Grand Annual 1851

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 1851			Premier Handicap	4 miles
Pos.	Horse	Jockey	Age/weight	Owner
1	BEDFORD	William Archer	11 stone 11lbs	Mr P Barling 2/1
2	TIPPERARY BOY	T Ablett	10 stone 13lbs	Mr Elwes 5/4 fav
3	MULLIGAN	Price	11 stone 1lb	Mr John Elmore 6/1
4	LINKBOY	Frisby	10 stone 11lbs	Mr Kirby 3/1
5	IRONSIDES	Pearson	11 stone 1lb	Mr F S Wimot 10/1
6	APRIL FOOL	Taylor	10 stone 11lbs	Mr T Morgan 10/1
7	CAYENNE	Sam Darling	10 stone 8lbs	Mr Bee 10/1
Won by 7 lengths and half a length				Over round 143%
The 1851 Grand Annual took place on Wednesday 9th April 1851 and began on Chapman’s Farm, a mile from the grandstand, crossing a hedge and bank into Mr Robinson’s meadow. Two good jumps followed by Upper and Lower Hatchams, which led to the field facing a brook in the vale of North Ham and then onto the racecourse proper where the race was completed as usual.