European Free Handicap

The European Free Handicap is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres) on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket in mid-April.

European Free Handicap
Listed race
LocationRowley Mile
Newmarket, England
Race typeFlat / Thoroughbred
SponsorBet365
WebsiteNewmarket
Race information
Distance7f (1,408 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackStraight
QualificationThree-year-olds
WeightHandicap
Purse£50,000 (2019)
1st: £28,355
European Free Handicap
2019
Shine So Bright Space Traveller Azano

The handicap for the race is based on the European Thoroughbred Rankings, an assessment of the previous season's two-year-olds published in January.

History

Records point to the first running of the race being 1929. It was won by top weight Sir Cosmo carrying 9st. The event was formerly known as the Free Handicap. For a period it was backed by the Tote.[1] The word "European" was added to its title in 1981.[2]

The race can serve as a trial for various Classics in Europe. The last winner to achieve victory in the 2000 Guineas was Mystiko in 1991. The last participant to win the 1000 Guineas was Harayir, the runner-up in 1995.

The European Free Handicap is currently held on the first day of Newmarket's three-day Craven Meeting. It is run the day before the Craven Stakes.

Records

Leading jockey since 1968 (8 wins):

  • Pat Eddery – Charlie Bubbles (1974), Lyric Dance (1979), Danehill (1989), Anshan (1990), Pursuit of Love (1992), So Factual (1993), Cayman Kai (1996), Twilight Blues (2002)

Leading trainer since 1968 (5 wins):

  • Richard Hannon Sr. – Bluegrass Prince (1994), Cayman Kai (1996), Cape Town (2000), Kamakiri (2005), Pausanias (2011)

Winners since 1968
Year Winner Weight Jockey Trainer Time
1968 Panpiper 7-13 Ernie Johnson Ron Smyth
1969 Welsh Pageant 8-10 Sandy Barclay Noel Murless 1:29.10
1970 Shiny Tenth 8-03 Geoff Lewis Atty Corbett
1971 No Mercy 8-05 Brian Taylor Harvey Leader 1:27.85
1972 Panama Canal 7-11 Richard Marshall Bill Marshall
1973 Pitskelly 8-05 Bill Williamson Michael Jarvis
1974 Charlie Bubbles 8-03 Pat Eddery Peter Walwyn
1975 Green Belt 8-09 Eric Eldin Harry Wragg
1976 Man of Harlech 8-04 Ron Hutchinson John Dunlop
1977 Mrs McArdy 8-00 Taffy Thomas Mick Easterby
1978 Remainder Man 7-10 Michael Wigham Reg Hollinshead
1979 Lyric Dance 8-10 Pat Eddery Jeremy Tree
1980 Moorestyle 8-10 Lester Piggott Robert Armstrong
1981 Motavato 8-13 Steve Cauthen Barry Hills
1982 Match Winner 9-04 Lester Piggott Henry Cecil
1983 Boom Town Charlie 8-11 Tony Ives Bill O'Gorman
1984 Cutting Wind 8-08 Walter Swinburn Michael Hinchliffe
1985 Over the Ocean 8-11 Alain Lequeux Olivier Douieb
1986 Green Desert 9-07 Walter Swinburn Michael Stoute 1:32.36
1987 Noble Minstrel 9-07 Alain Badel Olivier Douieb 1:27.00
1988 Lapierre 9-01 Michael Roberts Clive Brittain 1:27.61
1989 Danehill 9-01 Pat Eddery Jeremy Tree 1:27.57
1990 Anshan 9-07 Pat Eddery John Gosden 1:24.07
1991 Mystiko 9-02 Michael Roberts Clive Brittain 1:25.72
1992 Pursuit of Love 9-01 Pat Eddery Henry Cecil 1:26.55
1993 So Factual 9-06 Pat Eddery Guy Harwood 1:26.23
1994 Bluegrass Prince 8-13 Frankie Dettori Richard Hannon Sr. 1:30.67
1995 Diffident 9-05 Michael Kinane André Fabre 1:22.93
1996 Cayman Kai 9-07 Pat Eddery Richard Hannon Sr. 1:22.98
1997 Hidden Meadow 9-03 Frankie Dettori Ian Balding 1:25.60
1998 Desert Prince 9-05 Olivier Peslier David Loder 1:31.39
1999 Bertolini 9-07 Frankie Dettori John Gosden 1:26.00
2000 Cape Town 9-02 Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Sr. 1:27.50
2001 Clearing 9-06 Richard Hughes John Gosden 1:29.37
2002 Twilight Blues 9-05 Pat Eddery Brian Meehan 1:24.88
2003 Indian Haven 9-01 John Egan Paul D'Arcy 1:27.01
2004 Brunel 8-13 Darryll Holland William Haggas 1:26.45
2005 Kamakiri 8-10 Ryan Moore Richard Hannon Sr. 1:24.51
2006 Misu Bond 8-13 Tony Culhane Bryan Smart 1:24.11
2007 Prime Defender 9-05 Michael Hills Barry Hills 1:23.36
2008 Stimulation 9-03 Steve Drowne Hughie Morrison 1:27.17
2009 Ouqba 8-09 Richard Hills Barry Hills 1:27.22
2010 Red Jazz 9-06 Michael Hills Barry Hills 1:26.55
2011 Pausanias 8-12 Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Sr. 1:24.06
2012 Telwaar 8-11 William Buick Peter Chapple-Hyam 1:28.03
2013 Garswood 9-00 Tony Hamilton Richard Fahey 1:24.84
2014 Shifting Power 9-01 Ryan Moore Richard Hannon Jr. 1:26.72
2015 Home of the Brave 8-13 James Doyle Hugo Palmer 1:22.22
2016 Ibn Malik 9-06 Paul Hanagan Charlie Hills 1:26.17
2017 Whitecliffsofdover 9-07 Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien 1:24.68
2018 Anna Nerium 8-13 Tom Marquand Richard Hannon Jr. 1:26.34
2019 Shine So Bright 9-07 Silvestre de Sousa Andrew Balding 1:24.68
no race 2020 [lower-alpha 1]
  1. The 2020 running was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom[3]

Earlier winners
  • 1929: Sir Cosmo
  • 1930: Quothquan
  • 1931:
  • 1932:
  • 1933:
  • 1934:
  • 1935: Knighted
  • 1936: Pay Up
  • 1937: Mid-Day Sun
  • 1938: Lapel
  • 1939: Solar Cloud
  • 1940: Salt Spring
  • 1941: Orthodox
  • 1942: No Race
  • 1943: No Race
  • 1944: Roadhouse
  • 1945: Grandmaster
  • 1946: Cama
  • 1947: Benedictine
  • 1948: Rear Admiral
  • 1949: Spy Legend
  • 1950: The Moke
  • 1951: Wilwyn
  • 1952: Caerlaverock
  • 1953: Good Brandy
  • 1954: Sun Festival
  • 1955: Counsel
  • 1956: Honeylight
  • 1957: Quorum
  • 1958: Faultless Speech
  • 1959: Petite Etoile
  • 1960: Running Blue
  • 1961: Erudite
  • 1962: Privy Councillor
  • 1963: Ros Rock
  • 1964: Port Merion
  • 1965: Short Commons
  • 1966: Kibenka
  • 1967: Supreme Sovereign

See also

References
  1. "1980 Tote Free Handicap". Glasgow Herald. 16 April 1980. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  2. "1981 Tote European Free Handicap". Glasgow Herald. 15 April 1981. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  3. "Coronavirus: Horse racing in Great Britain suspended until end of April". BBC Sport. 17 March 2020.
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