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.
In 1964, the Horserace Betting Levy Board granted £64,000 to establish a "prestige race allocation" for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, and Grand National, marking the beginning of a National Hunt (NH) Pattern. In 1968, Lord Leverhulme led a committee that recommended formalizing this pattern, which was implemented in 1969 with 14 races included.