Grand Annual

 The Grand Annual Chase is the oldest race at the Festival having first been staged on 4th April 1834 over 4 miles of open country at Andoversford, near Cheltenham. Although that race was discontinued in the 1860s, it was revived in the early 1900s, although it was staged at various courses, notably Warwick, Melton Mowbray and Leicester. It was only in 1913 that it returned permanently to Cheltenham and has been a significant part of the Festival ever since. It is run over 1 mile 7 furlongs and 199 yards and 14 fences and is now classed as a Premier Handicap. In 2005 its name was updated to the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase in recognition of the part played by Johnny Henderson, father of legendary trainer Nicky Henderson, in forming the Racecourse Holdings Trust which secured the future of Cheltenham by purchasing the Prestbury Park venue for £240,000.
Early history:- The inaugural running of Grand Annual Chase took place on April 4 1834 at Andoversford, in the vicinity of Cheltenham when won by Fugleman owned by Mr R D’Oyley beating Conrad owned by Colonel Gilbert.
Grand Annual 1847 Premier Handicap 4 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 STANMORE William Holman   Mr Smith 4/1
2 DADDY LONGLEGS William Archer   Mr Evans 10/1
3 DOCTOR Sait   Mr Sait 10/1
4 WARWICK Boxall   Mr Wilmott 10/1
5 AMAZON Kitton   Mr Samuel 20/1
6 CARLOW Tom Oliver   Captain Little 3/1 fav
7 THE SNIPE J Bradley   Mr P Hutchinson 100/8
8 WEDNESDAY Ruffy   Mr D W Davidson 100/8
9 TAVISTOCK J Dally   Mr Fred Cornish 20/1
10 LIBERTY F Jacobs   Captain Connolly 20/1
11 OPPRESSED N Stagg   Mr Elliott 20/1
12 VERY BAD J B Walker   Mr Vernon 20/1
13 TRAMP William Turner   Mr Hall 10/1

Won by 2 lengths and 3 lengths in 11 minutes 20 seconds

 Over round 122%

Although Earl Fitzhardinge attempted to ensure that the 1844 Grand Annual continued, even offering to sponsor the race, in the end it was all to no avail and the race was abandoned in 1844 and for a further 2 years afterwards. However, in early 1847 several notable sporting gentlemen of the town and neighbourhood, led by Francis Martindale, were keen to revive it in defiance of certain clerical gentlemen, also promising a dress ball at the Assembly Rooms on the evening of the race. The 1847 Grand Annual was held on on a course designed by Colonel Berkeley on Wednesday 14th April 1847 across open meadow land on the fringes of the present day Prestbury Park, along the base of the Cotswolds from Knoll Hill House to the foot of Hewletts, via Noverton Farm, and on towards the village of Prestbury, finishing in Mr Robertson's Perry Hill field. The course, approximately 4 miles, was across meadow land, offering 24 fences of briar and pleached thorns. During the race Tramp, an early leader who set a blistering gallop, was struck by a tree branch which broke its neck, leaving jockey William Turner fighting for his life. Another feature of the race was that Fred Archer's father William rode the second.