JOHNNY HENDERSON

GRAND ANNUAL

HANDICAP CHASE

(GRADE 3)

HAVING broken his duck for the week in the Foxhunter Chase an hour earlier, trainer Paul Nicholls salvaged a second Festival winner when Le Prezien captured the closing Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase. The well-backed 15/2 chance was always travelling well behind a strong pace and was fortunate enough to avoid the numerous fallers in this two-mile cavalry charge.

The French-bred bounded up the hill to win by four and a half lengths from the Kerry Lee-trained pair Gino Trail and Top Gamble. Nicky Henderson’s Theinval was fourth.

Le Prezien was a beaten favourite in this race last year. Nicholls revealed that the decision to run in the same race again was a late one.

“He wants further but, on this ground, two miles is fine. He is a proper horse, learning all the time. He has been unlucky this season, being placed in two good handicaps.”

Nicholls was winning the race for the fourth time since 2004.

The winner was ridden by Barry Geraghty for his boss J.P. McManus, who bought Le Prezien two years ago from the Million In Mind racing club for £290,000.