aux Ptits Soins (2019) and West Balboa (2023). Charlie Todd winners have been with Party Business (2022) and Gwennie May Boy (2024). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle, Sam Twiston-Davies has ridden 10 runners to the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top National Meeting 3m Handicap 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Skelton | 8-2-5 | +9.50 | +7.78 |
| Charlie Todd | 3-2-2 | +9.00 | +5.25 |
| William Kennedy | 4-1-3 | +47.00 | +32.38 |
| Brendan Powell | 3-1-1 | +6.00 | +3.00 |
| Ciaran Gethings | 3-1-1 | +4.00 | +1.75 |
| Jack Tudor | 2-1-2 | +27.00 | +19.25 |
| David Noonan | 2-1-1 | +10.00 | +5.88 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 10-0-2 | -10.00 | -3.37 |
| Nico de Boinville | 7-0-2 | -7.00 | -2.00 |
| Jonjo O'Neill Jr | 7-0-1 | -7.00 | -5.37 |
2026 National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 2, 1, 1, 1, 10, 6, 8, (F, PU), (1, 2, F), 10, 2, 2, 4, 1, 8, 1, (6, 11), 1, 3, 7
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 (79%) - Ran over 2m4f - 3m (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Furthest Won 2m1f - 3m½f
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved a TS of 40+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Achieved an RPR of 102+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Not in SCO/WAL (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - No bigger than 33/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran in 1 - 17 races (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Off a break of 19 - 90 days
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Furthest ran 2m4f - 3m1½f
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved an RPR of 126+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Carried 146 - 166lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Fewer than 3 races (Class)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Highest Run is not LST/Cl3-4
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Had 3 - 14 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved a TS of 81+ (Hcps)
Remember to use the trends listed above along with the Aintree racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the National Meeting 3m Handicap 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 National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
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National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor which had produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +24.25 is when runners finished in 1st on debut.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a Flat (Turf) race on debut, when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-90.
The course which has produced the most winners of the National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle is Cheltenham, there has been a total number of 9 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out. The next best course which has produced the second most winners is Sandown, there has been a total number of 5 winners of this race who ran at Sandown last time out.
The race is open to both sexes with the Male runners having produced a total of 18 winners from a total of 391 runners whilst the Female runners have produced 2 winners from a total of 24 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle:
- Accordion (2 Wins)
- Beat Hollow (2 Wins)
- Flemensfirth (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle despite multiple attempts:
- Milan (0 Wins from 13 runners)
- Kings Theatre (0 Wins from 11 runners)
- In The Wings (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Old Vic (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Kayf Tara (0 Wins from 8 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Time For Rupert in 2009, winning for Paul Webber at odds of 50/1 under the guidance of William Kennedy. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals there have been 7 winning favourites in the race. Remember to use the best racing tipsters along with the information on this page to find you a bet on the 2026 National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle.
Route to the National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle, these are the races that the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Deep Cave Sandown - 6th of 13 (9/1) | Virgin Bet Heroes Handicap Hurdle |
| 2024 - Gwennie May Boy Uttoxeter - 1st of 17 (11/2) | bet365 Handicap Hurdle |
| 2023 - West Balboa Kempton - 1st of 20 (12/1) | Lanzarote Hurdle |
| 2022 - Party Business Cheltenham - 5th of 23 (29/1) | Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle |
| 2021 - Hometown Boy Kempton - 1st of 10 (11/1) | Close Brothers Asset Finance Handicap Hurdle |
| 2019 - Aux Ptits Soins Cheltenham - 7th of 12 (9/2) | Cleeve Hurdle |
| 2018 - Mr Big Shot Cheltenham - 10th of 23 (14/1) | Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle |
| 2017 - Fountains Windfall Plumpton - 1st of 4 (3/10) | 2nd To Favourite Day 3 "National Hunt" Novices Hurdle |
| 2016 - Ubak Cheltenham - 3rd of 26 (29/1) | Coral Cup |
| 2015 - Taglietelle Cheltenham - 4th of 25 (14/1) | Coral Cup |
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 National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle Preview are at hand, Andy and James. 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.
James Banting
Tipster Competition Assistant
Andy Powell
Content Editor
