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 1956 Premier Handicap 2 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 ROSENKAVALIER H Sprague Bob Turnell Mr G Strakosch 8/1
2 LIMB OF THE LAW Jack Dowdeswell T H Yates Mr E Bee 7/1
3 HIGH LEVEL J A Bullock T F Rimell Mr T Ward 25/1
4 CHATHAM T Molony W Stephenson Mr A Birtwistle 6/4 fav
5 KIND ANSWER Fred Winter Rice-Stringer Mr H Jenner 7/2
6 SPATE A Freeman Fulke Walwyn Duke of Norfolk 10/1
7 BIG BILL H M Gosling Payne-Gallway Mrs F Watkins 25/1
8 ROSE & CROWN Michael Scudamore Frenchie Nicholson Miss Dorothy Paget 100/7
9 ROUGHAN H J East Neville Crump Miss D Stanhope 100/7
10 BELLIQUEX R E Jenkins C Cooper Miss R Gates 25/1
11 DHUB SHANGLAN K Bishop T F Rimell Mr W Rimell 25/1

Won by 1 length and 1 1/2 lengths

 Over round 124%

The 1956 Grand Annual was held on Thursday 8th March 1956