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.
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Matty Sutcliffe’s Grand Annual Tips
16:40 Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race)
J: Bryan Carver
T: Harry Fry
Result
8th 50/1
The veteran Boothill has slipped to too tempting a mark to ignore according to Matty Sutcliffe. After recent wind surgery, he is rated 25lb below his highest mark and has some peak form of interest.
Joe Napier’s Grand Annual Tips
16:40 Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (GBB Race)
Joe sides with a JP McManus-owned horse to get another Festival success for his owner. Inthepocket has not been the easiest to train, but is allowed to run here off the same mark as his Irish one, a rare horse to be granted that luxury.
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Bookmaker Runners + Odds – Day 2 @ Cheltenham Festival – Wednesday 11 March 4.40
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All About The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Trophy in 2026
As another of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival’s handicaps, there are often a mix of experienced, in-form contenders and novices just below the class of the Grade 1 events. Last year’s winner Jazzy Matty will attempt to defend his title among 20 runners.
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 only Global Citizen has carried less than 10st 11lb to victory since 2012.
As such, five of the last seven winners have been in the top half of the handicap, with the 12-year-old Croco Bay and Global Citizen the only exceptions. 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. The last four winners 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 only Kielan Woods and Paul Nicholls have won the race twice in the last decade. Equally, even an Irish angle is difficult to take, as only three of the last nine renewals have returned to the Emerald Isle.
Prize Money in 2026
The first prize was won by Jazzy Matty in 2025 and connections won £84,405.00.
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.
The Grand Annual provided a rare victory for British trainers in 2021 – despite Ireland winning the Prestbury Cup 23-5 that season, Jonjo O’Neill and Nick Schofield combined for success with Sky Pirate in the race.
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 |
| 2022 | Global Citizen | J:Kielan Woods T:Ben Pauling | 28/1 |
| 2023 | Maskada | J:Darragh O’Keeffe T:Henry De Bromhead | 22/1 |
| 2024 | Unexpected Party | J:Harry Skelton T:Dan Skelton | 14/1 |
| 2025 | Jazzy Matty | J:Danny Gilligan T:Cian Collins | 15/2 |
| 2026 | Martator | J:Charlie Deutsch T:Venetia Williams | 66/1 |
Cheltenham Festival Day 2 Racing Schedule
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