Johnny Henderson Grand Annual – Expert Tips & Predictions
The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual is the oldest race in the National Hunt calendar. A two-mile handicap chase, it is steeped in history just like the Festival in which it is now annually run. Our experts have trawled through the field to see if they can find the newest name to go on the longest winners’ board in jumps racing.
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Bookmaker Runners + Odds – Day 2 @ Cheltenham Festival
| Horse/Form | Silks | Jockey/Trainer | OddsOdds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinoblue 4-4122 |  | J: L P Dempsey T: Willie Mullins | 5/1 |
| Andy Dufresne 2-F378 | | J: Mark Walsh T: Gordon Elliott | 5/1 |
| Final Orders 211111 |  | J: Keith Donoghue T: Gavin Cromwell | 6/1 |
| Third Time Lucki 3-4631 |  | J: Harry Skelton T: Dan Skelton | 10/1 |
| Coeur Sublime 7-2F42 |  | J: Ben Harvey (5) T: Henry De Bromhead | 11/1 |
| Dads Lad 511519 |  | J: Brian Hayes T: Willie Mullins | 12/1 |
| Thyme White 12F-15 |  | J: Harry Cobden T: Paul Nicholls | 14/1 |
| Elixir De Nutz P-9212 |  | J: Brendan Powell T: Joe Tizzard | 16/1 |
| Epson Du Houx /61-23 |  | J: Rachael Blackmore T: Henry De Bromhead | 16/1 |
| Global Citizen 31-P74 |  | J: Luca Morgan T: Ben Pauling | 20/1 |
| Before Midnight 26-334 |  | J: Sam Twiston-Davies T: Sam Thomas | 20/1 |
| Call Me Lyreen 1122F5 |  | J: Sam Ewing T: Gordon Elliott | 20/1 |
| Midnight Run -22315 | | J: B J Cooper T: Joseph Patrick O’Brien | 20/1 |
| Maskada F-4F10 |  | J: Darragh O’Keeffe T: Henry De Bromhead | 20/1 |
| Malystic 42P114 |  | J: Danny McMenamin T: Peter Niven | 20/1 |
| The Last Day 6/F1-5 |  | J: Adam Wedge T: Evan Williams | 25/1 |
| Sizing Pottsie -12956 |  | J: Jack Tudor T: David Pipe | 25/1 |
| A Wave Of The Sea F64P03 | | J: Simon Torrens T: Joseph Patrick O’Brien | 25/1 |
| Prince Escalus (RESERVE) 2-5481 |  | J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr T: Jonjo O’Neill | 25/1 |
| Riders Onthe Storm (RESERVE) p0-107 |  | J: Gavin Sheehan T: Richard Hobson | 20/1 |
| Dancing On My Own F02-09 |  | J: J J Slevin T: Henry De Bromhead | 20/1 |
| Battleoverdoyen 35P493 |  | J: Jordan Gainford T: Gordon Elliott | 20/1 |
All About The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Trophy in 2023
As another of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival’s handicaps, the field for the Grand Annual will only become clear once the season progresses closer to March.
There are often a mix of experienced, in-form contenders and novices just below the class of the Grade 1 events. Last year’s one-two, Sky Pirate and Entoucas were examples of each of those demographics a year ago and could well run again this season.
Qualifications/Trends
For five-year-olds and upwards, runners of almost every age have been successful in the race’s modern guise since World War Two.
In an unusual quirk, there have been three 12-year-old winners in that time, but no 11-year-olds. Either side with those of vast experience or with racing years still ahead of them.
The more competitive nature of the race in recent years has ensured that no horse carrying less than 10st 11lb has won since 2012. No horse in the last nine renewals has run off the bottom possible weight of 10st and so it is worth looking at weights in the context of the field.
As such, four of the last five winners have been in the top half of the handicap, with the 12-year-old Croco Bay the only exception in 2019. Indeed Ben Case’s 66/1 shot breaks so many rules that he is almost worth leaving out for any trend researchers.
The only thing Croco Bay highlights is that no horse in the 20-strong field will be without a chance. Five other winners in the last decade, including Sky Pirate last season, have gone off at 14/1 or higher. If a favourite wins, such was the case with Alderwood and Chosen Mate, they are usually a short price for a handicap, with that pair starting at 3/1 and 7/2 respectively.
It is impossible to suggest a trainer or jockey worth following as 12 different riders and 11 different handlers have been successful in the last 12 runnings. Only Paul Nicholls (of course) has won it more than once.
Even an Irish angle is difficult to take, as this was one of only five races won by the Brits at the 2021 Festival and only two of the last seven runnings have been taken back across the Irish Sea.
Prize Money in 2023
£82,500 was on offer for those who could finish eighth or above in 2021. Sky Pirate’s connections were just over £46,000 richer come the end of the Festival..
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual History
The oldest race in National Hunt history has a book written about it, so far be it from us to condense it on this page. But we’ll try!
The inaugural running of the Grand Annual came in 1834, with the distance disputed at any between three and four miles. That is greatly different from the shape of the race today, but is nevertheless a fascinating insight into the history of such a race.
It took place on the fields in nearby Andoversford and endured a brief hiatus in the mid 19th Century. However, ever since 1867, with intermittent absences, the race has been run at Prestbury Park and run in its current guise.
As an official Cheltenham Festival contest, the Grand Annual was added in 1913 and is now named after Nicky Henderson’s father Johnny. In the 1960s, with Cheltenham, like Aintree, of significant interest to budding property developers, Johnny Henderson arranged for the Racecourse Holdings Trust to buy the course at Prestbury Park and ward off any unwanted interest.
There have been no fears for the track or indeed this race since. Always such an open contest, there have only been two horses in the post-war years to have won the race twice: Top Twenty (1958, 1959) and Dulwich (1974, 1976).
There have also been two horses who have gone on to even greater success. Pearlyman (1986) and Edredon Bleu (1998) both also appear on the honours board for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the former winning that race twice in a row after having won the Grand Annual. Fota Island also nearly managed this feat in 2006 when beaten into second in the Champion Chase by Newmill.
Winners since 2000
| Year | Horse | Jockey/Trainer | OddsOdds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Samakaan | J:Norman Williamson T:Venetia Williams | 9/2F |
| 2001 | VOID | J:N/A T:N/A | VOID |
| 2002 | Fadoudal du Cochet | J:David Casey T:Arthur Moore | 6/1 |
| 2003 | Palarshan | J:Mark Bradburne T:Henry Daly | 8/1 |
| 2004 | St Pirran | J:Ruby Walsh T:Paul Nicholls | 4/1F |
| 2005 | Fota Island | J:Paul Carberry T:Mouse Morris | 7/1 |
| 2006 | Greenhope | J:Andrew Tinkler T:Nicky Henderson | 20/1 |
| 2007 | Andreas | J:Robert Thornton T: Paul Nicholls | 12/1 |
| 2008 | Tiger Cry | J:Davy Russell T:Arthur Moore | 15/2 |
| 2009 | Oh Crick | J:Wayne Hutchinson T:Alan King | 7/1 |
| 2010 | Pigeon Island | J:Paddy Brennan T:Nigel Twiston-Davies | 16/1 |
| 2011 | Oiseau de Nuit | J:Steven Clements T:Colin Tizzard | 40/1 |
| 2012 | Bellvano | J:Paul Carberry T:Nicky Henderson | 20/1 |
| 2013 | Alderwood | J:Tony McCoy T:Thomas Mullins | 3/1F |
| 2014 | Savello | J:Davy Russell T:Tony Martin | 16/1 |
| 2015 | Next Sensation | J:Tom Scudamore T:Michael Scudamore Jr | 16/1 |
| 2016 | Solar Impulse | J:Sam Twiston-Davies T:Paul Nicholls | 28/1 |
| 2017 | Rock The World | J:Robbie Power T:Jessica Harrington | 10/1 |
| 2018 | Le Prezien | J:Barry Geraghty T:Paul Nicholls | 15/2 |
| 2019 | Croco Bay | J:Kielan Woods T:Ben Case | 66/1 |
| 2020 | Chosen Mate | J:Davy Russell T:Gordon Elliott | 7/2F |
| 2021 | Sky Pirate | J:Nick Schofield T:Jonjo O’Neill | 14/1 |