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 1992 Premier Handicap 2 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 MY YOUNG MAN Graham Bradley Charlie Brooks Mrs W Tulloch 7/1
2 WHATEVER YOU LIKE J R Kavanagh Nicky Henderson Mr A M Ennever 14/1
3 WIDE BOY Mark Perrett Philip Hobbs Mr M Popham 16/1
4 NOS NA GAOITHE Russ Garrity M H Easterby Mr Paul Green 33/1
5 EDBERG A Orkney Howard Johnson Mr R Darby 6/1 fav
6 SHANNAGARY A Tory Ron Hodges Mr J A Keighley 25/1
7 AL HASHIMI Richard Dunwoody David Nicholson Mr Bruce Sarson 13/2
8 MACARTHUR Jamie Osborne Mick Easterby Mrs Anne Henson 7/1
9 TRESIDDER Charlie Swan Mick Easterby Mr S H J Brewer 9/1
10 ACRE HILL Hywel Davies Nicky Henderson Mr J R Henderson 10/1
11 EVENING RAIN I Lawrence Ron Hodges B J Rousell Ltd 66/1
12 EMSEE-H Adrian Maguire Ferdy Murphy (Ire) Mr J M Turner 25/1
13 ANTINOUS Lorcan Wyer M H Easterby Mr G E Shouler 11/1
14 FREELINE FINISHING John White Nicky Henderson Irving Struel 13/2
15 PICK ROUNDSTONE E Murphy Josh Gifford Mr P Langmead 66/1
16 TILDEBO Martin Lynch J Webber Mrs David Blackburn 33/1
17 GOOD FOR A LAUGH T J Taaffe Arthur Moore Mr Michael Smurfit 14/1

Won by 12 lengths and 1 1/2 lengths

 Over round 130%

The 1992 Grand Annual was held on Tuesday 12th March 1992