The flat season may now be in full swing, but the racing world hasn’t quite finished poring over the 2024/25 National Hunt Campaign just yet. Racing fans will have their own opinions on the most talented stars in the 2024/25 chase and hurdling divisions. However, last month saw a more authoritative voice added to the rankings debate with the annual publication of the Anglo-Irish Jumps Classifications.
Having claimed 20 of 28 events at the Cheltenham Festival, sent out the first three in the Aintree Grand National, and made off with the British Trainers’ Championship, you might expect to see an overload of Irish horses atop the classification tables. Sure enough, 17 of the top 21 performers across the chase and hurdles rankings hail from the Emerald Isle, but who came out on top?
The Chasers
The admirable Jonbon was the only British runner to crack the top 10 in the chasing division, with the Nicky Henderson star scraping into 10th place. Elsewhere, it was Ireland all the way, with the ratings experts struggling to separate a pair of staying chase superstars at the summit.
=1. Inothewayurthinkin
- Rating – 176
- Trainer – Gavin Cromwell
- 2024/25 Wins – Cheltenham Gold Cup
If you are going to win only one of four outings during a season, you might as well make it the biggest one of them all. Successful in the Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival, Inothewayurthinkin saved his best for Prestbury Park once again. Only third choice in the market behind two-time champ Galopin Des Champs and King George hero Banbridge, this Gavin Cromwell-trained runner produced a devastating display. Six lengths too good for Galopin Des Champs at the line, many suggested this victory represented a changing of the guard in the staying chase division.
=1. Galopin Des Champs
- Rating – 176
- Trainer – Willie Mullins
- 2024/25 Wins – Savills Chase, Irish Gold Cup, Punchestown Gold Cup
While Galopin Des Champs wasn’t quite at his peak at Cheltenham, reports of his demise may be a little premature. Before that runners-up effort in March, he had slammed Inothewayurthinkin in the Savills Chase and Irish Gold Cup. However, he saved his best effort until last with a stunning 22-length rout in the Punchestown Gold Cup.
Previously alone atop this list in 2023 and 2024, he maintains a share of the lead for now. Another clash with Inothewayurthinkin in the Gold Cup already whets the appetite ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
3. Fact To File
- Rating – 173
- Trainer – Willie Mullins
- 2024/25 Wins – John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, Ryanair Chase
In a memorable year for owner JP McManus, this eight-year-old joins Inothewayurthinkin towards the top of the chase rankings. Initially expected to tackle the Gold Cup following his 2024 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase win, he instead lined up in the Ryanair Chase. What followed was the most effortless of all 28 wins at the Cheltenham Festival. Mark Walsh barely needed to lift a finger en route to a mightily impressive nine-length romp.
A drop back in trip for the William Hill Champion Chase didn’t go to plan but did nothing to dent his status as the third-best chaser in training.
The Hurdlers
With Constitution Hill taking third, The New Lion ninth, and Kopek Des Bordes snatching a share of tenth, the Brits fared a little better over the smaller obstacles. However, it was the Willie Mullins-trained star who fared best in a strange 2m season who came out on top.
1. State Man
- Rating – 167
- Trainer – Willie Mullins
- 2024/25 Wins – Irish Champion Hurdle, Boodles Champion Hurdle
Kicking off 2024/25 with back-to-back defeats at the hands of Brighterdaysahead, the argument that State Man’s best days lay behind him looked to hold some weight. Questions remained following an Irish Champion Hurdle stroll in which his only feasible rival, Lossiemouth, departed early. However, the son of Doctor Dino belatedly established himself as the king of the division. What should have been a brilliant win in the Champion Hurdle came to grief at the final fence, but he made no mistake next time out at Punchestown. A 4½l success over Champion Hurdle queen Golden Ace, with Constitution Hill back in fifth, was enough to claim the top spot.
2. Bob Olinger
- Rating – 164
- Trainer – Henry De Bromhead
- 2024/25 Wins – Stayers’ Hurdle
Heading to Cheltenham on the back of four successive runners-up efforts, Bob Olinger looked like an unlikely contender to break the top three. However, history has taught us never to write this admirable ten-year-old off in March, and so it proved once again. Already a winner of the 2021 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and 2022 Turners Novices’ Chase, the mount of Rachael Blackmore made it a perfect three from three at the most magical meeting of the year when mastering fellow Robcour runner Teahupoo in the Stayers’ Hurdle.
3. Constitution Hill
- Rating – 162
- Trainer – Nicky Henderson
- 2024/25 Wins – Christmas Hurdle, Unibet Hurdle
Out on his own as the biggest talking point heading into the 2024/25 season, the mighty Constitution Hill initially threatened to follow the perfect back-from-injury script. The most talented 2m hurdler of his generation began well with wins at Kempton and Cheltenham, only for the wheels to fall off in the Spring.
Taking a tumble four from home in the Champion Hurdle, he then departed at the second last in the Aintree Hurdle. He did at least make it round on his final start in the Boodles Champion Hurdle, but a 27-length fifth of six hardly counted as a return to form. Whether he ever again runs to his peak rating of 175 remains to be seen, but a mark of 162 sees him cling on to his place in the top 3.
