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.
A National Hunt (NH) Pattern of significant races was first recognized in 1964 when the Horserace Betting Levy Board provided 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 led by Lord Leverhulme recommended the creation of a formal NH Pattern, which came into being in 1969 with 14 races initially.