The Grand Annual Chase is the final race of the festival, the get out stakes and the race that will eventually see you finish the week with a wheelbarrow full of money or pockets filled with pennies. The race is open to horses aged 5 and above and named after Nicky Henderson’s father, Johnny. Once again it is worth considering the conditions by the time this race is run as soft ground that has cut up can prove to be a real stamina test.

There have only been 2 winning favourites in the last dozen years and novices also have a good record in this race. The race has a lot of history and is the oldest race of the festival, the first of these run in 1834. Fulke Walwyn is the leading trainer of this race and also has his own race named after him.

Not a great race for the Irish horses, they have only won it three times in the last tenyears including Alderwood who is the only favourite to oblige since 2007. More recently the race has gone to big outsiders and even when champion trainer Paul Nicholls managed to win it his horse Solar Impulse started at whopping 28/1.