Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 18 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
2025 Gimcrack Stakes Preview
Established in 1846, the Gimcrack Stakes is a Group 2 race that takes place on the third day of the York Ebor Festival in August of each year. Open to two-year-old colts and geldings, the race is run over a trip of six furlongs.
The race is named after the horse Gimcrack who won 27 of his 36 career starts, surprisingly none of which were here at York!
Gimcrack Stakes Information:
Our dedicated York tips page will not only bring you predictions from the OLBG racing tipsters for the upcoming card that includes the Gimcrack Stakes but will also have predictions for each meeting at York throughout the season so be sure to head over there. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information, head down to the Other Principal Races at York Racecourse section for links to these.
How competitive is the Gimcrack Stakes market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2009 when the race had an over-round of 110%. The race in 2022 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 122%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Gimcrack Stakes, the over-round has been 117%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £117 which is bet.
Gimcrack Stakes Trends:
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? From the past 20 if you had followed the winner of the Gimcrack Stakes next time out then you would have backed a total of 4 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since to win at SP next time out, would have returned an LSP of +0.08. Before placing your bet on the 2025 Gimcrack Stakes see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Blue Point, trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick who set the fastest winning time in the Gimcrack Stakes, the runner won the race in a time of 1:09.00 when winning the race in 2016. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer James Fanshawe and jockey Jamie Spencer with Sir Gerry who set the slowest winning time, the race-winning time was 1:14.16 in the 2007 renewal.
These are the top three quickest-run Gimcrack Stakes over the last 20 renewals:
- Blue Point (1:09.00) in 2016
- Showcasing (1:09.28) in 2009
- Threat (1:09.62) in 2019
Gimcrack Stakes Past Winners
Here are the Gimcrack Stakes past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won along with the age & weight of the horse. Also detailed is the stall where the horse came from and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Gimcrack Stakes are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 1:10.78 | Cool Hoof Luke (GB) 2yo 9-2 (8 of 10) 8/1 | Oisin Murphy Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2023 1:09.91 | Lake Forest (GB) 2yo 9-2 (10 of 10) 16/1 | Tom Marquand William Haggas (GB) |
| 2022 1:10.51 | Noble Style (GB) 2yo 9-2 (12 of 12) 3/1 | William Buick Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2021 1:10.13 | Lusail (IRE) 2yo 9-3 (7 of 11) 7/2 | Pat Dobbs Richard Hannon (GB) |
| 2020 1:11.21 | Minzaal (IRE) 2yo 9-0 (4 of 9) 5/2F | Jim Crowley Owen Burrows (GB) |
| 2019 1:09.62 | Threat (IRE) 2yo 9-0 (6 of 12) 11/10F | Oisin Murphy Richard Hannon (GB) |
| 2018 1:10.79 | Emaraaty Ana (GB) 2yo 9-0 (6 of 9) 5/1 | Frankie Dettori Kevin Ryan (GB) |
| 2017 1:11.16 | Sands Of Mali (FR) 2yo 9-0 (4 of 10) 14/1 | Paul Hanagan Richard Fahey (GB) |
| 2016 1:09.00 | Blue Point (IRE) 2yo 9-0 (4 of 10) 11/8F | William Buick Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2015 1:10.84 | Ajaya (GB) 2yo 9-0 (9 of 8) 7/2 | Graham Gibbons William Haggas (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Gimcrack Stakes have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 34 placings from 180 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 4 placings from 9 runners
- USA: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
Gimcrack Stakes Trainer Statistics
There are two leading trainers in the Gimcrack Stakes over the last 20 renewals with both Kevin Ryan and William Haggas who have both won the race four times. Kevin Ryan winners have been with Amadeus Wolf (2005), Blaine (2012), Astaire (2013) and Emaraaty Ana (2018). William Haggas winners have been with Conquest I (2006), Approve (2010), Ajaya (2015) and Lake Forest (2023). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Gimcrack Stakes are Richard Hannon (2 wins) and Charlie Appleby (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Gimcrack Stakes trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Ryan | 23-4-8 | +4.00 | -0.29 |
| William Haggas | 12-4-7 | +24.00 | +16.11 |
| Richard Hannon | 7-2-2 | -0.40 | -2.24 |
| Charlie Appleby | 3-2-3 | +3.38 | +2.73 |
| Richard Fahey | 15-1-4 | +0.00 | +1.40 |
| Charles Hills | 6-1-1 | +2.00 | -0.80 |
| Andrew Balding | 5-1-3 | +4.00 | +2.47 |
| John Gosden | 3-1-2 | +0.00 | +1.15 |
| James Fanshawe | 1-1-1 | +4.00 | +2.40 |
| Owen Burrows | 1-1-1 | +2.50 | +1.50 |
Gimcrack Stakes Jockey Statistics
There are multiple leading jockeys in the Gimcrack Stakes over the last 20 renewals with Neil Callan, William Buick and Oisin Murphy having all won the race two times. Neil Callan winners have been with Amadeus Wolf (2005) and Astaire (2013). William Buick winners have been with Blue Point (2016) and Noble Style (2022). Oisin Murphy winners have been with Threat (2019) and Cool Hoof Luke (2024).
Here are some of the top Gimcrack Stakes jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neil Callan | 7-2-3 | +7.00 | +3.63 |
| William Buick | 7-2-5 | -0.62 | +0.85 |
| Oisin Murphy | 6-2-3 | +5.10 | +3.36 |
| Jamie Spencer | 9-1-2 | -4.00 | -3.70 |
| Frankie Dettori | 6-1-2 | +0.00 | -0.10 |
| Jim Crowley | 6-1-1 | -2.50 | -3.50 |
| Tom Marquand | 4-1-1 | +13.00 | +6.60 |
| Pat Dobbs | 2-1-1 | +2.50 | +1.10 |
| Ryan Moore | 8-0-4 | -8.00 | -3.93 |
| Daniel Tudhope | 8-0-1 | -8.00 | -7.05 |
2025 Gimcrack Stakes Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): (2, 10), 5, 3, 7, 1, 4, 2, 8, 3, 9, 7, 1, (2, 3, 6), 3, 1, 1, 7, 2, 6, 6
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (72%) - Highest Won is not G3/LST/Cl2
- 20 / 20 (75%) - No bigger than 16/1
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Off a break of 12 - 48 days
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Beaten no more -3½l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Within the first 8 of the market
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Not in a G1/G3 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Not on GS/STD-SLW (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - In a field of 4 - 13 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Highest Run is not G1/G3/Cl2
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Carried 126 - 136lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not in IRL/ITA/SCO/USA (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - In a field of 4 - 13 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved an RPR of 79+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Not BB/BG/BR/GR in colour
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved an RPR of 85+ (Non-Hcps)
Remember to use the trends listed above along with the York racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the Gimcrack Stakes. You may want to do your research into the race, there are times when there are several runners who pass the trends so you need to do your research to find a bet, we have a Horse Racing Form Reading Made Easy & What to Look For article to help you do just this in the OLBG Betting School section.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, It is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Gimcrack Stakes by adding a tip on the race here.
Gimcrack Stakes Trend Analysis
The trend factor which had produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +33.88 is when runners had 1 career win with the jockey. The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a Class 2 when last winning, when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-25.
Here are the most recent winning draws along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2024: Winner in 8 (9,7) [10 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 10 (9,2) [10 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 12 (9,6) [12 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 7 (4,1) [11 Runners]
- 2020: Winner in 4 (8,7) [9 Runners]
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Gimcrack Stakes are Goodwood and Newmarket (July), there has been a total number of 5 winners from each of those courses.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Gimcrack Stakes:
- Oasis Dream (3 Wins)
- Invincible Spirit (2 Wins)
- Mehmas (2 Wins)
- Shamardal (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Gimcrack Stakes despite multiple attempts:
- Kodiac (0 Wins from 11 runners)
- Acclamation (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Exceed And Excel (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Dark Angel (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Iffraaj (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Shaweel in 2008, winning for Mark Johnston at odds of 16/1 under the guidance of Greg Fairley. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals there have been 4 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Other Principal races during the York Ebor Festival
Remember to head over to the York predictions page to see which runner the racing tipsters support in the Gimcrack Stakes. Below are the other principal races that we cover during the Ebor Festival with links to each race blog and information for last year's winners.
Wednesday at the Ebor Festival
The highlight on the opening day of the Ebor Festival is the Juddmonte International, a Group 1 race with a purse of £1.25m which is part of the British Champion Series.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 York Symphony Group Handicap | Jm Jungle (IRE) 4yo - 10/1 | John & Sean Quinn Jason Hart |
| 14:25 York Acomb Stakes | The Lion In Winter (IRE) 2yo - 2/1 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 15:00 York Great Voltigeur Stakes | Los Angeles (IRE) 3yo - 5/4 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 15:35 York Juddmonte International Stakes | City Of Troy (USA) 3yo - 5/4 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 16:10 York York Ebor Festival Stayers Handicap | Extensio (IRE) 7yo - 14/1 | P F O'Donnell J M Sheridan |
Thursday at the Ebor Festival
The fillies and mares take centre stage on Thursday at the festival in the Yorkshire Oaks, another Group 1 which is part of the British Champion Series.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 York Lowther Stakes | Celandine (GB) 2yo - 13/2 | Ed Walker Tom Marquand |
| 14:25 York Premier Yearling Stakes | Diligently (GB) 2yo - 22/1 | Clive Cox Rossa Ryan |
| 15:00 York Clipper Handicap | Thunder Run (IRE) 3yo - 6/1 | K R Burke David Egan |
| 15:35 York Yorkshire Oaks | Content (IRE) 3yo - 3/1 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 16:10 York Galtres Stakes | Scenic (FR) 4yo - 8/1 | Ed Walker Oisin Murphy |
Friday at the Ebor Festival
The British Champion Series race for Friday at the Ebor Festival is the 500k Nunthrope over the sprint distance of five furlongs. The Lonsdale Cup is also part of the British Champion Series on Friday.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 York York Ebor Festival Sky Bet Handicap | Shadow Dance (GB) 4yo - 6/1 | Roger Varian James Doyle |
| 14:25 York Lonsdale Cup | Vauban (FR) 6yo - 11/2 | W P Mullins William Buick |
| 15:00 York Gimcrack Stakes | Cool Hoof Luke (GB) 2yo - 8/1 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
| 15:35 York Nunthorpe Stakes | Bradsell (GB) 4yo - 3/1 | Archie Watson Hollie Doyle |
Saturday at the Ebor Festival
The highlight on the final day of the Ebor Festival is the Ebor Handicap itself, a stamina testing class two handicap which carries a purse of 500k.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 York Strensall Stakes | See The Fire (GB) 3yo - 3/1 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
| 14:25 York Melrose Heritage Handicap | Tabletalk (IRE) 3yo - 12/1 | Tom Clover Rossa Ryan |
| 15:00 York City of York Stakes | Breege (GB) 4yo - 33/1 | John & Sean Quinn Colin Keane |
| 15:35 York Ebor Handicap | Magical Zoe (IRE) 6yo - 11/2 | Henry De Bromhead W J Lee |
| 16:45 York Roses Stakes | Tropical Storm (GB) 2yo - 5/2 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Gimcrack Stakes Preview are at hand, Andy and James. They both work on the Horse racing tips team team looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for Flat Racing.
James Banting
Tipster Competition Assistant
Andy Powell
Content Editor
Other Principal Races at York Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the York racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in May (Dante Festival)
- Churchill Tyres Handicap
- Duke of York Stakes
- Jorvik Stakes
- Musidora Stakes
- Dante Stakes
- Hambleton Stakes
- Lindum York Handicap
- Middleton Stakes
- Knights Solicitors Handicap
- Yorkshire Cup
