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 1928 Premier Handicap 2 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 IRISH BOY W Stott Bullock Miss Hollins 6/1
2 SOCRATES F B Rees H Harrison Mr A D McAlpine 7/2
3 CAMP BED E Foster F Brown Mr Clegg 20/1
4 GENERAL ADVANCE T Culinan Withington Major Huntington 100/8
5 COOLCOMMON L Powell Pardy Mrs Walker 3/1 fav
6 WIND SWEPT E Doyle Bazley Mr Charlesworth 6/1
7 LAURENTUM L Rees Aubrey Hastings Mr Bostwick 25/1
8 SPINNEY HILL J Hamey G Read Mr Barlow 25/1
9 CROCKANOIR S Moore Sanday Mr Henderson 8/1
10 HYMIR V Piggott Milnes Mrs Milnes 10/1
11 LABRADOR R Burford Aubrey Hastings Mr Field 25/1
12 DUNZAR W Parvin Reynard Lady Lindsay 25/1
13 PREFACE Keith Piggott Whitelaw Mr Whitelaw 25/1
14 PAXFORD J Hogan Blair Mr Blair 25/1
15 THE BIG THREE James S Bennet Mrs Baker 25/1
16 ARDUOUS T Leader T Leader Mr Sanford 25/1
17 ADAMSTOI Rayson R Payne Mr Deterding 25/1
18 BLACK MINER W Dutton J Dodd Mr H B Kenyon 25/1
19 HOYDEN T Moreau Walter Nightingall Lord Stanley 100/8
20 BUNBURY GIRL Wall Paterson Mr Paterson 25/1
21 CROSS GATE W Gurney R Payne Mr Ryland 25/1
22 RATH LUIRE Wright Mitchell Mrs Shorrock 25/1
23 KILBRAIN A Escott Withington Mr Longworth 25/1

Won by 1 1/2 lengths and a distance

 Over round 172%

The 1928 Grand Annual was held on Tuesday 13th March 1928 on Prestbury Park.