Gimcrack was a grey English Thoroughbred stallion of the 1760s, bred by Gideon Elliot and foaled in 1760. A compact horse at 14.2 hands, he was by Cripple out of Miss Elliot, a daughter of Grisewood's Partner. His pedigree also connected him to an exceptionally notable family: the netkeiba record lists Matchem among his siblings, placing Gimcrack within one of the most important early Thoroughbred lines.
On the racecourse, Gimcrack built the kind of long, durable career that made early turf champions famous. He raced across seven seasons and won 27 of his 36 starts, an outstanding strike rate for a horse campaigned so extensively. His last recorded victory came in 1771, underlining both his class and his staying power over time rather than a brief flash of brilliance.
His ownership changed during that career, passing from Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, to Sir Charles Bunbury, 6th Baronet, and later to Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor. Those names place him firmly in the world of elite 18th-century British racing, where leading aristocratic patrons shaped the sport. Even in such company, Gimcrack's record stands out as that of a horse who remained a high-class performer season after season.
After his racing days, Gimcrack entered stud. The supplied records are limited, but they do identify Medley, foaled in 1776, among his better-known progeny. Wikipedia notes that Gimcrack was alive after 1777, though the exact date of his death is not given in the evidence here.
Taken together, the surviving details present Gimcrack as more than a name from deep racing history. He was a proven winner, a durable campaigner, and a member of an influential Thoroughbred family, remembered as a real figure from the formative decades of the British turf.
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