Grand National day at Aintree brought more live racing action on Saturday 11 April 2026, with attention turning to the 12.45pm Maghull Novice Chase and the latest betting before and after the race.
The contest looked set to be run at a strong tempo from the start, with several runners inclined to attack early. Be Aware jumped slightly to the right at the first fence, but still managed to take up the lead. Salvatore Mundi moved forward quickly and joined the pace near the front, while the favourite was noted as not being especially fluent.
Late drama in the Maghull Novice Chase
As the field turned for home, Be Aware and Salvatore Mundi were still disputing the lead. Kala Conti had positioned itself well enough to challenge but then fell three fences from the finish, changing the shape of the race.
Mirabad then emerged as the main threat. Ready to challenge, it took over and pulled clear to win in decisive fashion. The result gave Dan Skelton, described in the live coverage as the outgoing champion trainer, another significant success on the day.
Betting before the race
The betting for the 12.45pm Maghull Novice Chase had shown Salvator Mundi as the clear market leader at 11/10. Kala Conti was next in the market at 11/4, followed by Mighty Bandit at 7/1.
Be Aware was priced at 10/1, No Questions Asked at 20/1, and Alnilam at 22/1. Mirabad and King Of Kingsfield were both outsiders at 50/1.
The race formed part of a packed Grand National day programme at Aintree, with live updates continuing throughout the afternoon. The Guardian’s coverage also pointed readers to a guide to all the runners and referenced the strong interest surrounding the meeting, including the so-called “TikTok effect” that helped bring sellout crowds.
More updates from Aintree continued as the day unfolded, with the focus on the big-race atmosphere and the latest developments from the track.
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