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 2008 Premier Handicap 2 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 TIGER CRY Davy Russell Arthur Moore (Ire) Mr C Jones 15/2
2 MY PETRA Mick Fitzgerald Nicky Henderson Mr & Mrs R Kelvin-Hughes 3/1 fav
3 CALATOGAN T J Dreaper Malcolm Jefferson Mr & Mrs J Davenport 50/1
4 ANDREAS Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls Mr Trevor Hemmings 10/1
5 ALMAYDAN Mr T Greenall Richard Lee Mr George Brookes 25/1
6 HASTY PRINCE Tony McCoy Jonjo O'Neill Mr John P McManus 9/1
7 VINTAGE TREASURE Niall Madden C Byrnes (Ire) Gigginstown House Stud 40/1
8 TRAMANTANO Paddy Brennan Nigel Twiston-Davies Mr H R Mould 16/1
9 MAGIC SKY Charlie Poste Milton Harris Mrs D J Brown, Lord Danesbury 33/1
10 GREENHOPE Andrew Tinkler Nicky Henderson Lynn & Giles Wilson, Martin Landau 25/1
11 MISTER QUASIMODO Joe Tizzard Colin Tizzard J M Dore, T Hamlin, J Snook 12/1
12 HOWLE HILL Robert Thornton Alan King The Brown Family 10/1
13 ENLIGHTENMENT Paul Moloney Evan Williams T Hywel Jones 9/1
14 MARALAN John Cullen Patrick O'Brady (Ire) Miss Rita Shah 10/1
15 BAMBI DE L'ORME Michael Murphy Ian Williams Mr & Mrs John Poynton 20/1
16 LORD HENRY Richard Johnson Philip Hobbs Mrs Karola Vann 25/1
17 SAINTSAIRE Liam Heard Paul Nicholls The Stewart Family 16/1

Won by 3 lengths and a head

 Over round 128%

The 2008 Grand Annual was held on Friday 14th March 2008