Grand Annual 1867

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 1867			Premier Handicap	4 miles
Pos.	Horse	Jockey	Age/weight	Owner
1	KNAVE OF TRUMPS	Wheeler	10 stone 7lbs	Mr T Golby 100/6
2	DICK TURPIN	W White	11 stone	Mr Foulke 100/6
3	BON ESPOIR	Cassidy	10 stone 10lbs	Mr G Flersheim 4/1 jt fav
4	DAISY	Pope	12 stone 7lbs	Mr W R H Powell 20/1
5	GLOBULE	George Holman	12 stone 1lb	Mr T V Morgan 20/1
6	SHAKESPEARE	Goodman	11 stone 11lbs	Mr Carew 5/1
7	GARUS	W Reeves	11 stone 11lbs	Mr F Rowland 10/1
8	PHILOSOPHER	J Knott	11 stone 11lbs	Mr W Murray 20/1
9	SHANGARRY	Thomas	11 stone 8lbs	Mr E Studd 4/1 jt fav
10	THE DOCTOR	George Stevens	11 stone 4lbs	Mr W Mytton 100/15
11	PEARL DIVER	J Rickaby	11 stone	Mr E Brayley 20/1
12	THE ELK	Page	10 stone 10lbs	Duke of Hamilton 7/1
Won by a short head and a distance.				Over round 124%
The 1867 Grand Annual was held on Friday 29th March 1867 on the new mile and a half course at Prestbury, complete with new grandstand, which had been used for the previous year's Autumn flat meeting.