There are 25 runners declared for the 3:30 at Aintree on Thursday, but realistically this race shapes up as a three-way argument at the top of the market, with a handful of interesting each-way cases lurking beneath.
The National fences have a habit of throwing surprises, and this race has produced its fair share over the years, but the form coming out of Cheltenham last month is strong, and the leading protagonists deserve their market positions.
The Cheltenham Form
The Foxhunters at Aintree is run over the Grand National course, which makes it a very different proposition to the Festival hunter chase at Cheltenham, staged over three miles and two furlongs on the New Course. The trip is shorter here; the fences are different.
That said, what happened at Cheltenham three weeks ago is the form everyone is working from. Barton Snow won the Princess Royal Hunters’ Chase by a neck from Its On The Line, with Music Drive a further seven and a half lengths back in third and Golden Son filling fourth.
All four line up again here, which gives the race a satisfying sense of unresolved business.
2026 Foxhunters Runners & Odds
| No. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Barton Snow | Mr H Crow | J J O’Shea | 2/1 |
| 14 | Its On The Line | Mr D O’Connor | E Mullins | 4/1 |
| 22 | Unexpected Party | Miss Heidi Palin | D Skelton | 6/1 |
| 17 | Lets Go Champ | Ms Sophie Carter | Ms M Mullins | 11/1 |
| 11 | Golden Son | Miss O Nicholls | P F Nicholls | 12/1 |
| 21 | Thunder Rock | Mr James King | O Murphy | 14/1 |
| 12 | Gracchus De Balme | Mr P A King | J J O’Shea | 16/1 |
| 16 | Joker De Mai | Mr R James | C Boultbee-Brooks | 20/1 |
| 18 | Music Drive | Miss Ellie Callwood | Miss Kelly Morgan | 20/1 |
| 2 | A Moments Madness | Mr Albi Tufnell | F O’Brien | 22/1 |
| 10 | Gaboriot | Mr Huw Edwards | O Greenall & J Guerriero | 22/1 |
| 8 | Famous Clermont | Milo Herbert | C R Barber | 33/1 |
| 20 | Take All | Mr Samuel Scott | Myles Osborne | 33/1 |
| 24 | Willewonga | Mr Alan O’Sullivan | J J O’Shea | 33/1 |
| 7 | Fairly Famous | Miss Gina Andrews | Mrs G Andrews | 40/1 |
| 19 | Snipe | Mr Sean P O’Connor | D Skelton | 40/1 |
| 9 | Fan De Blues | Mr Daniel Williams | Miss Henton | 50/1 |
| 15 | Java Point | Mr Paddy Barlow | Lemos Souza | 50/1 |
| 1 | A Jet Of Our Own | Mr Zac Baker | Mrs N Sheppard | 66/1 |
| 23 | Whats The Solution | Mr J Teal | J Teal | 100/1 |
| 4 | Densworth | Miss Natasha Cookson | J Cookson | 125/1 |
| 5 | Empire De Maulde | Harry Brown | R Varnham | 125/1 |
| 6 | Enqarde | Miss Molly Armytage | Mrs D Plunkett | 125/1 |
| 13 | Great Notions | Mr Nick Orpwood | Fiona Needham | 125/1 |
| 25 | Hollywood Harmon | Miss Pippa Brown | A C Wilson | 150/1 |
Barton Snow: A Horse With a Profile to Marvel At
The favourite is a nine-year-old trained by Joe O’Shea from his base in Cheshire, and his record over fences is quite something, winning six out of his last six.
At Cheltenham, he landed a gamble from double figures in the morning to 9/2 on the day, with Henry Crow riding with ice-cool patience to get him home by a neck.
O’Shea has twice won the Foxhunters at Aintree before and made no secret of his intentions after Cheltenham, saying that the Grand National fences are “made for him” on good ground and over this shorter trip.
There is a caveat worth noting. His form is exceptional, but the National fences are a different test, and a neck win at Cheltenham hardly suggests he is operating with huge amounts in hand over these rivals.
Unexpected Party: The Festival Winner with a Point to Prove
Dan Skelton’s Unexpected Party is arguably the most experienced horse in the race in terms of big-race pedigree.
Now eleven, he won the Grand Annual Premier Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2024 as a 12/1 shot, one of the more notable competitive handicap wins of that season.
His transition to hunter chases this season has been smooth, winning at Taunton in January and following up at Haydock in February, where he made all the running and won readily under amateur jockey Heidi Palin.
He missed Cheltenham and arrives here fresher than most of the field. Skelton’s record at big meetings is hard to argue with – he has obvious claims.
Its On The Line: The Most Decorated Hunter Chaser of His Generation
Emmet Mullins’ nine-year-old, ridden by the leading Irish amateur Derek O’Connor, has a record in this sphere that puts him above most of his rivals.
He was second to Barton Snow last month, beaten a neck, and there will be those who take the view that he is overdue a win.
The concern is the ground. His 2024 Aintree win came on heavy going, and he clearly relishes testing conditions, but Good to Soft in April is likely to be drier than what he prefers.
The Each-Way Cases
Lets Go Champ, trained by Henry De Bromhead until he was sold in March and moved to Margaret Mullins, is ridden by Sophie Carter, and is the most interesting of the market outsiders.
An eleven-year-old, he won a hunters’ chase at Gowran Park in March over three miles and one furlong on heavy ground, travelling strongly before asserting between the final two fences.
Margaret Mullins operates a small but sharp operation, and her runner has the profile of a horse who could outrun his 12/1 price if the field gets strung out.
Golden Son, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by his daughter Olive, ran fourth at Cheltenham and clearly handles this kind of trip. At around 12/1 he is the fifth-best in the market, which probably reflects his position accurately. He represents each-way interest if you believe Cheltenham form holds up.
Music Drive, trained by Kelly Morgan and ridden by Ellie Callwood, finished third at Cheltenham and is an each-way option at 12/1 for those who think the first four from that race fill the same positions here.
Foxhunters Verdict
The case for Barton Snow rests on a remarkable unbeaten record over fences, a trainer who has won this specific race twice before, and the explicit declaration from connections that Aintree is the target the whole season has been geared towards. He is the right favourite.
But this is a race run over the Grand National fences, where experience counts and small margins can shift quickly.
Unexpected Party has class, freshness, and a trainer who knows how to win big races. At a bigger price than Barton Snow, he represents each-way value, and a break could leave him sharper than most.
For those looking for a longer shot, Lets Go Champ has been freshened up nicely and arrives with winning form at the right time of year.
Selections: Barton Snow (win), Unexpected Party (each-way), Lets Go Champ (each-way)
BETFRED
