National Hunt Jump Racing Guide — Hurdles, Chases & the Festival Calendar
National Hunt (jump) racing is Britain and Ireland's winter sport — hurdle races, steeplechases, and bumpers run from October through May, culminating in the Cheltenham Festival. This guide covers the basics of jump racing for new followers of the sport.
What Is National Hunt Racing?
National Hunt (NH) racing is horse racing over obstacles — hurdles and fences — primarily in Britain and Ireland, with the season running from October through late April/May. It is winter racing: the going is typically soft to heavy, the horses are older (NH horses often don't peak until their 7th or 8th year), and the races are longer (typically 2 miles to 4+ miles) than flat racing. NH racing has a passionate following in Britain and Ireland that rivals flat racing in media coverage and betting volume, particularly around the major festivals — Cheltenham (March), Punchestown (April), and the Grand National at Aintree (April).
The Three Types of Jump Race
Hurdle races are run over smaller, flatter hurdles (approximately 3ft 6in) and serve as the development category for younger horses entering jump racing (typically 3–5 year olds). Many flat horses are converted to hurdles. Steeplechases (Chases) are contested over larger, stiffer fences (5ft, including open ditches and water jumps) and represent the senior division of jump racing — the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National are chases. Bumpers (National Hunt Flat races) are on the flat but open to NH-bred horses who are expected to go over jumps — they are used to develop horses before their jumping career begins.
The Cheltenham Festival: Jump Racing's Olympics
The Cheltenham Festival — four days in March at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire — is the pinnacle of the jump racing year and one of the most atmospheric events in world sport. The Festival's 28 races include the Champion Hurdle (Day 1), the Queen Mother Champion Chase (Day 2), the Stayers' Hurdle (Day 3), and the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Day 4) — the four Championship events that define the jump racing season. The Gold Cup is the sport's most prestigious race: a 3m2f steeplechase for the senior staying chase division that determines the champion of champions. Cheltenham's attendance of 250,000+ across four days and £300+ million in betting handle make it the most economically significant UK racing event of the year.
The Grand National: The World's Greatest Race
The Grand National at Aintree (April) is the world's most famous horse race — a 4m2f steeplechase over 30 unique fences, including Becher's Brook (a 6ft fence with a 6ft drop on the landing side), The Chair, and Canal Turn (a 90-degree turn immediately after the fence). Up to 40 horses start the race; fewer than 30 typically complete it. The race attracts the largest single-day betting audience of any UK sporting event — an estimated 600–700 million viewers worldwide, with £150+ million staked on the race through UK bookmakers alone. The Grand National's unique distance, unusual fences, and large field create the most unpredictable result of any high-profile race: horses priced at 100/1 have won; favourites are frequently defeated.
Key Jump Racing Markets and Festivals
Beyond Cheltenham and Aintree, the NH season includes several major festivals: the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day (the season's mid-point championship for staying chasers); the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown in January; the Ryanair Cheltenham warm-up meetings at Leopardstown (January/February); Sandown's Imperial Cup and Tingle Creek Chase; and the Punchestown Festival in late April which provides a final seasonal championship programme after Cheltenham. The Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup, and Champion Chase produce the most liquid ante-post markets — prices open in November for the March festival and evolve significantly through the winter trial races.