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A list of notable National Hunt horse races which take place annually in Great Britain, under the authority of the British Horseracing Authority, including all races which currently hold Grade 1, 2 or Premier Handicap status.

History of the National Hunt Pattern

A National Hunt (NH) Pattern of important races was first recognized in 1964 when the Horserace Betting Levy Board made a grant of £64,000 to fund a "prestige race allocation" split between the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Grand National. In 1968 a Jump Racing Pattern Committee headed by Lord Leverhulme recommended the creation of a formal NH Pattern, which came into being in 1969 with 14 races initially. The Pattern underwent further revisions in the 1980s and was subject to a major change in 1989 when the Jockey Club, the governing body of British horseracing at the time, overhauled the Pattern to create a mid-season and season-ending Grade 1 race in each of twelve categories, with lead-up Grade 2 races and a set of 14 major handicaps of Grade 3 status. This forms the basis of the current Pattern, which has since been subject to further changes in status and number of races, most recently for the 2023–24 season. Major changes took place in the 2022–23 season when the Grade 3 handicaps were renamed Premier Handicaps and Listed handicaps were removed from the pattern, either becoming Premier Handicaps or being downgraded to Class 2 status.

Grade 1

Grade 2

Premier Handicaps

Listed

Conditions, novices, juveniles & sales

Criteria for inclusion;

• Class 2 conditions, novice or juvenile races worth £50,000 or more, or £40,000 or more and are of historical importance.
• Any sales race.
• Other conditions, novice or juvenile races with a linked article.

† Prize money figures in italics are from the previous season.

Other selected handicaps

Criteria for inclusion;

• Class 2 or Class 3 races worth £50,000 or more run between mid-October and the end of the season, or £40,000 or more between the start of the season and mid-October.
• Races worth £34,000 or more which are a course's most important race of the season or which have historical importance.
• All Regional Grand National races, and any Cross-Country race.
• Other handicap races with a linked article.

1. Was abandoned in the 2023/24 season but was run in May (not technically as a novice race due to being in the current Jumps season) at the same course.
2. Reduced from £100,000 when the race was rescheduled.
3. Won the running rescheduled from the 2023/24 season.

† Prize money figures in italics are from the previous season.

Hunter Chase Triple Crown

Discontinued

† Distances in miles and furlongs

References

1. Rae, George (1992). A Guide to The National Hunt Pattern. The Sporting Life. pp. 9–14. ISBN 0901091448.
2. "Package of changes agreed to help strengthen performance of British Jump racing". British Horseracing Authority. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
3. Robson, Michael. "Chepstow disappointed as Finale Hurdle loses Grade 1 tag in jumps Pattern shift". Racing Post. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
4. "Jump Pattern Committee update 22/23 season". British Horseracing Authority. Retrieved 12 August 2022.

• British Jump Pattern Book 2019–20
• Jump Pattern changes 2018/19
• BHA Jump Race upgrades for 2016/17 season
• British Jump Pattern Book 2023–24

• Horse racing in Great Britain
• Horse racing-related lists
• United Kingdom sport-related lists