Grand Annual Steeplechase

Today Banna Strand won the 2013 Grand Annual Steeplechase. Carrying Number 9 he is seen here jumping one of the 33 fences on this gruelling course. Running last for the majority of the race he came home hard to take out this prestigious, jumping race.
Two years ago this horse made the headlines at Warrnambool in the same race for the wrong reasons. On that occasion, Banna Strand had already lost his rider when he jumped a two-metre high fence and into a crowd where he injured seven spectators.
The Grand Annual is an Australian Thoroughbred Steeplechase for horses run at Warrnambool, Victoria during its annual May Racing Carnival. The distance is officially listed as about 5500 metres because many sections of the race are run in open paddocks with little or no fences. The race is the longest horse race run in Australia on a public course. There are 33 obstacles, more than any other steeplechase in the world.
Horses run clockwise and counter-clockwise at various points of the race which also features a section in open paddocks. When re-entering the racetrack itself horses turn left on the first lap and right on the second. This has created problems on many occasions when horses have tried to veer left rather than right second time around.
Knowledge of the course and stamina are vital to the chances of horse and rider. With the Great Eastern Steeplechase and VRC Grand National it is considered to be one of the top three Australian steeplechase races.
The Grand Annual was first run in 1872. It was known as the Warrnambool Handicap Steeple until 1877, the Grand National Steeple from 1878 until 1881, the Warrnambool Handicap Steeple again until 1894, and the Grand Annual Steeple since 1895.