The Grey Horse Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to grey horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres) on the July course at Newmarket in August.
| Handicap race | |
| Location | Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket, England |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 2003 |
| Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 6 furlongs (1,207 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Straight |
| Qualification | Three-years-old and up |
| Weight | Handicap |
| Purse | £20,367 (2022) 1st: £11,016 |
History
editThe race was inaugurated in 2003 after Newmarket Racecourse director Peter Jensen saw a similar race at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia. The race is the only race exclusively for grey horses in Great Britain.[1] There was controversy in 2020 when two bay horses were entered for the race despite not meeting the requirement to be a grey horse. Their ineligibility was discovered at the five day entry stage.[2]
Records
editMost successful horse (2 wins):
- Middleton Grey - 2004, 2005
- Case Key – 2017, 2019
Leading jockey (2 wins):
- Ted Durcan – Compton's Eleven (2007), Syrian Pearl (2016)
Leading trainer (3 wins):
- Tony Newcombe - Middleton Grey (2004, 2005), Witchry (2010)
Winners
edit- Weights given in stones and pounds.
| Year | Winner | Age | Weight | Jockey | Trainer | SP | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Smart Predator | 7 | 10-00 | Keith Dalgleish | John Quinn | 11/4 F | |
| 2004 | Middleton Grey | 6 | 9-01 | Johnny Murtagh | Tony Newcombe | 4/1 | |
| 2005 | Middleton Grey | 7 | 8-12 | Johnny Murtagh | Tony Newcombe | 5/1 | |
| 2006 | Clearing Sky | 5 | 8-00 | Matthew Henry | Jim Boyle | 50/1 | |
| 2007 | Compton's Eleven | 6 | 9-10 | Ted Durcan | Mick Channon | 5/1 | |
| 2008 | Finsbury | 5 | 8-00 | Nicky Mackay | Jim Goldie | 13/2 | |
| 2009 | Sarah's Art | 6 | 8-07 | Jim Crowley | Stef Higgins | 8/1 | |
| 2010 | Witchry | 8 | 7-12 | David Probert | Tony Newcombe | 5/1 | |
| 2011 | Time Medicean | 5 | 8-09 | Raul Da Silva | Tony Carroll | 11/1 | |
| 2012 | Medici Time | 7 | 9-04 | Eddie Ahern | Tim Easterby | 10/1 | |
| 2013 | Crew Cut | 5 | 9-04 | Robert Tart | Jeremy Gask | 8/1 | |
| 2014 | Moonspring | 3 | 8-07 | Liam Jones | Robert Cowell | 20/1 | |
| 2015 | George Bowen | 3 | 9-06 | Paddy Mathers | Richard Fahey | 8/1 | |
| 2016 | Syrian Pearl | 5 | 9-10 | Ted Durcan | Chris Wall | 6/1 | |
| 2017 | Case Key | 4 | 9-01 | Ben Curtis | Michael Appleby | 8/1 | |
| 2018 | My Amigo | 5 | 9-07 | P. J. McDonald | Marjorie Fife | 5/1 | |
| 2019 | Case Key | 6 | 8-05 | Jimmy Quinn | Michael Appleby | 16/1 | |
| 2020 | My Style | 4 | 8-05 | Georgia Dobie | Eve Johnson Houghton | 4/1 F | |
| 2021 | Mitrosonfire | 3 | 9-06 | Stefano Cherchi | William Muir and Chris Grassick | 5/2 F | |
| 2022 | Strike | 4 | 8-09 | Rob Hornby | Jonathan Portman | 11/4 JF | 1:14.06 |
| 2023 | Silver Samurai | 6 | 10-00 | Andrea Atzeni | Marco Botti | 17/2 | 1:12.12 |
| 2024 | Archduke Ferdinand | 5 | 8-11 | Alex Jary | Seb Spencer | 10/1 | 1:11.16 |
References
edit- ^ "Newmarket hosts "grey horse" race". Horse & Hound. 14 August 2003.
- ^ "Colourblind! Two non-greys gatecrash entries for Newmarket's Grey Horse Handicap". Racing Post. 11 August 2020.