Grand Annual Chase Tips 2022
The Grand Chase Tips looks at some of the leading players who could be heavily involved in this year’s action in this Cheltenham Festival Day 2 contest. The Grand Annual is steeped in history, being the oldest fixture at the Festival.
For this 2022 Grand Annual Chase preview, our experts look at the latest odds and how the field is shaping up.
Grand Annual Chase Potential Runners & Favourites Implied by Bookmaker Odds
The Grade 3 Grand Annual Chase at the Festival has produced some exciting results in the last decade. There have been some winners coming home in the contest at some fairly sizeable odds. Our experts scour the line-up for this year’s renewal.
BUDDY RICH has leading claims at the head of the betting, although he hasn’t faced anything like this kind of calibre of field, mostly having been knocking around beginners chase action. But there has been progress made by Gordon Elliott’s charge in the sphere nonetheless.
AMARILLO SKY was mightily impressive when winning at Newbury in February, beating SHAKEM UP’ARRY by ten lengths in a dominant display. If he repeats that effort he’s sure to go close.
Last year’s winner SKY PIRATE is off a higher mark this time around but loves Cheltenham, recording form figures of 112 in his last three visits to the course.
There should be a competitive field lining up in this one, and the likes of EMBITTERED, EDITEUR DU GITE and THYME WHITEare also likely to be in the picture as well.
Grand Annual Chase Confirmed Runners
| Horse | Silks | Trainer/Jockey | Odds |
| Buddy Rich |  | J: Davy Russell T: Gordon Elliott | 13/2 |
| Embittered |  | J: Bryan Cooper T: Joseph O’Brien | 15/2 |
| Andy Dufresne |  | J: Mark Walsh T: Gordon Elliott | 17/2 |
| Amarillo Sky |  | J: Brendan Powell T: Colin Tizzard | 9/1 |
| Thyme White |  | J: Bryony Frost T: Paul Nicholls | 10/1 |
| Sky Pirate |  | J: Nick Scholfield T: Jonjo O’Neill | 11/1 |
| Dancing On My Own |  | J: Darragh O’Keeffe T: Henry De Bromhead | 12/1 |
| Frero Banbou |  | J: Charlie Deutsch T: Venetia Williams | 14/1 |
| Before Midnight |  | J: Sam Twiston-Davies T: Sam Thomas | 14/1 |
| Elixir De Nutz |  | J: Jonjo O’Neill Jr T: Colin Tizzard | 16/1 |
| Editeur Du Gite |  | J: Joshua Moore T: Gary Moore | 16/1 |
| A Wave Of The Sea | | J: Shane Fitzgerald T: Joseph O’Brien | 16/1 |
| Exit Poll |  | J: Sean O’Keeffe T: John Harrington | 18/1 |
| Il Ridoto |  | J: Harry Cobden T: Paul Nicholls | 18/1 |
| Poseidon |  | J: Danny Mullins T: Charles Byrnes | 22/1 |
| For Pleasure |  | J: Harry Bannister T: Alex Hales | 22/1 |
| Gumball | | J: Paddy Brennan T: Fergal O’Brien | 25/1 |
| Hasankey |  | J: Lewis Dobb T: Laura Morgan | 25/1 |
| Capuccimix |  | J: Jordan Gainford T: Henry De Bromhead | 28/1 |
| Destined To Shine |  | J: RESERVE T: Laura Morgan | 33/1 |
| Global Citizen |  | J: Kielan Wood T: Ben Pauling | 50/1 |
*Odds Correct as of 12pm 14/03/22*
How Often Does a Favourite Horse Win The Grand Annual Chase Race
Two of the last ten Grand Annual Chase winners have done so as the favourite. That was Alderwood in 2013 and, more recently, Chosen Mate in 2020. But scattered throughout the results in that sequence, there have been some big underdogs coming through the pack to land the win.
None was bigger than 2019 winner Croco Bay, who landed the 2019 title as a 12-year-old from 66/1. This is a race in which longer-priced options can be sized up for Grand Annual Chase betting tips because six of the last ten Grand Annual Chase winners have done so from at least a mark of 14/1.
Each of the last 20 winners had bagged between 3-8 career successes and made up to seven starts for the season.
Grand Annual Chase Favourites vs Winners in The Past 10 Years
| Year | Favourite Horse* | Winning Horse |
| 2021 | Embittered (F) | Sky Pirate (14/1) |
| 2020 | Chosen Mate | Chosen Mate (7/2) |
| 2019 | Magic Saint (10th) | Croco Bay (66/1) |
| 2018 | North Hill Harvey (F) | Le Prezien (15/2) |
| 2017 | Le Prezien (8th) | Rock The World (10/1) |
| 2016 | Rock The World (3rd) | Solar Impulse (28/1) |
| 2015 | Ned Buntline (4th) / Blood Cotil (F) | Next Sensation (16/1) |
| 2014 | Ned Buntline (2nd) / Claret Cloak (3rd) | Savello (16/1) |
| 2013 | Alderwood | Alderwood (3/1) |
| 2012 | Kid Cassidy (12th) | Bellvano (20/1) |
*(-) = Finishing Position, UR = Unseated Rider, F = Faller, RO = Ran Out, PU = Pulled Up
Grand Annual Chase History & Present Time
The Grand Annual Chase is a Grade 3 contest at a distance of 1m 7f on the Old Course at Cheltenham. There are 14 fences in the contest, and it is a handicap steeplechase.
The origins of the race go back to 1834 when it had its first running, which was well before the Cheltenham Festival itself came along.
It had knocked around different venues before it ended up at Cheltenham permanently in 1913. The race is officially the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase, named after the father of top NH trainer Nicky Henderson, who safeguarded the future of Cheltenham Racecourse from developers.
The race was moved in 2021 to the second day of the Festival and therefore to the Old Course. That happened two years after the field was reduced to a maximum of 20 for safety. The 2022 Grand Annual Chase has a purse of £125,000.
Grand Annual Chase Jockey & Trainer Records
No jockey has matched the tally of four wins that Graham Bradley produced in this race, the final one of those happening in 1997 on Uncle Ernie. From a modern perspective, Davy Russell is the only current active jockey to have won the race more than once (3).
The leading trainer is Paul Nicholls, who has taken four wins, the most recent being with Le Prezien in 2018. However, two other trainers have won the race more than once, Nicky Henderson (2) and Alan Moore (2), which may influence Grand Annual betting tips.