Grand National Festival day 2 offers & tips: £200+ in free bets

The Topham Chase, a Premier Handicap Chase established in 1949, is the second of three races run over the Grand National fences at the Aintree Festival in April. Our betting experts can reveal their tips for the race, and we can also share details of how you can receive £200 in free bets via sign up offers from UK betting sites.

Grand National Festival day 2 betting offers & free bets

There’s a whole range of racing to look forward to at Aintree in the next couple of days, including the 2026 Grand National, and that means you should sign up to some of the best betting sites now.

The sign-up offer from Paddy Power is one that always stands out with a strong offering of £50 in free bets from a stake of just £10.

Topham Chase Betting Tips

The Topham Chase takes place on the Friday, the middle day of the festival, it is contested over a distance of 2m5f and is limited to a maximum field of 30 runners.

• Selection: Gentleman De Mee @ 12/1
• Next Best: Firefox @ 12/1

Poor record for favourites

This has not been a good race for favourite backers, the last 11 market leaders beaten. That statistic has to be a concern for supporters of Dan Skelton’s Madara, who is clear at the top of most ante-post betting lists following his comfortable defeat of Will The Wise in the Plate Handicap at the Cheltenham Festival.

The seven-year-old is up 10lb to a mark of 150, but he has got an excellent strike-rate over fences (5-16) and will surely be thereabouts if taking to these fences, having run to a Racing Post Rating of 155 last time.

Gavin Cromwell’s Will The Wise finished almost eight lengths behind Madara at Cheltenham, but he is lightly raced over fences and is entitled to close that gap on these 8lb better terms.

The seven-year-old has shown gradual improvement since switching to fences and this trip may be his optimum.

Francais has it to prove

Tom George’s Il Est Francais looked exceptional when winning the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton in December 2023 and ran a very good race when runner-up to Banbridge in last season’s King George over the same course-and-distance.

However, he has had little go right since and cut out quickly when pulled up on his last two starts, suggesting he has got some kind of physical issue.

This track could revitalise him, but it is impossible to have any confidence in him, such is his current lack of form.

Gentleman set for repeat

The famous green and gold silks of JP McManus have been carried to victory twice in the Topham Chase, Jonjo O’Neill’s Eastlake landing the 2016 edition and the Willie Mullins-trained GENTLEMAN DE MEE coming out on top 12 months ago.

Peter Bowen’s Always Waining reeled off three straight wins in the race from 2010 onwards and Culworth (1950/1951), Roughan (1957/1958) and Ultragold (2017/2018) all recorded back-to-back successes, so there is reason to believe Gentleman De Mee can join that list.

The 10-year-old stayed on strongly to edge out the reopposing Lisnamalt Lad by three-quarters of a length under Mark Walsh last year, despite a slow start and less than perfect round of jumping.

He is set to race off the same mark of 155 and warrants serious consideration, having run respectably in the face of some stiff assignments since, including an excellent fourth behind subsequent Gold Cup winner and stablemate Gaelic Warrior in the Grade 2 Oaksey Chase at Sandown.

• Topham Chase tip 1: Gentleman De Mee @ 12/1

Classy Firefox deserves respect

Gordon Elliott’s FIREFOX has the option of the Grand National, but much of his best form is over intermediate trips, including his win in a Grade 2 at Down Royal in November, so this looks the most logical target.

The eight-year-old is going to have his share of weight, but almost half his career outings have been in Grade 1s and he has the potential to outclass his rivals.

• Topham Chase tip 2: Firefox @ 12/1