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 1848 Premier Handicap 4 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Age/weight Owner
1 STANDARD GUARD Taylor 10 stone 12lbs Mr Storey 10//1
2 LINK BOY Ketton 9 stone 5lbs Mr Ketton 20/1
3 DUBIOUS Frisby 10 stone 10lbs Mr Brown 6/1
4 THE NIGGER William Archer 10 stone 3lbs Captain Alleyne 25/1
5 FORTUNE TELLER Captain D'Arcy 10 stone 3lbs Mr Theobold 25/1
6 WILL WITCH Burrows 9 stone 12lbs Mr John Holmes 25/1
7 SWITCHER Lord Strathmore 11 stone Lord Strathmore 3/1 fav
8 EDWARD THE FIRST Jem Mason 10 stone 12lbs Mr R Clifton 25/1
9 REPEALER Captain Little 10 stone 12lbs Mr J L Maddock 25/1
10 GAZELEY Butler 10 stone 7lbs Mr John Elmore 4/1
11 VERAX William Holman 10 stone 7lbs Mr G Gordon 25/1
12 FOREST BOY William Turner 10 stone 5lbs Mr Donaldson 25/1
13 B (Advance mare) R Chapman 10 stone Mr Williams 25/1
14 SPARTA Reeves 9 stone 12lbs Mr Isacc Day 25/1
15 LINCOLN Scott 11 stone Mr Harvey 25/1

Won by a distance and the same

 Over round 113%

The 1848 Grand Annual, held on Wednesday 11th April 1848, was the first which took place on Prestbury Park, witnessed by up to 6000 spectators. The circuit of grass land was about a mile and a half in circumference, with the field taking the whole course twice, and 2/3rds of it three times, the race therefore extending to 4 miles. The most awkward of the leaps was the one leading into the winning field, being guarded on both sides by a wide ditch on both sides, while an artificial brook was built in the second field after the winning post.