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.

Grey Horse Handicap
Handicap race
LocationNewmarket Racecourse
Newmarket, England
Inaugurated2003
Race typeFlat / Thoroughbred
Race information
Distance6 furlongs (1,207 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackStraight
QualificationThree-years-old and up
WeightHandicap
Purse£20,367 (2022)
1st: £11,016

History

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The 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

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Most successful horse (2 wins):

  • Middleton Grey - 2004, 2005
  • Case Key – 2017, 2019

Leading jockey (2 wins):

  • Ted DurcanCompton's Eleven (2007), Syrian Pearl (2016)

Leading trainer (3 wins):

  • Tony Newcombe - Middleton Grey (2004, 2005), Witchry (2010)

Winners

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  • Weights given in stones and pounds.
Year Winner Age Weight Jockey Trainer SP Time
2003 Smart Predator 7 10-00 Keith Dalgleish John Quinn 1002.75 11/4 F
2004 Middleton Grey 6 9-01 Johnny Murtagh Tony Newcombe 1004 4/1
2005 Middleton Grey 7 8-12 Johnny Murtagh Tony Newcombe 1005 5/1
2006 Clearing Sky 5 8-00 Matthew Henry Jim Boyle 1050 50/1
2007 Compton's Eleven 6 9-10 Ted Durcan Mick Channon 1005 5/1
2008 Finsbury 5 8-00 Nicky Mackay Jim Goldie 1006.5 13/2
2009 Sarah's Art 6 8-07 Jim Crowley Stef Higgins 1008 8/1
2010 Witchry 8 7-12 David Probert Tony Newcombe 1005 5/1
2011 Time Medicean 5 8-09 Raul Da Silva Tony Carroll 1011 11/1
2012 Medici Time 7 9-04 Eddie Ahern Tim Easterby 1010 10/1
2013 Crew Cut 5 9-04 Robert Tart Jeremy Gask 1008 8/1
2014 Moonspring 3 8-07 Liam Jones Robert Cowell 1020 20/1
2015 George Bowen 3 9-06 Paddy Mathers Richard Fahey 1008 8/1
2016 Syrian Pearl 5 9-10 Ted Durcan Chris Wall 1006 6/1
2017 Case Key 4 9-01 Ben Curtis Michael Appleby 1008 8/1
2018 My Amigo 5 9-07 P. J. McDonald Marjorie Fife 1005 5/1
2019 Case Key 6 8-05 Jimmy Quinn Michael Appleby 1016 16/1
2020 My Style 4 8-05 Georgia Dobie Eve Johnson Houghton 1004 4/1 F
2021 Mitrosonfire 3 9-06 Stefano Cherchi William Muir and Chris Grassick 1002.5 5/2 F
2022 Strike 4 8-09 Rob Hornby Jonathan Portman 1002.75 11/4 JF 1:14.06
2023 Silver Samurai 6 10-00 Andrea Atzeni Marco Botti 1008.5 17/2 1:12.12
2024 Archduke Ferdinand 5 8-11 Alex Jary Seb Spencer 1010 10/1 1:11.16

References

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  1. ^ "Newmarket hosts "grey horse" race". Horse & Hound. 14 August 2003.
  2. ^ "Colourblind! Two non-greys gatecrash entries for Newmarket's Grey Horse Handicap". Racing Post. 11 August 2020.