Flat racing may be more lucrative than National Hunt action but this doesn’t mean there are not some massive prizes (and plenty of prestige) up for grabs over hurdles and fences. Here are the horses that bagged their connections the biggest National Hunt prizes in 2024.
Grand National – I Am Maximus
- Odds: 7/1
- Trainer: Willie Mullins
- Jockey: Paul Townend
- Winning Prize Money: £500k
Even with the maximum field size reduced due to safety reasons, I Am Maximus still faced 31 competitors in the 2024 Grand National. The joint favourite saw them all off though on his way to a seven-and-a-half-length victory. It was an excellent display of stamina and solid jumping from the French-bred horse plus an excellent ride from Paul Townend who claimed his first win in the contest.
Cheltenham Gold Cup – Galopin Des Champs
- Odds: 10/11
- Trainer: Willie Mullins
- Jockey: Paul Townend
- Winning Prize Money: £353k
There is always much excitement ahead of this race but there was not to be too much drama. The odds-on favourite never looked in any real danger as he raced prominently and surged ahead with a couple of furlongs to go. The only challenger, Gerri Colombe, could not get close enough to assert any real pressure.
Champion Hurdle – State Man
- Odds: 2/5
- Trainer: Willie Mullins
- Jockey: Paul Townend
- Winning Prize Money: £262k
Yet another lucrative win for the Mullins-Townend combination here as they also struck gold in hurdling’s most prestigious event. State Man was widely expected to do the business and although the margin of victory (just over a length) was not emphatic, he never looked like letting the contest slip after clearing the final hurdle.
Queen Mother Champion Chase – Captain Guinness
- Odds: 17/2
- Trainer: Henry De Bromhead
- Jockey: Rachael Blackmore
- Winning Prize Money: £237k
Mullins and Townend were firmly expected to claim this race too with 2/9 favourite El Fabiolo but a bad mistake at the fifth fence saw him pull up. Another withdrawal and a faller set up an unlikely duel between Captain Guinness and Gentleman De Mee. The former prevailed by over a length, rounding off an incident-packed renewal.
Ryanair Chase – Protektorat
- Odds: 17/2
- Trainer: Dan Skelton
- Jockey: Harry Skelton
- Winning Prize Money: £218k
An extremely impressive showing from Protektorat ensured there would be no nail-biting finish in the 2024 Ryanair Chase. After a fine leap over the final fence, the nine-year-old romped clear and arrived four lengths ahead of defending champion Envoi Allen by the finishing post.
Stayers’ Hurdle – Teahupoo
- Odds: 5/4
- Trainer: Gordon Elliott
- Jockey: Jack Kennedy
- Winning Prize Money: £183k
Just shy of three miles, this endurance test was made even more challenging by the soft ground. Teahupoo showed his superior stamina on the day though with a comfortable win of nearly four lengths. His triumph made it back-to-back wins for Gordon Elliot in this contest.
King George VI Chase – Banbridge
- Odds: 7/1
- Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
- Jockey: Paul Townend
- Winning Prize Money: £148k
Second favourite Il Est Francais had looked in control of this King George renewal. He enjoyed a very handsome advantage for much of the contest but down the home stretch, Banbridge began to make his move. A 10-length advantage was reduced to nothing following a poor final jump and with momentum on his rival’s side, Banbridge went on to secure the win.
Coral Gold Cup – Kandoo Kid
- Odds: 8/1
- Trainer: Paul Nicholls
- Jockey: Harry Cobden
- Winning Prize Money: £142k
A competitive renewal of the Coral Gold Cup (formerly the Ladbrokes Trophy) saw 13 horses in action and no clear favourite. Closing in on the final fence, three runners were in contention but a superb jump from Kandoo Kid helped him gallop away from the only serious challenge coming from Broadway Boy.
Aintree Hurdle – Impaire Et Passe
- Odds: Evens
- Trainer: Willie Mullins
- Jockey: Paul Townend
- Winning Prize Money: £140k
What a finish the crowd at Aintree enjoyed for this race. An intense battle went right down to the wire as Bob Olinger and Langer Dan chipped away at Impaire Et Passe’s lead. The pair were both gaining ground on the favourite but ran out of time as Impaire Et Passe remained a nose ahead by the winning post.
Melling Chase – Jonbon
- Odds: 11/10
- Trainer: Nicky Henderson
- Jockey: Nico de Boinville
- Winning Prize Money: £140k
Nicky Henderson’s only appearance on this list comes courtesy of the Melling Chase. He had last won the contest in 2013 and it looked for a moment his drought may continue. After Jonbon regained the lead following the final fence, Conflated threatened a fightback and almost pulled level. At this moment though the short-odds favourite found an extra gear and pulled clear.
