York Racecourse

Gimcrack Dinner celebrates Showcasing and British racing

York Racecourse was proud to host the 239th Gimcrack Dinner on Tuesday December 8th. The occasion honoured Showcasing, the winner of the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes run at the Ebor Festival. By tradition the keynote address is given by the winning owner, and this year Lord Grimthorpe spoke on behalf of Prince Khalid bin Abdullah. The text of his speech is reproduced below.

Gimcrack Speech
8th December 2009

 "Mr President, My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen."

Prince Khalid has asked me to say how sorry he is not to be with you this evening and has asked me to thank the York Racecourse Board, very sadly now down to four members, and the Anciente Fraternite of Gimcracks for their generous entertainment tonight.

When Bel Bolide won the Gimcrack Stakes in 1980 I had not anticipated a near 30 year long gap in winning such a prestigious race again. Interestingly he was one of the first horses I sent to John Gosden to train in California. The seeds for the production of Showcasing had only just been sown when Humphrey Cottrill spoke that December. Showcasing's great great granddam Bag O'Tunes had just been bought in Keeneland the previous month. Oasis Dream's granddam Bahamian was to be bought at Tattersalls six years later. So there has been a great deal of patience and perseverance that brings us here tonight. That having been said I do realise that there are quicker routes to the winners enclosure, but none as satisfying.

The pedigree buffs amongst will not be surprised to find that if you go back ten generations in admittedly a less than straight line will you find Gimcrack himself.
• SHOWCASING
• Broodmare Sire ZAFONIC
• Sire GONE WEST
• Broodmare sire SECRETARIAT
• Sire BOLD RULER
• 3rd dam's Broodmare Sire SWEEP ON
• SWEEP ON's 10th DAM is HART'S MARIA
• HART'S MARIA is by CRAIG'S ALFRED
• CRAIG'S ALFRED's is a grand son of GIMCRACK

Families and their links are important, the Juddmonte broodmare band is the well from which my racehorses come and like all wells, I must seek to preserve its integrity and purity to produce the desired results on the racecourse.

Tradition is a strong platform to build upon and progress from. I do not propose to lecture you about British Racing as there are others better qualified than myself. I trust those in charge to safeguard the interests of all us involved in this great sport and look to them to lead a united and powerful front.

Therefore I come to praise British Racing rather than bury it. The finest racing in the world is to be found within these shores and this is the attraction that first drew me to set up my racing and breeding operations. In order to perpetuate the thoroughbred it must be tested and demonstrate ability at the highest levels over a variety of distances and in the purest of environments. This country affords those opportunities for horses to show quality and potency to excel.

2009 has not been a good year to own an averagely high class 3yo colt but it has been an outstanding year for British and European racing in throwing up a Champion in whom we can all delight. It was particularly gratifying that Sea the Stars won two Juddmonte sponsored races the Juddmonte Beresford and the Juddmonte International here on the Knavesmire.

If anyone is looking to maximise the joy of British Racing they need look no further than that thrilling day in August. Thousands of people straining to see the great horse before during and after the race. These scenes were repeating those at Newmarket, Epsom, Sandown, to be followed by similar at Leopardstown and culminating in a crescendo at Longchamp. These moments cannot be replicated every year but the dream, the emotion and the sheer raw beauty of the thoroughbred racehorse can be. This is something anyone can associate with. The technical details of the horse and trainers ice cool temperament coupled with his jockey's supreme confidence in piloting him can all be added to the celebration of an equine athlete at the height of his powers with few peers.

I would like to take this opportunity to praise the skill and hard work of John Gosden, Jimmy Fortune, his lad Tony Nelson and all the team at Clarehaven. I would also like to thank Irish Thoroughbred Marketing for their generous sponsorship. Especially in these difficult times the supporters of racing must be nurtured and encouraged and I am grateful for their fortitude.

It remains for me to congratulate York on the successful re-emergence of the racecourse from the mire with its innovative drainage and resurfacing programme. I would like to leave you with the words of Michael Seth-Smith the Editor of the British Racehorse magazine dated March 1980 "Better racing.... depends on three factors; well kept racecourses, well designed (and I would add well funded) races and prestige", sentiments to which I am sure York would aspire.

Thank-you, the British Turf for the welcome you have shown me and I would like to wish you all a happy and prosperous 2010.

 

 

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