The Free Handicap

This is the first year without it, scrapped last year by the BHA.

Some thoughts / reminiscing here

https://community.betfair.com/horse_racing/go/thread/view/94102/31785733/rip-the-european-free-handicap

https://twitter.com/nickluck/status/1602994691167096832

I think the race had become an irrelevance!.. Much affection for it though, like others on here.

Forgot to add that much more important than the race itself was the "Free Handicap Weights" produced by Geoffrey Freer and others, this being effectively a rank ordered list of the previous seasons best 2 years old.  Remember waiting to see how Cawstons Pride would be ranked vs the big three colts of 1970.

Before we had official rankings and central handicapping, "free handicap" was a byword for a respected list of horse ratings which people would quote throughout the winter.  It was hardly commented on that there would be a race at Newmarket, in April, in which horses would actually run off these "weights".  There was a Northern Free Handicap too, and the premise of the Madrid Handicap in Ireland was the also same.  I think the appeal of this race was that people were quoting it's name for months on end...
I hate to see traditions dismissed so casually.

once considered a guin trial for top weights

thirsk guin trial
salisbury guin trial
tap on wood won former i seem to remember,

European Free Handicap Grand title for a sh1te race....Good riddance.

It was always a fascinating race acey, always a thoroughly enjoyable puzzle, except to imbeciles of course.

I agree, it was an interesting race and the meeting is all the poorer without it. There are plenty of other listed races that should have been cancelled before this one.

Honcho - it was a listed handicap that used to be vaguely important.

anyone no the last free handicap winner,runner to run in 2000 G, ?

Garswood?

cheers
was long before that when i remember a trainer saying /writing he was aiming his 2000 hope at free handicap

Remember Mystiko winning it & Harayir coming 2nd carrying top weight?
9-7.She won the 1000G.Both a good few years back though.

Shifting Power ran in the Guineas after winning the FH, and that was after Garswood.

1st time poster - do we assume you do not know the answer??

Started gambling underage and seem to recall Welsh Pageant winning the race for Noel Murless   

yes sorry blackbarn  i dont,was just interested as i remember it when high profile vande reading in sportinglife trainers targeting it with their 2000 g horses,
i remember mystiko

Honcho - it was a listed handicap that used to be vaguely important.== Any race at this time of year is as important as the horses in it. I was an opportunity for horses to run a trial over 7 if they needed/wanted to which I think is important. It added something to the Craven meeting and most who attended were interested in the race. If we are going to chop races just because they don't throw up a classic horse most years we won't have many left.

Honcho - I understand all that! My comment was following on from my previous posts on the subject of around 3.30 this afternoon.

Noted Blackbarn!

There was never a winner like this one...

1959
Free H'cap..... top weight.. Doug Smith
1000 Guineas
Oaks
Sussex Stakes
Yorkshire Oaks
Champion Stakes.

Doug Smith outfoxed Piggot by playing down how good she was in the Free H'cap to keep the ride in the Guineas... Piggot rode something else.

PETITE ETOILE>>>>ZARKAVA>ZARAK

Well done Adelaide. That's another thread you've got Zarak a mention!!