Former Racing Victoria chief steward Des Gleeson shared his memories of the greatest Grand Annual Steeplechase moments and identities with Tim Auld this week.

Gleeson's encyclopedic memory smoothly coughed up the 1975 Grand Annual where Gypsy Grey went the wrong way and still got up and won as the greatest race he'd seen. What a story!

As the clock counts down to the 2019 Grand Annual Steeplechase, Des warmly remembers witnessing the big race as a six-year-old boy and goes on to nominate Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainer Jim Houlahan as the greatest Grand Annual trainer.

And Des goes on to nominate the legendary jockey Ted Byrne as the greatest Grand Annual hoop. Byrne won three Grand Annuals and, as legend has it, died driving his Mercedes sports car as fast as the horses he loved and rode.

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