In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: hurdles and steeplechases. Alongside these there are "bumpers", which are National Hunt flat races. In a hurdles race, the horses jump over obstacles called hurdles; in a steeplechase the horses jump over a variety of obstacles that can include plain fences, water jump or an open ditch. In the UK, the biggest National Hunt events of the year are generally considered to be the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, bordering the city of Liverpool. The racecourse is the venue for the Grand National steeplechase, which takes place annually in April over three days. Aintree also holds meetings in May and June, October (Sunday), November and December.
Leicester Racecourse is a horse racing course in Oadby, Leicestershire, about three miles south of the city centre.
Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track together with a licensed entertainment and conference venue in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, near the border with Greater London; it is 16 miles south-west of Charing Cross in central London. The site has 210 acres of flat grassland surrounded by woodland with two lakes in its centre. Its entrance borders Kempton Park railway station which was created for racegoers on a branch line from London Waterloo, via Clapham Junction.
Ayr Racecourse at Whitletts Road, Ayr, Scotland, was opened in 1907. There are courses for flat and for National Hunt racing.
The Betfair Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Haydock Park over a distance of about 3 miles and 1½ furlongs, and during its running there are nineteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place in November each year.
The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of about 3 miles and 6½ furlongs, and during its running there are twenty-three fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year on 27 December.
Ian Balding is a retired British horse trainer. He is the son of the polo player and racehorse trainer Gerald Matthews Balding and the younger brother of trainer Toby Balding. Ian Balding was born in the US, but his family returned to the UK in 1945. He was educated at Marlborough College and Millfield school in Somerset. He went up to Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1959 to read Rural Estate Management, where he played Rugby for the university team, gaining his Blue in 1961 at full back. He started training in 1964. Kingsclere became his home at the age of 26 and it is here that earned his reputation as an internationally respected trainer.
The Classic Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Warwick over a distance of about 3 miles and 5 furlongs, and during its running there are twenty-two fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in January.
The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are fourteen fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The Eider Chase is National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain. It is run at Newcastle Racecourse in February, over a distance of about 4 miles and 11⁄2 furlongs and during the race there are 24 fences to be jumped.
The Becher Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged six years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and 2 furlongs, and during its running there are twenty-one fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year in November or December.
The Centenary Novices' Handicap Chase, known for sponsorship purposes as the Paddy's Reward Club Novices' Handicap Chase, is a Listed National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and during its running there are sixteen fences to be jumped. It was a handicap race for novice chasers with a handicap rating between 0 and 145, and it takes place each year in March.
The Topham Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt handicap chase in England which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in April.
The Midlands Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt race in Great Britain. It is a handicap steeplechase and is run at Uttoxeter Racecourse in March, over a distance of about 4 miles and 2 furlongs. During the race there are 25 fences to be jumped. The race held Listed status until 2022 and was re-classified as a Premier Handicap from the 2023 running when Listed status was removed from handicap races.
The Jewson Handicap Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt race in Great Britain. It is a handicap steeplechase and is run at Cheltenham Racecourse in November, over a distance of about 3 miles and 3½ furlongs.
Mrs McArdy was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the classic 1000 Guineas in 1977. She won four minor races as a two-year-old in 1977 before emerging as a top-class performer in the following year. As a three-year-old, she won the Tote Free Handicap before winning the Guineas as a 16/1 outsider. She went on to win the Fen Ditton Stakes when conceding weight to colts and older horses and then took the Strensall Stakes. She was exported to race in the United States but failed to reproduce her European form. After her retirement from racing, she had some success as a broodmare.
The Ascot Silver Cup, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Howden Silver Cup, is a Premier Handicap National Hunt race in Great Britain. It is a handicap steeplechase. It is run at Ascot Racecourse, over a distance of about 3 miles and during its running there 20 fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place in December.
The Liberthine Mares' Chase, currently run as the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase, is a Grade 2 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to mares aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and 4½ furlongs, and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. It is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.
