GRAND ANNUAL CHASE

The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase can be traced back to 1834, making it the oldest contest in the jumps calendar.

In recent years it was the final race of the Cheltenham Festival but was moved to Day 2 in 2021.

It is now even more of a speed test as the Old Course track is slightly shorter/sharper.

The maximum field was reduced rom 24 to 20 in 2019 for safety reasons.

GRAND ANNUAL CHASE TRENDS

Always a fiercely competitive heat, the Grand Annual Chase can throw up some big-priced winners.

Plenty of winners had run in the race before - Croco Bay won at 66/1 in 2019 having previously been 3rd, 5th and fallen.

It is worth noting the previous year's beaten favourite if they return.

9/2 favourite Rock The World was third in 2016, but returned to win in 2017 at 10/1.

While the 7/2 favourite Le Prezien was 8th in 2017, yet won the following year at 15/2.

Also, Oiseau de Nuit was 8/1 third favourite in 2010 (pulled up) but won in 2011 at 40/1.

No top weight has won the Grand Annual since 1992 (My Young Man 11st 10lb), but Sky Pirate (152) became the highest rated winner since then in 2021, carrying 11st 6lb.

While in 2018 Le Prezien (rated 150) carried 11st 8lb to victory - the best weight-carrying performance since Stopped (11st 12lb) in 1980.

Owner JP McManus has had four Grand Annual winners in the last 19 years, plus 9 runners-up since 2003.

LAST 5 WINNERS’ DATA

RECENT WINNERS

Maskada 2023

Maskada - Grand Annual Chase 2023#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/qo9aI7ik0T

— Cheltenham Festival Fans (@cheltfestfans) July 21, 2023

Global Citizen gave jockey Kielan Woods his second Grand Annual Chase win in 2022, having guided the even lesser-fancied Croco Bay to victory in 2019.

Seventh in the 2019 Champion Hurdle and fourth in the 2020 Arkle Chase, the ten-year-old was tackling fences for the first time in over a year for trainer Ben Pauling:

The 2021 Grand Annual Chase winner was Sky Pirate, ridden by Nick Scholfield:

The well-backed Chosen Mate obliged in 2020, despite hesitating at the final fence:

Croco Bay caused an upset at 66/1 in 2019, on his fourth attempt at the Grand Annual.

The 12-year-old veteran was making only his second start since finishing fifth in the race two years prior:

Le Prezien stormed up the hill in 2018, to give Paul Nicholls a fourth win in the race:

Rock The World 2017

Solar Impulse 2016

Next Sensation 2015

Savello 2014

Alderwood 2013

Looking back further, Paul Carberry delivered Bellvano (in the red cap) perfectly in 2012:

Two years earlier, the grey Pigeon Island came with a great run from off the pace to win the Grand Annual, ridden by Paddy Brennan.

Back then the final race of the Festival, it completed a remarkable 747/1 treble for the Nigel Twiston-Davies stable, who had earlier won the Gold Cup and Foxhunter Chase:

PREVIOUS WINNERS