Grand National Aintree Hurdle 2023 - Tips, Odds & Predictions

The Aintree Hurdle is a Grade 1 Grand National Hunt race and is fiercely contested by pedigree runners aged four years and older. Run over two miles and four furlongs and featuring 11 hurdles, the Aintree Hurdle 2023 is scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 13th, with Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy winner Constitution Hill set to make his Aintree debut this year! In this detailed Aintree Hurdle betting guide, I’ll share the latest odds while offering some wagering tips to consider!

💯 Aintree Hurdle 2023 Betting Odds

While some Aintree hurdle betting odds and competitors have been released, the full lineup for the race has not yet been confirmed. However, I’ve published the information that’s available below, while I’ll update the table in full once the final Aintree Hurdle 2023 runners have been unveiled.

Runner
Constitution Hill	1.15	1.16	1.18	TBC	TBC
Epatante	7.00	7.00	9.00	TBC	TBC
Zanahiyr	8.00	8.00	8.00	TBC	TBC
Sharjah	13.00	13.00	17.00	TBC	TBC
I Like To Move It	21.00	17.00	21.00	TBC	TBC
Knappers Hill	21.00	21.00	26.00	TBC	TBC
Sceau Royal	26.00	26.00	26.00	TBC	TBC
Fil Dor	26.00	26.00	26.00	TBC	TBC
Brewinupastorm	34.00	34.00	34.00	TBC	TBC
Meet and Greet	34.00	34.00	26.00	TBC	TBC
Itchy Feet	101.00	101.00	67.00	TBC	TBC

⚡Aintree Hurdle 2023 Preview

Of the six confirmed Aintree Hurdle runners announced so far, there’s already some pretty recognisable names. Constitution Hill has also emerged as the runaway favourite to prevail over the hurdles at Aintree, but is he really poised to earn a sixth career win and extend his perfect National Hunt record? Here’s a more detailed Aintree Hurdle preview!

1️⃣ Constitution Hill

Where else but to start with the six-year-old gelding Constitution Hill, who trainer Nicky Henderson has already confirmed will make his Aintree debut in the William Hill Aintree Hurdle.

While Henderson also said that this Grade 1 runout could be the runner’s last outing over the hurdles, there’s no doubting his pedigree on the National Hunt circuit and his ability to dominate over two miles or more.

After all, he was utterly breath-taking in winning the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, when he romped home by nine lengths from ‘State Man’. He dominated this race from start to finish, and will look to do the same at Aintree on April 13th!

Although he was the odds-on favourite in that race too, nobody expected such a dominant display, and Constitution Hill may well have peaked ahead of his eagerly anticipated Aintree debut!

2️⃣ Epatante

Next up is Epatante, who can be backed at around 6/1 and as high as 8/1 with William Hill. While he’s the distant second favourite to win the Aintree Hurdle, he’s undoubtedly a contender, while he showcased his class over two miles when winning the Grade 2 Sky Bet Yorkshire Rose Mares' Hurdle in January. He also won the Aintree Hurdle last year, thrashing Monmiral by 14 lengths in an impressive and controlled display.

However, he disappointed at the Cheltenham Festival in March this year, trailing eighth in a field of nine in the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle and finishing a whopping 21 lengths behind Honeysuckle. This was a Grade 1 outing, and Epatante’s performance has caused some to question whether the nine-year-old still has what it takes to compete at the highest level.

Despite this, the Nicky Henderson-trained runner retains an impressive career record over the hurdles, winning 10 out of 19 such races and placing in the top three on 17 occasions.

This makes him one to watch in the upcoming Aintree Hurdle, although he will have to showcase his best form and beat Constitution Hill for the first time in his career (he lost to the gelding at Kempton and Newcastle in December) if he’s to win.

3️⃣ Zanahiya

Zanahiya is the current third favourite for the William Hill Aintree Hurdle in 2023, which may come as a surprise to some given that the six-year-old hasn’t won a National Hunt race since October 2021. In fact, he only has four hurdle triumphs in 15 career outings, with five further placements in the top three.

However, he claimed third in a field of seven last time out, when he competed in the aforementioned Grade 1 Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham in March.

Though he trailed Constitution Hill by 13 lengths, he showed his ability to compete at this level and represents a reasonable each way bet at least in 2023.

He’s also unlikely to see his average price of 8/1 drift too much once the Aintree Hurdle 2023 betting gets underway in earnest, as sportsbooks probably won’t see a dramatic influx of cash on the gelding given his recent form.

4️⃣ Knappers Hill

Knappers Hill be backed as high as 20/1 with William Hill to win the Aintree Hurdle in 2023, despite the Paul Nicholls-trained 7-year-old winning six of 12 hurdle races to date and placed in nine of these outings overall.

What’s more, he enjoyed a superb four-race winning run between April and November 2022, triumphing at Newton Abbot, Sandown, Chepstow and Wincanton in the process. The win at Sandown was particularly impressive, as he claimed the bet364 Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle by 4¼ lengths from Boombawn.

More recently, Knappers Hill placed third at Fontwell in February, but his most recent outings have been less impressive and haven’t shown that anything to suggest that he’s ready to upset Constitution Hill in the 2023 Aintree Hurdle.

Despite this, he retains an outside chance of prevailing in his blue-chip, Grade 1 race, while he may also tempt you to place an each way wager depending on the size of the field once the full list of runners has been confirmed.

⭐ Aintree Hurdle 2023 Betting Tips

Now that you have a better understanding of the confirmed runners, it’s time to consider best practice for Aintree Hurdle betting. So, I’ve prepared a few Aintree Hurdle betting tips to help you make the most informed selections and hopefully get the absolute most out of your starting bankroll!

Study Relevant Form and Past Performances

Studying the form is a key staple of successful horse racing and sports betting, but it’s important that you focus your attention on key aspects of each runner’s past performance.

For example, you should pay particular attention to each runner’s performance in recent hurdle races, especially those that cover a similar distance to the Aintree Hurdle.

Also, you should appraise the quality of the competing field when weighting results, while the grading of the race is worthy of similar consideration.

This may identify patterns in each runner’s results, such as whether they struggle in Grade 1 places or don’t fare particular well over longer distances. Such insights can help you to identify likely winners and seek out the best value odds in relation to your wagers!

✔️ Use Bonus Offers to Your Advantage

When comparing Betinireland’s bookmakers reviews and the best Aintree Hurdle betting sites, one of your key criteria may well be the welcome bonuses and existing player promotions that are in play.

I’ll explore some of the latest welcome bonuses and Aintree offers in more detail below, as identifying the best promotions may unlock valuable free bets or deposit matches ahead of the Aintree Hurdle race.

In addition to unearthing free bet offers and 100% deposit matches, you may also be able to identify features like guaranteed odds and extra place promotions. These deliver the best value for money and increase your chances of securing a payout respectively, while so-called “acca” insurance also prevents your accumulator bets from being scuppered by a single failed selection.

Regardless, you should review the latest bonuses and promotional offers before choosing where to wager on the Aintree Hurdle, while trying to identify packages that best suit your bankroll and preferred wager type.

✔️ Place Multiple Bets on the Aintree Hurdle

A total of 21 different races will take place over the course of the three-day Grand National Festival at Aintree, and you may well decide to bet on a number of these. Similarly, you may look to place multiple wagers on single, Grade 1 races such as the Aintree Hurdle, which can help you to make the most of your bankroll and potentially minimise the risk of loss.

Let’s say that you have a fixed amount that you can wager on the Aintree Hurdle as part of your wider bankroll. In this case, I’d recommend distributing this across multiple outcomes, while incorporating a combination of outright and each way wagers on selected runners.

For example, placing an increased stake on Constitution Hill seems like a sensible course of action given this runner’s form and pedigree, while you may also want to place a smaller, nominal bet on a horse like Knappers Hill to win at 20/1.

Then consider placing an each way bet on Zanahiya or Epatante, as this will split your stake between different outcomes and see you recoup some of your stake if these runners place in the top three or four (depending on the size of the final field).

🏆 Aintree Hurdle 2023 Favorites to Win

Usually, making any Aintree Hurdle predictions is a challenging pastime, with no runners having dominated the race since Al Eile (who won three times in four years between 2005 and 2008).

However, the 2023 Aintree Hurdle winner prediction appears much more straightforward, with the six-year-old gelding Constitution Hill having emerged as the strong odds-on favourite just as soon as trainer Nicky Henderson confirmed that he was starting the race.

Not only does he boast a perfect record and 100%-win rate over the course of his six-race hurdle career, but his dominant performance in winning the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last month earmarked him as a truly generational talent.

Given that this is also likely to be the runners last race over the hurdles, Henderson will want him to go out with a bang and by extending his perfect record, and it’s hard to see any other outcome than a win for Constitution Hill.

While this runner represents an excellent outright bet, you may also want to consider placing an each way wager on last years’ winner Epatante. He certainly knows and likes the course, while his current price of 8/1 creates enough scope to retain a hefty percentage of your stake should he trail in second or third. While I don’t expect him to beat Constitution Hill, he’s a genuine contender and highly likely to place well at Aintree.

🎁 The Best Free Bets Offers for Aintree Hurdle 2023

Before you start engaging in Aintree Hurdle betting, it’s well worth reviewing the very latest free bet offers from Betinireland’s recommended sportsbooks. I’ve outlined this in the table below, and each one is capable of unlocking free bets that can be placed on the outcome of the 2023 Aintree Hurdle!

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❓Frequent Asked Questions About the Aintree Hurdle 2023

Whether you’re attending the Aintree races in 2023 or livestreaming the action at home, you should now be well-placed to wager your hard-earned money with genuine peace of mind! Before I bring this guide to a close, however, I’m going to answer a few of your most frequently asked questions!

✒️ Lewis Humphries - Sports Betting and iGaming Expert

Lewis Humphries is an experienced sportswriter and tipster from the UK. He writes regularly about the horse racing betting and key events from across the UK and Ireland, including the Irish Grand National, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Aintree Grand National. He’s also providing extensive coverage and predictions for the 2023 Easter Festival at Fairyhouse.