Grand Annual Handicap Chase Betting Odds
The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase has been won by Global Citizen, Maskada and Unexpected Party in recent years, with a big field anticipated for this two mile encounter which takes place at 4.40pm on Wednesday 12 March. Libberty Hunter finished second in the 2024 renewal and perhaps this horse can go one better this time around.
There’s always plenty to enjoy about the betting market for the Grand Annual Chase, with plenty of horses trading at a similar price. Jazzy Matty has enjoyed some smart form this season and Touch Me Not also has the potential to go well, with Unexpected Party and Madara other potential contenders in this encounter.
Only By Night 12/1
Jazzy Matty 14/1
Unexpected Party 14/1
Be Aware 14/1
Thistle Ask 16/1
Alnilam 20/1
Lump Sum 20/1
Country Mile 20/1
Calico 20/1
Keep Running 20/1
Jasko Des Dames 20/1
Jax Junior 25/1
Addragoole 25/1
David's Well 25/1
Conyers Hill 25/1
Boombawn 25/1
Champ Kiely 25/1
Midnight It Is 25/1
My Mate Mozzie 25/1
Touch Me Not 25/1
Hercule Du Seuil 25/1
Zurich 25/1
Pied Piper 25/1
Matata 25/1
Gold Dancer 25/1
Stencil 25/1
Special Cadeau 33/1
Master Chewy 33/1
King of Kingsfield 33/1
Torneo 33/1
Triple Trade 33/1
Crest Of Fortune 33/1
Relieved Of Duties 33/1
Imperial Saint 40/1
Harper's Brook 40/1
Teddy Blue 40/1
Inthepocket 40/1
Centara 40/1
Brookie 40/1
Ile Atlantique 40/1
Je T'ai Porte 40/1
Heltenham 50/1
Rubaud 50/1
Scarface 50/1
More Horses
2025 Grand Annual Chase Tips The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase is always a captivating encounter, with Libberty Hunter lining up as the favourite and the horse will return to the Cheltenham Festival after finishing second in the same race last term. The nine-year-old was able to land a victory at Prestbury Park in mid-December, when winning by four lengths.
Previously to this, there was a smart performance at Aintree where Libberty Hunter outperformed his odds to finish third in the Maghull Novices’ Chase. That came a month after finishing second in the 2024 Grand Annual where the 6/1 chance missed out on a victory by two lengths when losing to Unexpected Party.
Jazzy Matty was able to finish second in his previous appearance at Thurles, with the six-year-old having run well over nearly two miles. This came after a solid outing at Cheltenham in October, while Touch Me Not could be a great each-way prospect based on a smart showing at Leopardstown at the Dublin Racing Festival.
There was no disgrace in finishing nine lengths behind Majborough when the 12/1 shot was able to land a runner-up spot, with beating some other quality performers in the Irish Arkle Novice Chase . There was also a second-placed finish behind L’Eau du Sud at Sandown in early December after winning at Punchestown in November.
2024 Grand Annual Tips There are lots of potential winners when it comes to the Grand Annual, with customers recommended to select two or three horses against the field. My Mate Mozzie runs for trainer Gavin Cromwell and the eight-year-old ran well at Leopardstown Racecourse on Boxing Day, finishing second in the Racing Post Novice Chase.
It was a solid outing considering that the horse finished ahead of Facile Vega, with the horse returning to Cheltenham Racecourse after previously winning a four-runner race when obliging as the 4/7 favourite in a Novices’ Chase. However, the horse failed to oblige as the 8/15 favourite in a Beginners Chase at Fairyhouse Racecourse .
Cromwell is mob-handed going into the race and Inowhaturthinkin is a six-year-old who was able to finish third out of five runners and it was respectable to finish just seven lengths behind Gaelic Warrior. The same horse beat him into second at Punchestown by fifteen lengths, although the runner is clearly capable of running to a strong mark.
Djelo and Master Chewy come next in the betting, with the former having scored three consecutive wins at Aintree, Newbury and Ascot. At Aintree, Djelo and Master Chewy were the first two horses home, with Venetia Williams’ charge potentially well weighted and ready to deliver another notable victory.
2023 Grand Annual Challenge Cup Betting Tips Final Orders is a talented seven-year-old trained by Gavin Cromwell and it’s hard to crab his form coming into this race at the Cheltenham Festival . The runner has put together a string of victories which means he could go off betting favourite for an encounter over two miles, with the latest victory coming in the Dublin Racing Festival where he was able to win over two miles and a furlong.
That was by a convincing margin of four lengths and the performance was preceded by a win on Boxing Day also at Leopardstown, although he will have to continue his upwards trajectory in order to finish ahead of the pack and that includes beating Aucunrisque. Chris Gordon’s charge hasn’t been out of the front two in his four outings this season and could go well.
The victory in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury Racecourse in February suggests that there is more to come from a seven-year-old who finished second to Boothill in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase on 27 December, with JP McManus also having several of the Cheltenham betting favourites, including Dinoblue and Saint Roi.
Dinoblue finished well down the order at the Cheltenham Festival last year in the Mares Novices’ Hurdle after being sent off as the 11/8 favourite, although she ran well in a Mares Chase at Naas more recently and will benefit from having the weight allowance in this clash, while Saint Roi was actually third to Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle last year and should also be respected.
2022 Grand Annual Tips Willie Mullins is the betting favourite when it comes to Top Cheltenham Festival trainer odds and perhaps he will secure a few victories in the handicap races. The Irish handler has an exciting six-year-old in the form of Gentleman de Mee, with the JP McManus-owned runner having finished second to the talented Haut En Couleurs in the Paddy Power Games Beginners Chase.
Previously to this, the horse was fifth in a Beginners Chase at Punchestown Racecourse in early December, with Ferny Hollow producing the goods in that particular race although this is likely to be a less competitive betting heat. The horse finished tenth in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at last year’s Festival when being sent off as 4/1 favourite.
Who Are the Grand Annual Handicap Chase Favourites? Brave Seasca could be a great Cheltenham Festival betting tip, with the horse having won on his past three outings. The seven-year-old is trained by Venetia Williams and scored two successes at Warwick Racecourse which sandwiched a solitary success at Ascot in December – arguably the most impressive run of all.
Charlie Deutsch rode the horse to victory at Warwick over two miles in mid-January, with Sky Pirate beaten by seven lengths, while the win at Ascot was in the Howden Novices' Limited Handicap Chase where he won by three lengths over two miles and one furlong.
Henry de Bromhead is likely to win with his hot Cheltenham Festival tip Honeysuckle on Day One of the meeting and perhaps the Irish trainer will score again with Coeur Sublime having proven really impressive at Gowran Park and the horse was sent off as 1/6 under the ride of Rachael Blackmore.
Buddy Rich will line up for trainer Gordon Elliott and the nine-year-old ran in a competitive handicap race at Fairyhouse in November, with the horse sent off as the 5/2 favourite before finishing fourth. Dunvegan is the one to watch at a bigger price and it’s often worth an each-way horse racing bet on this race.
As we come towards the end of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival , there are still some exciting races that remain on the cards and this includes the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual which is run over a distance of approximately two miles.
This race has been in operation since 1834 and it’s now a Grade 3 encounter which is the oldest race at the Festival, with Croco Bay making history when winning the 2019 renewal at the ripe old age of 12.
Previously to this, we have largely seen winners oblige around the age of 8, with Le Prezien, Rock the World and Edredon Bleu among those horses who have passed the post first in this race.
It’s one of those Festival races where the field is unclear until we get much closer to the off, although Lisp could be the horse that goes off favourite, with the Alan King-trained runner having run well in the County Hurdle last year.
On that occasion, the six-year-old finished in fifth place and we shouldn’t forget that he outran his odds of 25/1 to achieve that position, although form since then hasn’t been particularly convincing.
Last time out, Lisp finished third out of four in a Grade 2 race although it was a competitive heat which also featured Mister Fisher and Al Dancer, with Lisp effectively dropping down in class should he line up in the Grand Annual.
Greaneteen is an interesting runner and the Paul Nicholls-trained horse has achieved a recent double which sets things up nicely for the six-year-old as he prepares for the Festival.
On 1 February, the horse obliged in the Scottish Champion Chase as the favourite, with Bryony Frost likely to be on board again at the Festival.
Al Dancer could also line up for the Grand Annual and had that second-place finish in the same race as Lisp, with the seven-year-old not really achieving the early potential which saw him go off joint-favourite to win last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle .
Nigel Twiston-Davies could pitch him into this race and look for the horse to rediscover the sort of form that had everyone wowed when the charge obliged at odds of 5/2 when winning the Betfair Hurdle last season.
Meetings
