AINTREE, England – Before the chaos of the famous Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday, there is a measure of predictability to the main hurdle race on Thursday’s first day of the three-day jump racing meeting held just north of Liverpool. Constitution Hill, the leading hurdler in Europe, will be a tremendously short-priced favorite to beat five rivals in the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle at 2 1/2 miles. As of Wednesday afternoon, Constitution Hill was 1-8 with British bookmakers, while stablemate Epatante, who won the race by seven lengths in 2022, was the 11-1 second choice. Constitution Hill, a 6-year-old British-bred gelding, is unbeaten in six hurdle races since December 2021. Trained by Nicky Henderson for Michael Buckley, Constitution Hill has been an odds-on favorite in four of his six wins, and with good reason. The closest a rival has come to beating him occurred last month at Cheltenham when Constitution Hill won the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle at 2 1/16 miles by nine lengths without being fully extended. The $312,000 Aintree Hurdle will be Constitution Hill’s longest race after six starts at two miles and 2 1/16 miles. Judging from the way Constitution Hill has finished, the longer trip is unlikely to be an issue. Constitution Hill was second in a three-mile point-to-point race for amateur riders in April 2021 before the gelding was transferred to Henderson later that year for the start of his professional career. Epatante, a 9-year-old mare also trained by Henderson, was second to Constitution Hill in two Grade 1 hurdle races in November and December, but eighth of nine in the Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Nov. 14. Aintree has a seven-race program on Thursday, beginning at 8:45 p.m. Eastern, or 5:45 a.m. Pacific. Wagering is available DRFBets.com. The first four races are Grade 1 stakes. The leading steeplechase is the $312,000 Aintree Bowl Chase at 3 1/8 miles, one of the year’s leading weight-for-age races for jumpers. Bravermansgame, a good second by seven lengths in the Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup at 3 5/16 miles on March 17, was a slight favorite at 5-2 for the Aintree Bowl on Wednesday over 11-4 Shishkin, who was second in the Grade 1 Ryanair Chase at 2 1/2 miles at Cheltenham on March 16 for Henderson. Bravermansgame, trained by Paul Nicholls, won the Grade 1 King George VI Chase at three miles at Kempton Park near London on Dec. 26. Kempton and Aintree are flat tracks, while Cheltenham has significant undulations. A Plus Tard, pulled up with five furlongs remaining in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, was the 7-2 third choice in a field of six. Trained in Ireland by Henry de Bromhead, A Plus Tard was second in the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup and won the race in 2022, his most recent win and completed raced. He was pulled up in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock Racecourse in November in his only other start of the current jump season other than the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Earlier on Thursday’s program, Zenta, third in the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle, is a standout in the $137,200 4-Year-Old Juvenile Hurdle at 2 1/8 miles. Zenta, a winner of 2 of 3 starts, is part of the powerful Irish stable of trainer Willie Mullins. Stage Star, a winner of his last three starts for Nicholls, and Banbridge, trained in Ireland by Joseph O’Brien, were the 6-4 co-favorites on Wednesday for the $149,720 Manifesto Novices’ Chase at 2 1/2 miles. The Grand National, at 4 5/16 miles, is expected to have a full field of 40 after 50 horses remained nominated earlier this week. The field will be finalized Thursday. Corach Rambler, winner of the Ultima Handicap Chase at 3 1/2 miles at Cheltenham on March 14, was the 6-1 favorite on Wednesday, a slight choice over 8-1 Noble Yeats, who won the 2022 Grand National. Corach Rambler will carry 145 pounds, compared to 165 pounds for Noble Yeats. Any Second Now (11-1) will carry top weight of 166. The 11-year-old Any Second Now was second to Noble Yeats in 2022 and won the Grade 2 Webster Cup Chase at 2 9/16 miles at Navan Racecourse in Ireland on March 20 in his final prep race.