Gimcrack Stakes

Group 2 race
Gimcrack Stakes
Location	York Racecourse York, England
Inaugurated	1846
Race type	Flat / Thoroughbred
Sponsor	Irish Thoroughbred Marketing
Website	York
Race information
Distance	6f (1,207 metres)
Track	Turf, straight
Qualification	Two-year-old colts and geldings
Weight	8 st 12 lb Penalties 3 lb for G1 / G2 winners
Purse	£140,000 (2009) 1st: £82,964

The Gimcrack Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.

The event is named after Gimcrack, a successful racehorse in the 18th century. He won twenty-seven times in a career of thirty-six races – but none of his victories were actually at York. The Gimcrack Stakes was established in 1846, and it was originally open to horses of either gender. It was restricted to male horses only in 1987.

The race is now staged on day two of York's four-day Ebor Festival meeting. The owner of the winning horse is traditionally invited to give a speech at the annual Gimcrack Club dinner, which is held at the racecourse in December.

Records

Leading jockey (9 wins):

• John Osborne, Jr. – Exact (1852), Coastguard (1863), Wild Agnes (1864), Lord of the Vale (1865), Bothwell (1870), Thorn (1872), Holy Friar (1874), Constantine (1876), Simnel (1880)

Leading trainer (7 wins):

• William I'Anson, Jr. – Pursebearer (1881), Castor (1885), Lady Muncaster (1886), Derwentwater (1887), Lockhart (1889), Royal Stag (1890), Barbette (1903)

Winners since 1980

¹  The 2008 running took place at Newbury.

Earlier winners

* The 1948 winner Star King was later exported to Australia and renamed Star Kingdom.

References

• Racing Post:
  • 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
  • 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
  • 2008, 2009

• galopp-sieger.de – Gimcrack Stakes.
• horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Gimcrack Stakes (2009).
• pedigreequery.com – Gimcrack Stakes – York.
• The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books. 1993. p. 156. ISBN 1-873626-15-0. 

See also

• Horseracing in Great Britain
• List of British flat horse races