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 1998 Premier Handicap 2 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 EDREDON BLEU Tony McCoy Henrietta Knight Mr Jim Lewis 7/2 fav
2 TIDEBROOK Norman Williamson Kim Bailey Mr Richard William 9/2
3 CUMBRIAN CHALLENGE Lorcan Wyer Tim Easterby Cumbrian Industrials Ltd 16/1
4 MORSTOCK Tom Dascombe Ron Hodges Mrs M Fairbairn 33/1
5 FLYING INSTRUCTOR Jimmy McCarthy Paul Webber Lady Lyell 6/1
6 NASHVILLE STAR Sean Curran Robin Matthew Mr Robin Mathew 100/1
7 HURRICANE LAMP Robert Thornton David Nicholson Mr & Mrs F C Welch 10/1
8 TIME WON'T WAIT Richard Dunwoody Richard Phillips Old Berks Partnership 12/1
9 MISTER ODDY Richard Johnson J S King Mrs R M Hill 16/1
10 KILBREET Charlie Swan Philip Hobbs Mr Terry Warner 33/1
11 INDIAN JOCKEY C Maude Martin Pipe Mr Stuart Mercer 16/1
12 NAIYSARI M Griffiths Paul Rich Mr R Packer 16/1
13 BARNAGEERA BOY Carl Llewellyn W Jenks Mrs C S Wilson 14/1
14 GREEN GREEN DESERT Paul Carberry Oliver Sherwood Mr Darren Mercer 20/1
15 FABRICATOR Conor O'Dwyer Muriel Naughton Mr James Clements 66/1
16 SUBLIME FELLOW Mick Fitzgerald Nicky Henderson Mr Rory McGrath 16/1
17 ZABADI Adrian Maguire David Nicholson Sceptre House Golf Society 16/1

Won by 3 1/2 lengths and 2 1/2 lengths

 Over round 127%

The 1998 Grand Annual was held on Thursday 19th March 1998