home >
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Challenge Cup
Race Conditions
The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase (4:40pm) is a Class A Grade 3 chase run over two miles and about half a furlong. It is open to horses aged five years old and upwards. The total prize fund is £85,000.
Click here for free bets and special offers from the leading online bookmakers.
Recent Winners
Fancied horses have a good record in the Grand Annual Chase, with nine of the last twelve renewals being won by horses who started at 8/1 or shorter. The record of novices in the race is also notable.
Despite not being the most glamorous event run at the Festival, the race has thrown up some classy winners, who have gone on to achieve bigger and better things. Edredon Bleu and Pearlyman, for example, followed their triumphs in this race with successes later on in their careers in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
The name of the race was extended in 2006 to commemorate the life of Johnny Henderson, so how appropriate it was for his son Nicky to train the winner of the 2006 race.
| Year | Horse | Age | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Tiger Cry | 10 | A L T Moore | 15/2 |
| 2007 | Andreas | 7 | P F Nicholls | 12/1 |
| 2006 | Greenhope | 8 | N Henderson | 20/1 |
| 2005 | Fota Island | 9 | M Morris | 7/1 |
| 2004 | St Pirran | 9 | P Nicholls | 4/1F |
| 2003 | Palarshan | 5 | H Daly | 8/1 |
| 2002 | Fadoudal Du Cochet | 9 | A Moore | 6/1 |
| 2000 | Samakaan | 7 | Miss V Williams | 9/2F |
| 1999 | Space Trucker | 8 | Mrs J Harrington | 7/2F |
| 1998 | Edredon Bleu | 6 | Miss H Knight | 7/2F |
| 1997 | Uncle Ernie | 12 | J Fitzgerald | 20/1 |
| 1996 | Kibreet | 9 | P Hobbs | 7/1 |
| 1995 | Sound Reveille | 7 | C Brooks | 7/1 |
| 1994 | Snitton Lane | 8 | W Clay | 33/1 |
Key Trends
37 of the last 40 win-and-placed runners were aged under 10 (although Tiger Cry bucked this trend in 2008).
29 of the last 34 renewals were won by horses that started at no bigger then 10/1.
Watch the 2008 Grand Annual Chase:
2007 Review
ANDREAS may have fluffed his lines in this race last year – he fell early on when a heavily backed favourite – but he made amends in the best way possible by coming back a year later to claim the prize.
This looked another fiercely competitive renewal of one of the best two mile handicaps in the jump racing calendar, but the field was well strung out in the end, even though a dozen horses were still in contention on the downhill run to the third last.
Ironically, Andreas hasn’t been in as good form this year as he was last, but today was his big day and rather than empty out when coming off the bridle has he has done often in the past, he actually outstayed the runner up Hasty Prince on the run in after clouting the second last. He deserved this big race victory.
Hasty Prince was a top class hurdler at his best and this was his finest hour so far over fences. He seems to relish these competitive handicaps and the fast pace they invariably produce.
Ground Ball, in the same ownership as Hasty Prince, has been a great servant to connections and is now a standing dish here having run at each of the last four Festivals. He probably needs a bit further now, as he couldn’t match the pace of the front two.
Ursis was fourth. He has had a marvellous season and has really thrived since switching to Steve Gollings’ yard. By contrast, the hot favourite, Saintsaire, was a big disappointment. He never jumped well enough to keep tabs on the leaders.
Last year’s winner, Greenhope, was again in front for a long way but in the end he wasn’t able to cope with the rise in weights that his success in 2006 inevitably led to.
2006 Review
It may not be the highest profile race at the Festival, but it always attracts a high class field and this year it also provided possibly the most emotional result of the week as GREENHOPE, trained by Nicky Henderson, won the race named in honour of his late father, Johnny.
Given the trainer’s understandable desire to win the race, he saddled four of the 23 runners, all of whom seemed to have some sort of chance. However, it was 20-1 shot Greenhope who came out on top having led for most of the way and finding plenty under pressure when challenged.
He’d been laid out for the race and a recent spin over hurdles had obviously put him spot on for his big target. A former high class handicap hurdler, this was clearly a career best effort over fences.
The ultra consistent Tiger Cry finished second. The Irish raider has run well here in the past and clearly relishes the fast pace of these ultra competitive handicap chases.
Madison Du Berlais was third, finally providing his beleaguered stable with something to cheer about at the end of a terrible week. Considering how poorly most of Martin Pipe’s horses have run at the Festival, this was a fine effort and there is every reason to think there could be more to come from this promising five year old.
Similar comments apply to Davenport Democrat in fifth, as the Willie Mullins horses have also been badly out of form.
Two of the best backed horses in the race failed to make any impression. Andreas sadly fell at the fourth, whilst Green Tango could never get into contention in a contest where it paid to race up with the pace. Although he stayed on well at the death, his jumping had never been good enough to allow him to get any closer to the leaders.
Bleu Superbe and Sharp Rigging were both still in with a chance when falling.