The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run on the Old Course at Cheltenham over a distance of about 2 miles (1 mile 7 furlongs and 199 yards, or 3,199 metres), 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.

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.

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. The maximum number of runners in the race was reduced from 24 to 20 from the 2019 running after a British Horseracing Authority (BHA) review into fatalities at the Cheltenham Festival; the 2018 running of the Grand Annual had seen three horses suffer fatal injuries. In 2021 another change in the Festival running order saw the Grand Annual moved to the second day of the meeting and therefore switch from Cheltenham's New Course to the Old Course. The race held Grade 3 status until 2022 and was re-classified as a Premier Handicap from the 2023 running when Grade 3 status was renamed by the BHA.

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 Weights given in stones and pounds. 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 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 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 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 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 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 2021 Sky Pirate 8 11-06 Nick Scholfield Jonjo O'Neill 2022 Global Citizen 10 10-06 Kielan Woods Ben Pauling 2023 Maskada 7 11-01 Darragh O'Keeffe Henry De Bromhead 2024 Unexpected Party 9 10-10 Harry Skelton Dan Skelton 2025 Jazzy Matty 6 10-07 Danny Gilligan Cian Collins 2026 Martator 9 10–12 Charlie Deutsch Venetia Williams

See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races Recurring sporting events established in 1834 – this race is included under its former title, Grand Annual Chase.

References

Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

External links Race Recordings (1985-2004) youtube.com pedigreequery.com – Grand Annual Chase – Cheltenham. racenewsonline.co.uk – Racenews Archive (21 February 2008).