Tote Guide – Aintree Festival 2026: Day 2

Day 2 at Aintree. Friday’s card is seven races deep, headlined by the Grade 1 Melling Chase and the Topham over the Grand National fences, with the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle and competitive handicaps filling out a card that is every bit as strong as Thursday’s opener. The fields are strong, the good spring ground should let the best horses show their ability, and the data has plenty to say.

This is our race-by-race breakdown of Day 2 at Aintree, produced in partnership with the Tote. For each race, we lay out what the EquiAnalytix model sees, where the data aligns with the market, and, more importantly, where it disagrees. The Tote Placepot runs across the first six races, and we have built an interactive Placepot builder at the bottom of this guide so you can construct your perm as you read through.