You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident youâre betting with more than just gut instinct.
2027 National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle Preview
Scheduled to take place in April of each year at the Aintree racecourse is the Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle. The race was created in 2009 to give the conditional and amateur jockeys a chance to shine at the Grand National meeting. It is a class two handicap hurdle that is run over two miles, half a furlong, where there are nine hurdles to jump.
National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle Information:
- National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle Past Winners
- National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle Trainer Statistics
- National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle Jockey Statistics
Why not use the trends shortlist below to help you narrow down the field and then head over to the dedicated Aintree tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG expert racing tipsters to find yourself a bet? 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 2026
How competitive is the National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 17 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2022, when the race had an over-round of 124%. The race in 2026 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 138%, whilst on average over the last 17 renewals of the National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle, the over-round has been 133%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ133 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 National Meeting 2m 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 2m Handicap Hurdle Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle races over the last 17 renewals:
- Far Away So Close (3:50.80) in 2011
- Chief Justice (3:54.50) in 2019
- Astre De La Cour (3:55.30) in 2015
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 17 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 16 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +0.25. Ahead of the 2027 National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
The runner that holds the record over the past 17 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2024 renewal when El Jefe from Andrew Hamilton under the guidance of Ben Smith, won in a time of 4:19.05, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Far Away So Close, trained by Paul Nolan and ridden by Mr M N Doran set the quickest time of 3:50.80 in the 2011 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
Race Notes: The 2026 winner, Laafi, was later disqualified after a Whip Review due to the jockey going 4 hits over the limit; the race was awarded to Melon.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 4:01.29 | Melon (GER) 5yo 11-3 10/1 | Toby McCain-Mitchell Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero (GB) |
| 2025 3:58.02 | Shes A Saint (IRE) 8yo 10-2 25/1 | Tristan Durrell (3lbs) Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2024 4:19.05 | El Jefe (IRE) 7yo 9-9 40/1 | Ben Smith (7lbs) Andrew Hamilton (GB) |
| 2023 4:13.49 | Punctuation (GB) 6yo 11-2 40/1 | Liam Harrison (3lbs) Fergal O'Brien (GB) |
| 2022 4:00.91 | Hacker Des Places (FR) 5yo 10-11 10/1 | Angus Cheleda (5lbs) Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2021 4:02.85 | Rowland Ward (GB) 5yo 10-1 12/1 | Charlie Hammond Stuart Edmunds (GB) |
| 2019 3:54.50 | Chief Justice (GB) 4yo 11-2 13/2 | Mr J J Codd Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2018 4:10.80 | Havana Beat (IRE) 8yo 9-11 12/1 | James Nixon (7lbs) Tony Carroll (GB) |
| 2017 3:58.60 | Chesterfield (IRE) 7yo 10-5 8/1 | Daniel Sansom (10lbs) Seamus Mullins (GB) |
| 2016 4:12.20 | Ivan Grozny (FR) 6yo 11-9 16/1 | David Mullins (3lbs) W P Mullins (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 14 winners with an additional 42 placings from 279 runners
- IRE: 3 winners with an additional 8 placings from 54 runners
- AUS: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle Trainer Statistics
Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 17 renewals in the National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle. Donald McCain has sent a total of 22 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst Philip Hobbs has sent out 11 without a winner.
Here are some of the top National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 17 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 | 16-1-3 | +13.00 | +6.63 |
| Paul Nicholls | 15-1-5 | -4.00 | -1.20 |
| Dan Skelton | 11-1-2 | +15.00 | +6.76 |
| Gordon Elliott | 8-1-3 | -0.50 | -0.12 |
| John Quinn | 8-1-2 | -2.00 | -2.12 |
| Evan Williams | 6-1-2 | +11.00 | +8.63 |
| Lucinda Russell | 3-1-1 | +64.00 | +39.25 |
| Tony Carroll | 3-1-1 | +10.00 | +5.50 |
| Fergal O'Brien | 2-1-2 | +39.00 | +25.88 |
| Stuart Edmunds | 2-1-1 | +11.00 | +6.50 |
National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle Jockey Statistics
Here are some of the top National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tristan Durrell | 4-1-2 | +22.00 | +13.76 |
| Charlie Hammond | 4-1-1 | +9.00 | +4.50 |
| David Bass | 3-1-1 | +26.00 | +15.50 |
| Adam Wedge | 3-1-2 | +14.00 | +11.63 |
| Angus Cheleda | 3-1-2 | +8.00 | +7.00 |
| Liam Harrison | 2-1-1 | +39.00 | +24.00 |
| Ben Smith | 1-1-1 | +40.00 | +25.00 |
| James Nixon | 1-1-1 | +12.00 | +7.50 |
| Toby McCain-Mitchell | 1-1-1 | +10.00 | +6.25 |
| Daniel Sansom | 1-1-1 | +8.00 | +5.00 |
2027 National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 18, 8, 12, 7, (1, 14), 6, 10, (5, 7), 5, 8, 4, (2, F), 4, 12, 5, 3, 12
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 17 / 17 (76%) - Ran over 1m7½f - 2m1f (LTO)
- 17 / 17 (78%) - In a field of 5 - 14 (Debut)
- 17 / 17 (78%) - Not in FRA/IRL/SCO/WAL (LTO)
- 17 / 17 (81%) - Carried 113 - 154lbs (Debut)
- 17 / 17 (81%) - Ran over 1m7½f - 2m1f (Last Win)
- 17 / 17 (81%) - Ran over 6f - 2m (Debut)
- 17 / 17 (87%) - Had 2 - 7 wins (Career)
- 17 / 17 (87%) - Not in a G2/LST/Cl3 (Debut)
- 17 / 17 (88%) - Not on GF/FM/STD-FS (Debut)
- 16 / 17 (81%) - No bigger than 40/1 (Debut)
- 16 / 17 (85%) - Not fallen (Season)
- 16 / 17 (86%) - No bigger than 40/1
- 15 / 17 (75%) - Achieved an RPR of 124+ (Season)
- 15 / 17 (78%) - Achieved an RPR of 113+ (LTO)
- 15 / 17 (80%) - Won within last 5 starts
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 2m 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 ÂŁ6,000 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 2m Handicap Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 9+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +110.00, is when runners had an IRE-bred dam.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 3 season places, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-70.
The course which has produced the most winners of the National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 7 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 14 winners from a total of 315 runners, while female runners have produced 3 winners from a total of 19 runners.
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle despite multiple attempts:
- Kings Theatre (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Kayf Tara (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Authorized (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Montjeu (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Westerner (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 17 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Culcabock in 2009, winning for Lucinda Russell at odds of 66/1 under the guidance of Campbell Gillies. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 17 renewals, there have been 1 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Route to the National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Melon Newbury - 2nd of 7 (3/1) | BetVictor Favourite Things, Bet Boosts Handicap Hurdle |
| 2025 - Shes A Saint Cartmel - 2nd of 7 (7/4) | Hadwins EBF Mares Handicap Hurdle |
| 2024 - El Jefe Haydock - 7th of 9 (18/1) | My Pension Expert Challenger Two Mile Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle |
| 2023 - Punctuation Sandown - PU of 16 (23/1) | Imperial Cup |
| 2022 - Hacker Des Places Sandown - 3rd of 22 (16/1) | Imperial Cup |
| 2021 - Rowland Ward Fakenham - 4th of 11 (4/1) | Country Food Trust Fakenham Silver Cup Handicap Hurdle |
| 2019 - Chief Justice Cheltenham - 12th of 21 (25/1) | Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle |
| 2018 - Havana Beat Huntingdon - 1st of 11 (4/1) | Daily Racing Specials At 188Bet Maiden Hurdle |
| 2017 - Chesterfield Newbury - 2nd of 8 (9/2) | William Hill "High 5" Supporting Greatwood Handicap Hurdle |
| 2016 - Ivan Grozny Cheltenham - 8th of 26 (41/1) | County Handicap 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 Anniversary 4YO Juvenile Hurdle | Mange Tout (FR) 4yo - 5/1 | Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy |
| 14:20 Aintree Manifesto Novices Chase | Koktail Divin (FR) 6yo - 3/1 | Henry De Bromhead Darragh O'Keeffe |
| 14:55 Aintree Bowl Chase | Jango Baie (FR) 7yo - 1/1 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 15:30 Aintree Foxhunters Chase | Barton Snow (IRE) 9yo - 7/4 | J J O'Shea Mr Henry Crow |
| 16:05 Aintree Aintree Hurdle | Brighterdaysahead (FR) 7yo - 13/8 | Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy |
| 16:40 Aintree Red Rum Handicap Chase | Ryans Rocket (IRE) 8yo - 14/1 | Fergal O'Brien Jonathan Burke |
| 17:15 Aintree Nickel Coin Mares Bumper | Nans Choice (IRE) 5yo - 9/2 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
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 National Meeting 2m4f Handicap Hurdle | Wellington Arch (GB) 7yo - 6/1 | Jonjo & A J O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 14:20 Aintree Mildmay Novices Chase | Gold Dancer (FR) 7yo - 100/30 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:55 Aintree Top Novices Hurdle | Storming George (IRE) 6yo - 16/1 | Neil King Jack Quinlan |
| 15:30 Aintree Melling Chase | Grey Dawning (IRE) 9yo - 5/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 16:05 Aintree Topham Chase | Will The Wise (IRE) 7yo - 9/1 | Gavin Cromwell Conor Stone-Walsh |
| 16:40 Aintree Sefton Novices Hurdle | Zeus Power (GER) 5yo - 3/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien J J Slevin |
| 17:15 Aintree National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle | Melon (GER) 5yo - 10/1 | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Toby McCain-Mitchell |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 12:45 Aintree Maghull Novices Chase | Mirabad (FR) 7yo - 50/1 | Dan Skelton Tristan Durrell |
| 13:20 Aintree National Meeting 3m Handicap Hurdle | Wade Out (IRE) 7yo - 18/1 | Olly Murphy Gavin Sheehan |
| 13:55 Aintree Mersey Novices Hurdle | Bossman Jack (GB) 6yo - 11/4 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 14:30 Aintree Freebooter Handicap Chase | Mr Hope Street (IRE) 8yo - 4/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 15:05 Aintree Liverpool Hurdle | Home By The Lee (IRE) 11yo - 5/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien J J Slevin |
| 16:00 Aintree Grand National | I Am Maximus (FR) 10yo - 9/2 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 17:00 Aintree Champion Standard Open NH Flat Race | Forthfactor (IRE) 5yo - 10/1 | Dan Skelton Miss Heidi Palin |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this National Meeting 2m Handicap Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Here are some other notable races at the Aintree racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
