It's a grey day for Predator

Smart Predator lit up a ‘grey day’ at Newmarket this afternoon when he won a historic race confined to grey horses.

The seven-year-old, trained by John Quinn at Malton, started the 11-4 favourite and carried top weight to victory in the SportingOdds.com Grey Horse Handicap.

Keith Dalgleish had Smart Predator up with the pace from the start in the six-furlong contest and took over at halfway before comfortably resisting the challenge of Cape St Vincent by two lengths.

The Gay Fox was three and a half lengths away in third.

Clerk of the course Michael Prosser, who was delighted that the race attracted 13 runners, said: “The atmosphere was unique and special. People were enjoying the occasion as they watched these grey horses walking round the parade ring.”

Pre-race star was one of the most talented greys of recent times, the 1990 Champion Hurdle winner Kribensis, who was a big attraction as he was led around the parade ring.

Now almost white, the 19-year-old is stabled with Sir Michael Stoute in Newmarket.

Prosser added that the track management would discuss whether to stage the race again in the future, and felt they “probably would”.