2024 Grand National: Day 1 Review

The first day of action at Aintree was enthralling, and here we take a look back and review the action from all seven races on the opening day of the 2024 Grand National.

Thursday 11th April 2024, the opening day of this year’s renewal of the famous and iconic Grand National at Aintree Racecourse, was action-packed with all seven races being enthralling for all those in attendance. Here we are going to review all of the action from day one, but first here is a reminder of the races that took place on Thursday.

The seven races were as follows:

• Close Brothers Manifesto Novices’ Chase.
• Boodles Anniversary 4-Year-Old Juvenile Hurdle.
• William Hill Bowl Chase.
• William Hill Aintree Hurdle.
• Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase.
• Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase.
• Goffs Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.

We will now go ahead and review all seven of these races in the order that they happened, so we are going to start with the 13:45 Close Brothers Manifesto Novices’ Chase. This was the race that not only got day one underway but also got the 2024 Grand National itself finally started.

Close Brothers Manifesto Novices’ Chase (Winner: Il Etait Temps)

The opening race of the first day saw five horses make up the field of the 2024 Close Brothers Manifesto Novices’ Chase, and they were: Harry Cobden’s Ginny’s Destiny, Paul Townend’s Il Etait Temps, Stan Sheppard’s Blow Your Wad, Harry Skelton’s Grey Dawning and Gavin Sheehan’s Colonel Harry.

In the end, it was Paul Townend who emerged victorious, riding Il Etait Temps to victory after managing to fend off stern competition from Ginny’s Destiny, who had to settle for a second place finish whilst Harry Skelton and Grey Dawning rounded off the top three in third.

Boodles Anniversary 4-Year-Old Juvenile Hurdle (Winner: Sir Gino)

Next up on Thursday afternoon was the running of this year’s Boodles Anniversary 4-Year-Old Juvenile Hurdle. The field for this race, just like the one that came before it, was also made up of five horses, and they were: Kalif Du Berlais (Harry Cobden), Intellotto (James Slevin), Sir Gino (Nico de Boinville), Dirty Den (Ben Poste) and Kargese (Paul Townend).

Sir Gino, ridden by Nico de Boinville, was the horse to come out on top in the end in this particular race, whilst Kargese and Kalif Du Berlais rounded off the top three with a second and third place finish respectively.

William Hill Bowl Chase (Winner: Gerri Colombe)

Race number three of day one at Aintree was the 2024 edition of the William Hill Bowl Chase. 7 horses took part, and they were Darragh O’Keefe’s Gentlemansgame, Sean Bowen’s Thunder Rock, Harry Cobden’s Bravemansgame, Nico de Boinville’s Shishkin, Jack Kennedy’s Gerri Colombe, Mark Walsh’s Corbetts Cross and Derek Fox’s Ahoy Senor.

In the end, it was Jack Kennedy and Gerri Colombe who emerged victorious in this particular race after holding off a challenge from eventual runner-up Ahoy Senor in the latter stages of the race. Corbetts Cross came third.

William Hill Aintree Hurdle (Winner: Impaire Et Passe)

We now move on to what was easily the most controversial race of the opening day of the 2024 Grand National. A total of 8 horses made up the field for the 2024 William Hill Aintree Hurdle, and they were as follows: Rachel Blackmore’s Bob Olinger, Nico de Boinville’s Marie’s Rock, Jack Kennedy’s Beacon Edge, Harry Skelton’s Langer Dan, James Bowen’s Luccia, Paul Townend’s Impaire Et Passe, Sam Twiston-Davies’ Mahons Glory and finally Richard Patrick’s Nemean Lion.

Whilst Impaire Et Passe was eventually named as the winner, this was after one of the closest finishes in recent memory, with Paul Townend adjudged to have been the winning jockey ahead of Rachael Blackmore and Bob Olinger following a lengthy post-race stewards review. Langer Dan came third.

Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase (Winner: Its On The Line)

The third to last race on the opening day was the 2024 Randox Foxhunters Open Hunters’ Chase at Aintree. 22 horses took part, and they were: Gaboriot (Harry Myddelton), Cat Tiger (David Maxwell), Matts Commission (Lois Teal), Lieutenant Rocco (William Biddick), Focus Point (D T Hyde), Espoir De Guye (Natalie Parker), Grand Roi (Tommie O’Brien) Windsor Avenue (Jack Teal), Spyglass Hill (James King), Reikers Island (Daniel Cherriman) Drop Flight (Ben Sutton), Cap Du Mathan (Olive Nicholls), Rebel Dawn Rising (Dale Peters), The Big Lense (Alex Chadwick), Captain Tommy (Toby McCain-Mitchell), Hardline (Josh Williamson), Tea Clipper (Freddie Mitchell), Time Leader (Huw Edwards), Romeo Magico (Dara McGill), Bennys King (Sean O’Connor), Annamix (Patrick Mullins) and finally Derek O’Connor’s Its On The Line.

The winner was the last mentioned horse in the above list – Derek O’Connor’s Its On The Line, who managed to fend off some stern competition, particularly from Sean O’Connor and Bennys King who had to eventually settle for a second place finish overall. It was Patrick Mullins and Annamix who came in third.

Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase (Winner: Sans Bruit)

We will now be moving on to the sixth and ultimately the penultimate race of the first day of the 2024 Grand National at Aintree – it was this year’s renewal of the Close Brothers Red Rum Handicap Chase. The field was made up of 15 horses, and they were: Guy (James Turner), Irish Blaze (Carl Millar), Black Gerry (Niall Houlihan), Heltenham (Ciaran Gethings), Bythesametoken (Robert Dunne), Unexpected Party (Harry Skelton), Mackenberg (Theo Gillard), Whiskeywealth (John Shinnick), Homme Public (Henry Brooke), Triple Trade (Brendan Powell), Dancing On My Own (Rachael Blackmore), Mayhem Mya (Bryan Carver), Sans Bruit (Bryony Frost), Path D’oroux (Keith Donoghue) and finally Saint Roi, ridden by Jockey Mark Walsh.

In the end, it was to be Bryony Frost and Sans Bruit who would go on to emerge victorious from this race, ahead of the likes of Mark Walsh’s Saint Roi and Path D’oroux who was ridden by Keith Donoghue. They had to settle for a second and third place finish respectively.

Goffs Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race (Winner: Diva Luna)

Finally, we now move on to the seventh and indeed final race of Day One at the 2024 Grand National – the Goffs Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race. In this renewal of this race, a total of 16 horses and jockeys took part, and they were the following: Future Fortune (James Bowen) Mongibello (James Slevin), Nala The Lioness (Henry Brooke), Honky Tonk Highway (Harry Skelton), Wednesday Addams (Jack Quinlan), Baby Kate (Patrick Mullins), Park Princess (Sam Twiston-Davies), Letterston Lily (Sean Bowen), Not Now Nathaniel (Brian Hughes), Listentoyourheart (Charlie Todd), Just Call Me Lucy (Jamie Hamilton), Speculatrix (Jack Kennedy), La Marquise (Gavin Sheehan), Jubilee Alpha (Harry Cobden), Metkayina (Jonathan Burke), Diva Luna (Kielan Woods).

It was Kielan Woods, riding Diva Luna, who would go on to finish in first place in what was the final race of the opening day of the 2024 Grand National. Harry Cobden’s Jubilee Alpha came in second, whilst La Marquise, ridden by Jockey Gavin Sheehan, came in third.

Excitement and anticipation are building ahead of the continuation of the 2024 Grand National on the afternoon of Friday 12th April 2024, which will be the second and three days of enthralling racing.

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