York - The Big Two-Year-Olds' Races by Elliot Slater

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Racing at York has a wonderfully diverse character with opportunities for many different types of horse but it is the two-year olds that we rely on every year to keep refreshing the talent pool and bring us new stars to look forward to.

The two-year old races at York like the majority of the races at the track are of a competitive and demanding nature with the biggest of these run at the Ebor Meeting - the Lowther, Gimcrack and Acomb making up that triumvirate.

Of that threesome the Acomb is the lowest in the pecking order having only recently attained Group 3 status. Run over 7F and open to all two-year-olds it is generally run on the opening day of the meeting, the Brian Meehan stable have taken two out of the last three runnings of the race with Fast Company and Waiter's Dream.

We can't say that any superstars have come out of the event so far but the winners usually run to a decent level of form in the following year and anyone following the York races betting should remember this.

The other two main two-year old races both have Group 2 status with the Lowther being for fillies and the Gimcrack for colts and geldings, both are run over 6F. The Lowther is one of the top races in the pattern for fillies and many of the participants will be using this race as a test to see if they can be combative in the Cheveley Park at Newmarket or later as three-year olds in the 1000 Guineas.

The event was established in 1946 and is named in memory of Hugh Lowther, the 5th Earl Of Lonsdale, top trainers Sir Michael Stoute, Richard Hannon and Mick Channon have all saddled four winners of the event and it is the last named of those who has the best recent record winning three of the last ten runnings of the event.

The "boys" get their chance over the 6F in the Gimcrack, the anomaly of this race is that although it is named after a hugely successful racehorse (won 27/36 races) he never actually won at York. Established in 1846 the race was restricted to colts and geldings in 1987.

No one trainer has dominated the scene in recent years although Willie Haggas has taken two of the last five races. Not only does the winning owner get the kudos of winning this race along with the prize money and trophy but he or she also gets to make a speech at the Gimcrack Club dinner which is held at York in December.

An exciting season of two-year old racing awaits us on the Knavesmire in 2011.

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