Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase

The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the New Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles and ½ furlong (2 miles and 62 yards, or 3,275 meters), and during its running there are fourteen fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Cheltenham Festival in March.

For the Australian horse race, see Grand Annual.

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase
Grade 3 race
LocationCheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham, England
Inaugurated1834
Race typeChase
WebsiteCheltenham
Race information
Distance2m 62y (3,275 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationFive-years-old and up
WeightHandicap
Purse£110,000 (2019)
1st: £61,897
Grand Annual Chase
2020
Chosen Mate Eclair De Beaufeu Us And Them

History

The Grand Annual is the oldest race at the Festival, and it is also the oldest chase in the present National Hunt calendar. It was first run in April 1834, and it was initially contested over three miles of open country at Andoversford, near Cheltenham. The race was discontinued in the 1860s, but it was revived at the turn of the century. During the early 1900s it took place at several different venues, including Melton Mowbray, Leicester and Warwick. It returned to Cheltenham in 1913.

The name of Johnny Henderson (1920–2003), a banker and racehorse owner, was added to the race's title in 2005. Henderson, the father of trainer Nicky, realized in the early 1960s that the racecourse at Cheltenham was attracting the interest of property developers. To safeguard its future, and that of the Festival, Henderson and other Jockey Club members formed the Racecourse Holdings Trust, and raised £240,000 to purchase the venue.[1]

The running order of the races at the Cheltenham Festival was altered slightly in 2009, and the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase became the last event on the final day. A further change for the 2019 meeting moved the race to become the penultimate race on the final day, switching places with the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.[2] The maximum number of runners in the race was reduced from 24 to 20 from the 2019 running after a British Horseracing Authority review into fatalities at the Cheltenham Festival; the 2018 running of the Grand Annual had seen three horses suffer fatal injuries.[3]

Records

Most successful horse since 1946 (2 wins):

  • Top Twenty – 1958, 1959
  • Dulwich – 1974, 1976

Leading jockey since 1946 (4 wins):

  • Graham Bradley – Pearlyman (1986), My Young Man (1992), Sound Reveille (1995), Uncle Ernie (1997)

Leading trainer since 1946 (4 wins):

  • Paul Nicholls – St Pirran (2004), Andreas (2007), Solar Impulse (2016), Le Prezien (2018)

Winners since 1946
Year Winner Age Weight Jockey Trainer
1946 Loyal King 6 11–12 Dan Moore Fulke Walwyn
1947 Rope Trick 6 10-08 Tony Doyle Verly Bewicke
1948 Clare Man 7 10-03 Charlie Hook Walter Nightingall
1949 no race 1949 [lower-alpha 1]
1950 Norborne 6 11-04 Eddie Reavey Geoffrey Champneys
1951 Merry Court 6 10–11 Tim Molony Tom Yates
1952 Marcianus 6 11-02 Tim Molony George Beeby
1953 Rose & Crown 6 10-00 Johnny Bullock Fulke Walwyn
1954 Hipparchus 5 10-01 Jack Dowdeswell Peter Rice-Stringer
1955 no race 1955 [lower-alpha 1]
1956 Rosenkavalier 7 10-06 Harry Sprague Bob Turnell
1957 Sir Edmund 7 10–12 Bert Morrow Alec Kilpatrick
1958 Top Twenty 9 10-07 Francis Shortt Clem Magnier
1959 Top Twenty 10 12-06 Fred Winter Clem Magnier
1960 Monsieur Trois Etoiles 8 11-06 Frankie Carroll Jimmy Brogan
1961 Barberyn 6 11-00 Michael Scudamore Willie Stephenson
1962 Moretons 9 10–12 Bill Rees Peter Cazalet
1963 Anner Loch 8 10-06 David Nicholson John Hicks
1964 Richard of Bordeaux 9 11-03 Willie Robinson Fulke Walwyn
1965 Fort Rouge 7 11-00 George Milburn Ken Oliver
1966 Well Packed 8 10–11 Tommy Stack Bobby Renton
1967 San Angelo 7 11-01 John Buckingham Edward Courage
1968 Hal's Farewell 7 10-10 Jeff King Peter Bailey
1969 All Glory 8 10-00 Anthony Robinson[lower-alpha 2] John Edwards
1970 Fortina's Palace 7 11-11 Peter Jones Michael Scudamore
1971 Khan 7 10-08 Frankie Carroll Mick Burke
1972 Tudor Dance 6 10-02 Jeff King Bob Turnell
1973 Coolera Prince 8 10-10 Nigel Wakley Tim Handel
1974 Dulwich 7 10-01 Taffy Salaman Colin Davies
1975 no race 1975 [lower-alpha 3]
1976 Dulwich 9 11-07 Bob Davies Colin Davies
1977 Tom Morgan 8 11-06 Tommy Stack Ken Oliver
1978 Young Arthur 9 11-04 Allen Webb Derek Kent
1979 Casbah 12 11–13 Graham Thorner Tim Forster
1980 Stopped 8 11–12 Ben de Haan Fred Winter
1981 Friendly Alliance 8 10-07 John Francome Fred Winter
1982 Reldis 8 10-00 Paul Barton David Gandolfo
1983 Churchfield Boy 7 10-00 Joe Byrne Michael Cunningham
1984 Mossy Moore 8 10-00 Jonjo O'Neill Brian Chinn
1985 Kathies Lad 8 11-10 Steve Smith Eccles Alan Jarvis
1986 Pearlyman 7 11-05 Graham Bradley John Edwards
1987 French Union 9 11-03 Richard Dunwoody David Nicholson
1988 Vodkatini 9 10–13 Richard Rowe Josh Gifford
1989 Pukka Major 8 10-02 Peter Scudamore Tim Thomson Jones
1990 Katabatic 7 10-08 Hywel Davies Andrew Turnell
1991 Aldino 8 10-00 Jamie Osborne Oliver Sherwood
1992 My Young Man 7 11-10 Graham Bradley Charlie Brooks
1993 Space Fair 10 11-01 Adrian Maguire Richard Lee
1994 Snitton Lane 8 10-00 David Bridgwater William Clay
1995 Sound Reveille 7 10-10 Graham Bradley Charlie Brooks
1996 Kibreet 9 10–12 Tony McCoy Philip Hobbs
1997 Uncle Ernie 12 11-04 Graham Bradley Jimmy FitzGerald
1998 Edredon Bleu 6 11-06 Tony McCoy Henrietta Knight
1999 Space Trucker 8 10-01 Shay Barry Jessica Harrington
2000 Samakaan 7 10–11 Norman Williamson Venetia Williams
2001 no race 2001 [lower-alpha 4]
2002 Fadoudal du Cochet 9 10-00 David Casey Arthur Moore
2003 Palarshan 5 10-00 Mark Bradburne Henry Daly
2004 St Pirran 9 10-01 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls
2005 Fota Island 9 10-00 Paul Carberry Mouse Morris
2006 Greenhope 8 10–11 Andrew Tinkler Nicky Henderson
2007 Andreas 7 10–11 Robert Thornton Paul Nicholls
2008 Tiger Cry 10 10-06 Davy Russell Arthur Moore
2009 Oh Crick 6 10-00 Wayne Hutchinson Alan King
2010 Pigeon Island 7 10-01 Paddy Brennan Nigel Twiston-Davies
2011 Oiseau de Nuit 9 10–13 Steven Clements Colin Tizzard
2012 Bellvano 8 10-02 Paul Carberry Nicky Henderson
2013 Alderwood 9 10–11 Tony McCoy Thomas Mullins
2014 Savello 8 11-05 Davy Russell Tony Martin
2015 Next Sensation 8 11-02 Tom Scudamore Michael Scudamore, Jr.
2016 Solar Impulse 6 11-00 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls
2017 Rock the World 9 11-05 Robbie Power Jessica Harrington
2018 Le Prezien 7 11-08 Barry Geraghty Paul Nicholls
2019 Croco Bay 12 10-12 Kielan Woods Ben Case
2020 Chosen Mate 7 11-04 Davy Russell Gordon Elliott
  1. The race was cancelled in 1949 due to frost, and in 1955 due to snow
  2. amateur jockey
  3. It was abandoned in 1975 due to waterlogging
  4. The 2001 running was cancelled because of a foot-and-mouth crisis

See also

References
  1. "Johnny Henderson obituary". independent.co.uk. 24 December 2003. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  2. Mottershead, Lee (4 February 2019). "Conditionals to close Cheltenham Festival after switching with Grand Annual". Racing Post.
  3. Barber, Bill (12 December 2018). "BHA unveils 17 recommendations from welfare review of Cheltenham Festival". Racing Post.
  • pedigreequery.com – Grand Annual Chase – Cheltenham.
  • racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (21 February 2008).
  • Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1990/91. Aesculus Press. 1990. p. 58. ISBN 1-871093-21-X.
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