The Melling Chase, known officially in recent times as the JLT Chase for sponsorship reasons, is a top-class National Hunt race which takes place every year on day two (Friday) of Aintree’s Grand National meeting in early April. The card also features the Top Novices’ Hurdle, Mildmay Novices’ Chase and the Topham Chase.
Inaugurated in 1991, the Melling has been won by the likes of Viking Flagship, Native Upmanship, Moscow Flyer and recently by superstar Min with all winners in the event etching their names into Aintree folklore.
Worth £250,000 in prize money, the Melling Chase is a genuine first-class event which is staged over a trip of 2 miles, 4 furlongs and brings in those who have raced over two miles, two-and-a-half miles and even those who were proven not to stay in races such as the Gold Cup at Cheltenham over further.