On Tuesday 12 December, the Racecourse was proud to host the 247th Gimcrack Dinner. According to tradition, the event is addressed by the owner of the horse which wins the Gimcrack Stakes, a Group Two contest for two year-olds currently sponsored by Al Basti Equiworld at the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival in August. The race was first run in 1846.

In 2017, the toast to British Racing was made at the conclusion of a speech by the winning owner in the race, Peter Swann, part of the Cool Silk Partnership. Their colt, Sands of Mali, won this year’s Al Basti Equiworld Gimcrack Stakes. Trained in Malton, North Yorkshire by Richard Fahey, it was a first win in the race for a trainer who has been champion handler at York on eight different occasions. The winning jockey, Paul Hanagan, enjoyed a second success in the race (coming three years after Muhaarar), as the partnership recorded a start to finish victory at odds of 14/1.

The Response to the toast came from Ed Chamberlin, broadcaster and part of the ITV Racing team. The text for both these main speeches can be found by clicking here.

A final, more informal speech, was given by Roger Dakin.

The race, dinner, a dining room and latterly a stand at York are all named in honour of a star racehorse from the earliest days of the sport, Gimcrack. This grey colt was foaled in 1760 and though little more than a pony in stature, he won 27 of his 30 races during an eleven year career. Leading racing figures at the time such as Prime Minster, Lord Rockingham were so impressed with his battling qualities that they founded a racing club in his honour.