The Order of Merit is a jump racing series including 70 action-packed races which are conducted from October to April, with the dramatic final event taking place at Sandown Park Racecourse. In a sense the contest crowns the overall best performance of the National Hunt season, although individual races of course hold their own rewards regardless.
While a horse competes in races included in the Order of Merit series, it is awarded points for wins and placings, which are added up at the end of the season to determine the winner. In the case of the Order of Merit, the winner is not merely the horse but its team of connections - including the jockey, the owner, the trainer and the training stable staff - which makes winning the Order of Merit a lucrative experience for everyone involved with the winning horse. And with a prize fund of £100,000 reserved for the Order of Merit winning team, there is plenty of motivation to go around.
The scoring system works as follows:
| Finishing Position | Grade 1 Race | Grade 2 Race | Grade 3 Race |
| 1st | 20 | 15 | 10 |
| 2nd | 16 | 12 | 8 |
| 3rd | 12 | 10 | 6 |
| 4th | 10 | 8 | 5 |
Last season (2008/09) it was Voy Por Ustedes who emerged victorious from the Order of Merit battlefield, collecting 76 points over just five races including two Grade 1 victories. The £100,000 prize money was divided between the team according to the suggested standard of distribution; 50% to the owner(s) of the horse, 20% to the trainer, and 30% to be divided between the stable staff.
The races included in the Order of Merit are the following:
| Race | Racecourse | Grade | |
| October | |||
|
The Toteswinger Flexi Betting Old Roan Steeple Chase |
Aintree | 2 | |
|
The John Smith's Hurdle Race |
Wetherby | 2 | |
|
The Bet365 Charlie Hall Steeple Chase |
Wetherby | 2 | |
| November | |||
|
The William Hill Gold Cup Steeple Chase |
Exeter | 2 | |
|
The totetentofollow.co.uk Elite Hurdle Race |
Wincanton | 2 | |
|
The Servo Computer Services Trophy Handicap Steeple Chase |
Cheltenham | 3 | |
| The Paddy Power Gold Cup Steeple Chase | Cheltenham | 3 | |
| The Greatwood Handicap Hurdle Race | Cheltenham | 3 | |
|
The Coral Ascot Hurdle Race |
Ascot | 2 | |
|
The Amlin 1965 Steeple Chase |
Ascot | 2 | |
| The Betfair Steeple Chase | Haydock | 1 | |
|
The Long Distance Hurdle Race |
Newbury | 2 | |
| The Hennessy Gold Cup Steeple Chase | Newbury | 3 | |
| The WBX.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle Race | Newcastle | 1 | |
| December | |||
| The Tingle Creek Steeple Chase | / Sandown | 1 | |
|
The Totesport.com Peterborough Steeple Chase |
Huntingdon | 2 | |
|
The Relkeel Hurdle Race |
Cheltenham | 2 | |
|
The Boylesports.com Gold Cup Steeple Chase |
Cheltenham | 3 | |
|
The Boylesports.com International Hurdle Race |
Cheltenham | 2 | |
| The BGC Long Walk Hurdle Race | Ascot | 1 | |
| The William Hill Christmas Hurdle Race | Kempton | 1 | |
| Kempton | 1 | ||
|
The skybet.com Rowland Meyrick Handicap Steeple Chase |
Wetherby | 3 | |
|
The williamhill.com Desert Orchid Steeple Chase |
Kempton | 2 | |
| The Coral Welsh National | Chepstow | 3 | |
| January | |||
|
The New Year Steeple Chase |
Cheltenham | 3 | |
|
The totesport.com Classic Steeple Chase |
Warwick | 3 | |
| The Victor Chandler Steeple Chase | Ascot | 1 | |
|
The Holloway's Hurdle Race |
Ascot | 1 | |
|
The Warfield Mares' Hurdle Race |
Ascot | 2 | |
|
The Peter Marsh Steeple Chase |
Haydock | 2 | |
|
The Sportingbet Champion Hurdle Trial |
Haydock | 2 | |
|
The betchronicle.com Trophy Steeple Chase Handicap |
Cheltenham | 3 | |
|
The Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle Race |
Cheltenham | 2 | |
|
The Letheby&Christopher Steeple Chase |
Cheltenham | 2 | |
|
The Bet&Watch All Horse Racing on skybet.com Mares' Hurdle Race |
Doncaster | 2 | |
| February | |||
|
The totepool Heroes Handicap Hurdle Race |
Sandown | 3 | |
|
The totesport Trophy Hurdle Race |
Newbury | 3 | |
|
The Aon Steeple Chase |
Newbury | 2 | |
|
Totepool Game Spirit Steeple Chase |
Newbury | 2 | |
| The Betfair Ascot Steeple Chase | Ascot | 1 | |
|
The Rendlesham Hurdle Race |
Haydock | 2 | |
|
The Gold Cup Steeple Chase |
Haydock | 3 | |
|
The Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle Race |
Wincanton | 2 | |
|
The Racing Post Steeple Chase |
Kempton | 3 | |
|
The totesport.com National Spirit Hurdle |
Fontwell Park | 2 | |
| March | |||
|
The Newbury Gold Cup Handicap Steeple Chase |
Newbury | 3 | |
| The Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy | Cheltenham | 1 | |
|
The William Hill Trophy Handicap Steeple Chase |
Cheltenham | 3 | |
|
The David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle Race |
Cheltenham | 2 | |
| The Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase | Cheltenham | 1 | |
|
The Coral Cup (Handicap Hurdle) |
Cheltenham | 3 | |
|
The Festival Plate (Handicap Chase) |
Cheltenham | 3 | |
| The Ladbrokes World Hurdle Race | Cheltenham | 1 | |
| The Ryanair Steeple Chase | Cheltenham | 1 | |
| The totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase | Cheltenham | 1 | |
|
The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Steeple Chase |
Cheltenham | 3 | |
|
The Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle Race |
Cheltenham | 3 | |
| April | |||
|
The John Smith's Liverpool Hurdle Race |
Aintree | 1 | |
|
The totesport Bowl Steeple Chase |
Aintree | 1 | |
|
The John Smith's Red Rum Handicap Steeple Chase |
Aintree | 3 | |
|
The totepool Handicap Hurdle Race |
Aintree | 3 | |
|
The John Smith's Melling Chase |
Aintree | 1 | |
| The John Smith's Grand National Steeple Chase | Aintree | 3 | |
|
The John Smith's Aintree Hurdle |
Aintree | 1 | |
|
The Jetjar Steeple Chase |
Cheltenham | 2 | |
| The Scottish Champion Hurdle Race | Ayr | 2 | |
| The Coral Scottish Grand National Handicap Steeple Chase | Ayr | 3 | |
|
The Bet365 Gold Cup Steeple Chase |
Sandown | 3 | |
|
The Bet365.com Celebration Steeple Chase |
Sandown | 2 |
