Cheltenham, Aintree and the Irish Grand National: Does the Timing Really Matter?
As the flat season draws to a close in the UK, and the jumps season begins in earnest, there is a lot for trainers to think about and some very big decisions need to be made over the coming months.
The timing of the biggest festivals often determines the prep routes horses take, but with so many major meetings taking place within weeks of each other, is there a downside to the timings of them all?
The Cheltenham Festival comes first in March, Aintree follows a few weeks later, with the Grand National at the centre of its three-day meeting, and somewhere around the same period comes the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.
For horses good enough to compete at this level, there can be several valuable races available within a relatively short space of time.
So should trainers run at Cheltenham and then head to Aintree? Should a Grand National horse skip Cheltenham completely? And where does the Irish Grand National fit into all of this?
There is no single answer, and much depends on the horse, the type of race it contests, how hard that race is and, importantly, exactly where Easter falls that year.
How Long Is There Between Cheltenham and the Grand National?
There is no fixed gap between the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National. Cheltenham is normally held during the second or third week in March, while the Grand National takes place at Aintree in April.
In 2026, for example, the Cheltenham Festival ran from March 10th to March 13th, while the Grand National was staged on April 11th. That gave horses running on the final day at Cheltenham 29 days before the National.
That is quite different from some previous years. Over the years there have been occasions when the two meetings were separated by little more than three weeks. It was easy to argue that running a demanding race at Cheltenham could leave a horse short of recovery time before Aintree.
However, subsequent Grand Nationals have shown that a Cheltenham run can actually be excellent preparation.
Cheltenham Can Be a Very Good Grand National Trial
Perhaps the clearest example is Tiger Roll. In 2019 he won the Cross Country race at Cheltenham by 22 lengths on March 13th before winning his second Grand National at Aintree on April 6th.
That gave him just 24 days between the two races. Rather than leaving him tired, his Cheltenham performance showed that he was in outstanding form going into Aintree.
Corach Rambler provided another strong example in 2023. He won the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham on March 14th and then won the Grand National at Aintree on April 15th.
His trainer Lucinda Russell clearly had no concerns about using Cheltenham as part of his National preparation, and his success showed that a hard spring race does not necessarily leave a horse at a disadvantage.
Then again, in 2024 Corach Rambler ran in the Gold Cup on March 15th, giving his all to finish in third place. He then headed back to Aintree on April 13th and promptly unseated his jockey, Derek Fox, at the first fence.
The key point is that the number of days between races only tells us so much.
One horse might have a relatively easy race and recover very quickly. Another might finish exhausted after racing on testing ground and need considerably longer.
Trainers therefore have to judge the horse rather than simply count the days on the calendar.
Cheltenham Can Actually Help With Grand National Weights
There is another reason why running at Cheltenham can sometimes work in favour of a Grand National contender.
The Grand National weights are published well before the race. For the 2026 National, for example, the weights were announced on February 17th, and importantly, there are no penalties for wins after the weights are published.
That means a horse can improve its official rating after the weights have been fixed without having to carry extra weight at Aintree. This is known as being “well in” at the weights.
Tiger Roll was a perfect example in 2019. His impressive Cheltenham victory caused his official rating to rise, but his Grand National weight had already been set. The Aintree handicapper calculated that he was effectively 8lb well in when he went to Liverpool.
So rather than Cheltenham always damaging a horse’s National prospects, a big performance there can sometimes make its position at Aintree even more attractive.
Why Do Some Trainers Still Skip Cheltenham?
That does not mean every Grand National contender should run at the Festival.
Cheltenham is highly competitive and can be physically demanding, and a horse may have to race on softer ground than ideal, become involved in a tough finish or simply have a harder race than its trainer wanted.
There is also always the risk of a small injury or setback, and if the Grand National has been the main target for months, some trainers see little reason to take that risk simply for the sake of another run.
Others deliberately choose a quieter preparation. The decision often comes down to whether the horse needs another race. Some arrive at March fit and ready after a full winter campaign. Others need one final run to bring them to peak fitness.
Where Does the Irish Grand National Fit In?
The Irish Grand National adds another complication because its date is tied to Easter Monday rather than a fixed weekend.
That means its position compared with Aintree can change quite dramatically, as was the case in 2026 when the Irish Grand National took place at Fairyhouse on Monday, April 6th, with the Aintree Grand National following just five days later on Saturday, April 11th.
Quite clearly, a horse was not realistically going to compete seriously in both.
But the calendar does not always look like that. In 2027, for example, Easter Monday falls on March 29th, while the Aintree Grand National takes place on April 10th. That creates a 12-day gap, arguably more doable but realistically highly unlikely that a horse could run in both.
In some years the Irish National comes before Aintree. In others it comes afterward, so trainers with horses entered in both races may have to make a firm choice.
Aintree or Fairyhouse? The two Nationals ask slightly different questions.
The Grand National at Aintree is run over around four miles and two furlongs and, since 2024, has a maximum field of 34.
The Irish Grand National is run over three miles and five furlongs at Fairyhouse and usually attracts a maximum field of 30 staying chasers.
For an Irish trainer in particular, Fairyhouse can be every bit as important a target, and if a horse looks well treated in the Irish handicap, connections may stay at home rather than travel to Liverpool.
Ground can also settle the issue and connections may keep horses entered in several races for as long as possible and wait to see the likely conditions before committing.
That is why spring entry lists often contain plenty of horses that ultimately run somewhere else.
It is not necessarily a change of plan. Sometimes the plan is simply to keep several plans open.
Does Running at Cheltenham Hurt a Horse’s Grand National Chances?
The simple answer is no, not automatically. The old belief that a horse running at Cheltenham should immediately be crossed off the Grand National list has been proved wrong several times.
Tiger Roll won at Cheltenham before winning at Aintree. Corach Rambler did the same. Just remember that is only two horses from the hundreds that have run over the last ten years which may imply that they were the exception and not the rule.
Other National contenders have used Cheltenham as their final preparation without winning there, while some have skipped the Festival completely. There is simply no set formula.
What matters more is how hard the horse raced, how well it recovered, whether the ground suited it and whether the trainer believes another run has helped or hindered its preparation.
Three Major Meetings, One Very Busy Spring
Cheltenham, Fairyhouse and Aintree inevitably compete for some of the same staying chasers, but that is also part of what makes March and April so interesting.
A horse can leave Cheltenham looking like an average Grand National chance and suddenly become one of the favourites.
Another can run poorly and be taken out of Aintree completely. The Irish Grand National can offer a better option for some horses, while its changing Easter date means trainers have to reassess the situation every year.
Rather than simply assuming that a recent run is a negative, Grand National punters are probably better looking at how the horse ran.
A good Cheltenham performance followed by three or four weeks of recovery can be close to ideal preparation.
And if a horse comes out of Cheltenham fit, healthy and several pounds well in at the Grand National weights, its recent run might actually be one of the strongest reasons to back it.
BETFRED
