National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland where the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences (except in the case of a ‘bumper’).

Grade 1, 2 & 3
The highest class races.

Listed
Just below Graded class – the lowest grade which qualifies for ‘black type’ in auction sales catalogues.

Open Handicap
Better class handicaps for horses just below Listed class.

Handicap
A race where the weight carried is determined by the official handicap rating (OR), often combined with allowances for age and gender.

Graduation Chase
Restricted to horses who have not won more than 2 chases.

Novice
Chase or hurdle race open to horses who have not won that type of race before the start of the current National Hunt season.

Open Novice Handicap
Better class novice handicap for horses just below Listed class.

Juvenile Novices Hurdle
Hurdle races restricted to horses aged 3 at the start of the current National Hunt season.

Hunter Chase
Weight-for-age chase confined to horses certified by a Master of Hounds to have been hunted during the current year & ridden by amateur riders.

National Hunt Flat
Commonly known as ‘bumpers’ – flat races for horses who have not previously ridden under National Hunt rules (except in other bumpers).

Beginners Chase
Restricted to horses who have not won a chase.

Maiden
For horses who have never previously won that type of race.

Conditional Jockeys
Restricted to conditional jockeys (‘conditional’ is the National Hunt term for apprentice professional jockeys).

Claiming Stakes
The weight carried is determined by the claiming price set by connections – The higher the price, the higher the weight. Horses may be ‘claimed’ (bought) by other owners and trainers for the specified price after the race.

Sellers
Low-class race where the winner is offered for public auction after the race.

Amateur
Races restricted to amateur riders.