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13:20Supreme Novices' Hurdle
14:00Arkle Chase
14:40Ultima Handicap Chase
15:20Mares Hurdle
16:00Champion Hurdle
16:40Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
17:20National Hunt Chase
13:20Turner's Novices' Hurdle
14:00Brown Advisory Novices' Chase
14:40Coral Cup Hurdle
15:20Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
16:00Champion Chase
16:40Grand Annual Chase
17:20Champion Bumper
Grand Annual Chase
16:40 Cheltenham Festival
2025-03-12
Winner: £84,405
Runners: 20
Going: Good To Soft
No. of hurdles: 13
Distance: 1m7f199y
The Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase takes place at 4.40pm on day two. It is often run at a fierce gallop and attracts two-mile handicap specialists. Only two horses, Top Twenty and Dulwich, have won the race twice.
NO.DRAW
FORM
FORM
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HORSE
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ODDS
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JOCKEY& TRAINER
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AGE
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WGT
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OR
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RPR
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2(0)
66-213
Dancing On My Own
-
J: Rachael Blackmore
T: Henry De Bromhead
11
11-10
152
163
Has landed some notable handicaps at 2m, including over C&D in October 2023; creditable third when attempting to repeat that success and has had a break since; might be vulnerable to younger legs.
17(0)
49/265
Third Time Lucki
-
J: Jonathan Burke
T: Fergal O'Brien
10
10-6
134
159
Well handicapped on his best form for Dan Skelton, including fourth in this race two years ago, but has returned from a long absence for a new yard this season and finished well beaten on all three starts; this 10yo needs to stage a big revival.
5(0)
17-113
Nells Son
-
J: Danny McMenamin
T: Nicky Richards
10
11-6
148
162
10yo who has been better than ever this season, beating Unexpected Party in a Carlisle graduation event on reappearance and edging out Matata (pair clear) in a handicap at Kelso (2m1f, soft) a month later; creditable third of seven at Doncaster (2m, good) in January but General Medrano was 6l ahead of him and it's a run which underlines he needs a bit extra from a mark in the high 140s.
7(0)
P-5242
Unexpected Party
-
J: Harry Skelton
T: Dan Skelton
10
11-2
144
162
10yo who proved too strong for Libberty Hunter in this race on soft last year and looks to have been campaigned with this contest in mind again, keeping on for best of the rest behind Matata in a 2m Windsor handicap (soft) in January; 6lb higher than 12 months ago but still much respected.
6(0)
-11376
Martator
-
J: Charlie Deutsch
T: Venetia Williams
8
11-5
147
160
Won his final three starts of last season and progressed again to land two valuable pots at Ascot (both 2m1f, good) in November; has disappointed on his last two outings but has been given a bit of a chance by the handicapper if staging a revival.
13(0)
42626F
Gaelic Arc
-
J: Danny Mullins
T: John Patrick Ryan
9
10-7
135
153
Four-time winner, most recently in a valuable handicap chase at Killarney last July; went up 11lb for that and his form has been in and out since; had already weakened out of contention when falling at the last at the Dublin Racing Festival and his claims aren't obvious.
16(0)
51-138
Midnight It Is
-
J: Sean Flanagan
T: Gavin Cromwell
9
10-6
134
159
Returned from an 11-month absence to land a 2m handicap chase readily at Navan in December; creditable third to stablemate The King Of Prs at Fairyhouse next time and a possible excuse emerged when a well-held favourite at the Dublin Racing Festival as he was found to be coughing after the race; part of a strong hand for Gavin Cromwell.
3(0)
126-32
My Mate Mozzie
-
J: Keith Donoghue
T: Gavin Cromwell
9
11-9
151
158
Frequently knocks at the door in big handicaps under all codes, including last summer when third at Royal Ascot and in the Galway Hurdle; ran another cracker when 7l second of 14 to An Peann Dearg in Leopardstown handicap chase (2m1f, yielding) last month back from a break, travelling smoothly into contention from a long way back; has to be high on the shortlist for a yard with a strong Cheltenham record.
9(0)
-12015
Fringill Dike
-
J: Charlie Hammond
T: Jedd O'Keeffe
8
11-0
142
160
Enhanced his good strike-rate over fences with wins at Bangor in May and Newton Abbot in August; given a break since a below-par effort at Kelso in October; others are more obvious.
8(0)
7-2142
General Medrano
-
J: Ben Jones
T: Emma Lavelle
8
11-1
143
161
Good second on reappearance at Haydock (2m, soft) and easily went one better at Newbury (2m, good to soft) seven days later; below-par fourth of five back at Newbury next time but quickly back to form when second (Nells Son third) at Doncaster (2m, good) last time; the move he made from the back to the front before being worn down towards the finish at Doncaster suggests he's still going the right way; considered.
10(0)
245270
So Scottish
-
J: Donagh Meyler
T: Emmet Mullins
8
10-11
139
161
Not seen over fences since taking a fall in the 2023 December Gold Cup here; some good handicap hurdle efforts over the summer and freshened up since a couple of lesser runs in December (has had wind surgery); respectable seventh of 23 in the Plate at this meeting two years ago.
4(0)
5-5634
American Mike
-
J: Jordan Gainford
T: Gordon Elliott
8
11-6
148
159
Hasn't quite lived up to his big early reputation but he is a smart chaser and arrives on the back of two creditable in-frame efforts over 2m1f at Fairyhouse, latterly fourth of 12 to The King Of Prs.
12(0)
2-3443
Traprain Law
-
J: Patrick Wadge
T: Lucinda Russell
7
10-8
136
162
Looked smart from the front over 2m last season; hasn't quite hit the same heights this term but better signs when keeping on from off pace to finish third of 12 over 2m4f at Musselburgh (good to soft) 39 days ago; won't be inconvenienced by the return to 2m and is feasibly treated on peak form.
1(0)
17-134
JPR One
-
J: Brendan Powell
T: Joe Tizzard
8
12-0
156
161
Produced a high-class handicap performance with a tongue-tie added (retained since) when giving weight and a beating to Djelo in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter (extended 2m1f, good) on reappearance; no match for Jonbon in the Tingle Creek but it was another good run on RPRs and a recent fourth in the Game Spirit at Newbury should have put him spot on for this; a class act back in a handicap.
14(0)
4P-123
Western Zephyr
-
J: Sean Bowen
T: Charlie Longsdon
8
10-7
135
157
Became disappointing last season but things clicked again in the autumn, with a handicap win at Carlisle (2m, good to soft) followed by a Grade 2 second over C&D (good ground; no match for L'Eau du Sud); weakened quickly when a distant third of three finishers at Ascot in December and freshened up since.
18(0)
-35671
Conyers Hill
-
J: Sean O'Keeffe
T: Paul Nolan
7
10-3
131
157
Useful hurdler who translated all that ability to this sphere at the fourth time of asking when edging ahead late on in 2m Down Royal rated novice (good to yielding) seven weeks ago; his fencing was still novicey on occasions at Down Royal so whether his jumping stands up to this environment remains to be seen.
11(0)
F4-231
The King Of Prs
-
J: Conor Stone-Walsh
T: Gavin Cromwell
7
10-10
138
159
Well beaten when falling two out in this last year but has resumed his progress this season, placing in two competitive handicaps before leading home a Gavin Cromwell 1-2-3 in a valuable event at Fairyhouse (2m1f, soft) in January.
15(0)
13P122
Jazzy Matty
-
J: Danny Gilligan
T: Cian Collins
6
10-7
135
152
2023 Fred Winter winner here; in good form over fences in October, scoring at Sligo (2m5f, good) and narrowly denied in a C&D novice; returned from a break with a good second over hurdles at Thurles in January; looks to have been targeted at this meeting again but lacks big-field handicap chase experience.
20(0)
-14F31
Primoz
-
J: Derek Fox
T: Lucinda Russell
7
10-2
130
163
Consistency has been an issue but he looked good when winning two of his five chase starts, albeit in a match race at Kelso (2m1f, soft) last time; this is the first time he's contested a chase with more than seven runners.
19(0)
531125
Jasko Des Dames
-
J: Darragh O'Keeffe
T: Henry De Bromhead
6
10-3
131
157
Failed to win over hurdles but won his first two chases (yielding/good) in the autumn; good second at Punchestown (2m, yielding) in December; softer ground and a switch to hold-up tactics provide possible excuses for a below-par run back at Punchestown last month; handicap chase debut.
RACING POST TIP
My Mate Mozzie
Unexpected Party should make a bold bid to repeat last year's win. JPR One (second choice) also warrants respect as his Haldon Gold Cup defeat of Djelo reads very well and his two subsequent Graded efforts have been creditable. General Medrano is another for the shortlist but perhaps this is finally the day that MY MATE MOZZIE gains a deserved big handicap success. Gavin Cromwell's runner shaped really well from a long way off the pace when second back chasing at Leopardstown last month and can go one better now.
Cheltenham Free Bets
Verdict
GRAND ANNUAL PREVIOUS WINNERS
| Year | Horse | Previous Form | Age | Price | Trainer | Jockey |
| 2024 | Unexpected Party | -15549 | 9 | 12-1 | Dan Skelton | Harry Skelton |
| 2023 | Maskada | 4F10 | 7 | 22-1 | Henry De Bromhead | Darragh O’Keeffe |
| 2022 | Global Citizen | 92023 | 10 | 28-1 | Ben Pauling | Keilan Woods |
| 2021 | Sky Pirate | 25112 | 8 | 14-1 | Jonjo O’Neill | Nick Scholfield |
| 2020 | Chosen Mate | 6-0341 | 7 | 7-2F | Gordon Elliott | Davy Russell |
| 2019 | Croco Bay | 2-9835 | 12 | 66-1 | Ben Case | Kielan Woods |
| 2018 | Le Prezien | 8P-238 | 7 | 15-2 | Paul Nicholls | Barry Geraghty |
| 2017 | Rock The World | 7-2080 | 9 | 10-1 | Jessica Harrington | Robbie Power |
| 2016 | Solar Impulse | 263-3P | 6 | 28-1 | Paul Nicholls | Sam Twiston-Davies |
| 2015 | Next Sensation | 45-604 | 8 | 16-1 | Michael Scudamore | Tom Scudamore |
GRAND ANNUAL KEY TRENDS AND STATS
Key trends
- Distance winner, 9/10
- Carried no more than 11st 6lb, 9/10
- Top-three finish on at least one of last two starts, 8/10
- Aged nine or under, 8/10
- No more than 11 runs over fences, 8/10
- Officially rated 140 to 150, 6/10
- Yet to win that season, 6/10
- Had run at a previous festival, 7/10
- No more than four runs since August, 5/10
Other factors
- Three winners had won at the course – three of the exceptions had been placed in this race previously.
- The record of the previous year’s winner is 009090037.
We have all the best Cheltenham Betting offers ahead of placing your bets on the Grand Annual Chase
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR - GRAND ANNUAL 2024
Dan Skelton celebrated a second handicap victory on the day when Unexpected Party struck in the Grand Annual. Harry Skelton’s mount raced prominently and repelled several challengers in the straight to beat Libberty Hunter by two and a quarter lengths. Victory for the 12-1 shot continued a dismal run for favourites in the Grand Annual, with just one successful market leader (Chosen Mate in 2020) in the past ten runnings. The Gordon Elliott-trained Sa Fureur was the 4-1 favourite last year but could only manage fourth in the 16-runner field.