Dakota Gold gave owner Doug Graham some great times on the Knavesmire

Nic Doggett examines the York test facing Gimcrack Stakes hopeful Arapaho Gold

Horse Racing

Wed August 12, 2026 · 1w ago

Nic Doggett looks at the unique challenges facing those behind leading Gimcrack Stakes contender Arapaho Gold - including after the race is over.

The tradition that sees the owner of the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes winner give the opening speech at the annual Gimcrack Dinner held at the racecourse the following December is one that would make even the most experienced orator feel a bead of sweat on their forehead.

However, last year's speaker, Martin Tedham, owner of the winner, Lifeplan, trained by Declan Carroll, kept the audience's attention with a combination of humour and poignance as he relayed the story of how his family came to own the Group 2 winner at a time when his brother Albert was struggling with ill health.

Sadly, Carroll doesn't have a runner this year at a course where his earnings from two-year-old races now far outweighs his 9% strike-rate, but there is still some hope for the small(er) owners and trainers as they seek to win a race that has generally been won by some of the more well-heeled since The Cool Silk Partnership's Sands Of Mali won the 2017 renewal for Richard Fahey.

It's been a messy affair since Sands Of Mali went to stud, but the Sandy Lane and British Champions Sprint Stakes winner has sired some sharp sorts, including Time For Sandals, who was beaten only a neck by Celandine in the Lowther here in 2024.

Sands Of Mali doesn't have a representative this year, but another Gimcrack winner – the 2020 hero Minzaal – does, though it would be some turnup for the books if the maiden Kamaal manages to break his duck; his best effort so far is a never-nearer 10th in the Coventry.

At a similar price, the 2016 winner Blue Point has Blue Pete flying the flag for smaller owners, but there’s been little reason to wave it in two low-key starts to date.

However, at the other end of the betting/scale of ownership models, the same sire's Inner City Blues has much more obvious claims for Godolphin. "He's getting stronger by the week now," said his trainer Charlie Appleby following his July Stakes win, and that also applies to the horse's form following that comprehensive defeat of subsequent Richmond runner-up Adaay Of Scarlett.

Flann Sunna, who was behind Adaay Of Scarlett in the Richmond but should have learned plenty from that first foray into group company, is another Blue Point of note.

Inner City Blues comes over a lengths clear on the July Course

Perhaps surprisingly, there is one horse ahead of Inner City Blues and stablemate Nabati - who was a head in front of Tawakal at Newmarket recently – in the betting: the Michael Dods-trained, and Doug Graham and Carole Dods-owned Arapaho Gold.

The Bayside Boy colt is unbeaten in three starts, backing up straightforward wins at Thirsk with a battling defeat of Nabati at Newbury.

Though his sire won the Champagne Stakes at two, his subsequent placed efforts in the Dewhurst and Futurity Trophy suggested that his future lay over a mile, and that proved to be the case as he rounded off his campaign when responding well to blinkers, landing a listed race at Sandown and the QEII at Ascot.

Clearly, Arapaho Gold gets more pace from his dam Call Of The Jungle, a winner over five furlongs at the Curragh and daughter of the speed influence Bungle Inthejungle.

Though he's won the Nunthorpe (twice, with Mecca's Angel in both 2015 and 2016), the Gimcrack has so far been out of reach for Dods. But it's become something of a dream for Arapaho Gold's part owner Doug Graham, who was lucky enough to also own the recently-retired Dakota Gold.

At Newbury, Graham told Sky Sports Racing: "I always wanted a horse good enough to run at York and Dakota Gold won there six times, so that was just out of this world. I thought I'd got a horse in a million at our level of racing.

"Then Commanche Falls came along and I thought I'd pack in racing while I was at the top. Then this guy comes along. Today was a big test for him and he's passed it with flying colours. We didn't really know what to expect, but I'm just living the dream."

Chantilly-based trainer Amy Murphy

While Graham and the Dods family might be dreaming of Gimcrack glory, connections of the Amy Murphy-trained sprinter Tokaido are set to take a different approach.

Daniel Macauliffe and Anoj Don have invested significantly in regenerating Killala House Stables in County Mayo, but have been doing most of their winning on the racecourse in France with Murphy.

Their exciting Prix Robert Papin winner Tokaido has a Gimcrack entry but is set to run in the Harry's Half Million By Goffs 24 hours earlier.

Immediately loved by Murphy according to Don - "the best horse they've ever bought us" - Tokaido's race plan has been carefully mapped out and the superior first prize (by nearly £110,000) of the sales race makes more appeal ahead of a desired winter trip to the Breeders' Cup.

Tokaido's absence may be bad news for the Gimcrack but it's good news for Dods and co, and, if lifting the trophy on Friday, Graham could always take some inspiration from the blog 'penned' by yard favourite Barney McGrew - a winner at this meeting in 2009 - on the stable's website.

Whether those in attendance at the Gimcrack Dinner would appreciate the turn of phrase used by Barney to describe Arapaho Gold - "like sh*t off a shovel" - remains to be seen; let's just hope that things pan out better for whoever picks up the mic than then-chair of the BHA Lord Allen who also spoke in December.

“Change needs to happen at the top,” he said.

Less than three months later, he resigned.

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