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2026 Blandford Stakes Preview
Taking place during the Irish Champions Festival at the Curragh Racecourse is the Blandford Stakes, a Group 2 that is restricted to fillies aged three or older and is contested over a distance of one mile and two furlongs.
The race was a favourite of the legendary trainer Vincent O'Brien, who won it a total of fifteen times between 1959 and 1992.
Blandford Stakes Information:
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Curragh tips on the day of the race. Do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist, or are they predicting other runners? You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Races Covered during the Irish Champions Festival section for links to these.
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How competitive is the Blandford Stakes market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2014 when the race had an over-round of 112%. The race in 2011 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 126%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Blandford Stakes, the over-round has been 119%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £119 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Blandford Stakes Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Blandford Stakes Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Blandford Stakes races over the last 20 renewals:
- Up (2:03.33) in 2012
- Belle De Crecy (2:04.75) in 2013
- Tarfasha (2:04.76) in 2014
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Blandford Stakes next time out, then you would have backed a total of 1 winner. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -9.00. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 2:03.33 was set by Up in 2012, which is the quickest time over that period. The runner was trained by A P O'Brien and ridden by Joseph O'Brien. The slowest winning time was set in 2009 when Chinese White won in a time of 2:17.35, booked to ride was Pat Smullen by trainer D K Weld.
Blandford Stakes Past Winners
Here are the Blandford Stakes' past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won, along with the age & weight of the horse. Also detailed is the stall where the horse came from and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Blandford Stakes are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 2:05.08 | Barnavara (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (5 of 11) 6/1 | Shane Foley Mrs John Harrington (IRE) |
| 2024 2:05.38 | Hanalia (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (3 of 9) 12/1 | Shane Foley J P Murtagh (IRE) |
| 2023 2:07.89 | Lumiere Rock (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (4 of 11) 6/1 | Dylan Browne McMonagle Joseph Patrick O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2022 2:12.29 | Above The Curve (USA) 3yo 9-5 (9 of 13) 5/1 | Ryan Moore Joseph Patrick O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2021 2:08.39 | La Petite Coco (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (1 of 8) 16/5 | W J Lee P Twomey (IRE) |
| 2020 2:09.18 | Cayenne Pepper (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (8 of 11) 3/1 | Shane Foley Mrs John Harrington (IRE) |
| 2019 2:09.41 | Tarnawa (IRE) 3yo 9-0 (7 of 8) 3/1 | Chris Hayes D K Weld (IRE) |
| 2018 2:07.50 | Eziyra (IRE) 4yo 9-5 (1 of 9) 11/8F | Declan McDonogh D K Weld (IRE) |
| 2017 2:12.84 | Shamreen (IRE) 4yo 9-6 (4 of 9) 9/1 | Pat Smullen D K Weld (IRE) |
| 2016 2:12.52 | Shamreen (IRE) 3yo 9-0 (1 of 5) 2/1 | Pat Smullen D K Weld (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Blandford Stakes have been based:
- IRE: 17 winners with an additional 32 placings from 151 runners
- GB: 3 winners with an additional 4 placings from 28 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
Blandford Stakes Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Blandford Stakes over the last 20 renewals is D K Weld, who has won the race six times, with those six winners coming from Chinese White (2009), Tarfasha (2014), Shamreen (2016 & 2017), Eziyra (2018) and Tarnawa (2019). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Blandford Stakes are Mrs John Harrington (2 wins), Joseph Patrick O'Brien (2 wins), Sir Michael Stoute (2 wins) and J P Murtagh (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Blandford Stakes trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| D K Weld | 17-6-9 | +6.58 | +7.66 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 15-2-6 | -4.00 | -2.55 |
| Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 13-2-4 | +0.00 | -2.15 |
| Sir Michael Stoute | 6-2-3 | +0.38 | -0.65 |
| J P Murtagh | 4-2-2 | +26.00 | +14.80 |
| A P O'Brien | 44-1-14 | -40.00 | -20.02 |
| P Twomey | 5-1-3 | -0.80 | -0.58 |
| James Fanshawe | 2-1-1 | +2.00 | +0.80 |
| G M Lyons | 6-0-2 | -6.00 | -4.16 |
| J S Bolger | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
Blandford Stakes Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Blandford Stakes over the last 20 renewals is Shane Foley, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Cayenne Pepper (2020), Hanalia (2024) and Barnavara (2025). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the Blandford Stakes is Ryan Moore (2 wins). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the Blandford Stakes; Seamie Heffernan has ridden 17 runners in the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Blandford Stakes jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Foley | 9-3-5 | +15.00 | +8.85 |
| Ryan Moore | 10-2-8 | +0.00 | +2.29 |
| Declan McDonogh | 15-1-4 | -12.62 | -6.77 |
| Chris Hayes | 9-1-3 | -5.00 | +0.30 |
| W J Lee | 6-1-2 | -1.80 | -2.38 |
| Dylan Browne McMonagle | 3-1-1 | +4.00 | +1.60 |
| N G McCullagh | 2-1-1 | +8.00 | +4.40 |
| Tom Queally | 2-1-2 | +2.00 | +1.42 |
| Jamie Spencer | 2-1-2 | +0.38 | +0.55 |
| Seamie Heffernan | 17-0-4 | -17.00 | -4.35 |
2026 Blandford Stakes Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, (1, 2), 1, 1, 1, 7, (1, 2), 2, 1, 3, 2, 4, 1, 2, 8, 2, 4, 2, 3, 3
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (68%) - No bigger than 16/1
- 20 / 20 (71%) - Within the first 6 of the market
- 20 / 20 (72%) - Achieved a TS of 72+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (73%) - Beaten no more -6¾l (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Achieved an RPR of 96+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Furthest ran 1m2f - 1m4f
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Had 3 - 11 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Achieved an RPR of 100+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Ran in 4 - 17 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Achieved an RPR of 92+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved a TS of 72+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - In a field of 5 - 12 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Carried 123 - 133lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Won within last 6 starts
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Ran over 1m1f - 1m4f (LTO)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Curragh racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Blandford Stakes. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Blandford Stakes by adding a tip on the race here.
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Blandford Stakes Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +27.05, is when runners had 2 career starts over further.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 4 starts in the past 90 days, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-27.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 5 (9,6) [11 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 3 (6,2) [9 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 4 (7,11) [11 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 9 (12,10) [13 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 1 (5,8) [8 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Blandford Stakes is Curragh; there have been a total of 8 winners of this race who ran at Curragh last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Cork; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Cork last time out.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Blandford Stakes:
- Dubawi (2 Wins)
- Teofilo (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Blandford Stakes despite multiple attempts:
- Danehill Dancer (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Sadlers Wells (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Gleneagles (0 Wins from 6 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Belle De Crecy in 2013, winning for J P Murtagh at odds of 16/1 under the guidance of Johnny Murtagh. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 8 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2026 Blandford Stakes, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the Blandford Stakes
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Blandford Stakes. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Barnavara Curragh - 3rd of 7 (9/2) | Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes |
| 2024 - Hanalia Curragh - 2nd of 7 (5/2) | Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes |
| 2023 - Lumiere Rock Deauville - 2nd of 5 (61/10) | Sumbe Prix Alec Head |
| 2022 - Above The Curve Longchamp - 1st of 6 (7/5) | St Marks Basilica Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary |
| 2021 - La Petite Coco Cork - 1st of 10 (2/1) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes |
| 2020 - Cayenne Pepper Cork - 2nd of 9 (11/10) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes |
| 2019 - Tarnawa Cork - 1st of 6 (7/2) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes |
| 2018 - Eziyra York - 3rd of 8 (8/1) | Yorkshire Oaks |
| 2017 - Shamreen Curragh - 1st of 5 (11/4) | Qatar Airways Royal Whip Stakes |
| 2016 - Shamreen Cork - 4th of 8 (5/1) | Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Give Thanks Stakes |
Other Principal races during the Irish Champions Festival
Saturday at the Irish Champions Festival
Leopardstown hosts the opening day of the Irish Champions Festival, the highlight of the day being the Irish Champions Stakes, a race dominated by Aidan O'Brien in recent years, with him winning six of the last seven renewals and having won the race a total of thirteen times.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Champions Juvenile Stakes | Benvenuto Cellini (IRE) 2yo - 1/2 | A P O'Brien Christophe Soumillon |
| Solonaway Stakes | Alakazi (FR) 3yo - 7/2 | J P Murtagh Ben Coen |
| Matron Stakes | Fallen Angel (GB) 4yo - 9/4 | K R Burke James Doyle |
| Irish Champion Stakes | Delacroix (IRE) 3yo - 2/1 | A P O'Brien Christophe Soumillon |
| Petingo Handicap | Happy Pharoah (IRE) 3yo - 9/1 | Donnacha Aidan O'Brien Paddy Harnett |
| Sovereign Path Handicap | Rahmi (IRE) 6yo - 14/1 | J P Murtagh Rory Mulligan |
Sunday at the Irish Champions Festival
The Sunday of the Irish Champions Festival is hosted at the Curragh with four Group 1 races, the highlight being the Irish St Leger. Aidan has not been as dominant in this, with just seven wins, two behind both Vincent O'Brien and Dermot Weld.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Bold Lad Sprint Handicap | Tango Flare (IRE) 6yo - 50/1 | Patrick T Foley Luke McAteer |
| Blandford Stakes | Barnavara (IRE) 3yo - 6/1 | Mrs John Harrington Shane Foley |
| Moyglare Stud Stakes | Precise (IRE) 2yo - 11/2 | A P O'Brien Ronan Whelan |
| Flying Five Stakes | Arizona Blaze (GB) 3yo - 11/2 | Adrian Murray David Egan |
| National Stakes | Zavateri (IRE) 2yo - 15/2 | Eve Johnson Houghton Charles Bishop |
| Irish St Leger | Al Riffa (FR) 5yo - 3/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Dylan Browne McMonagle |
| Northfields Handicap | Shaool (IRE) 4yo - 11/2 | J P Murtagh Ben Coen |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Blandford Stakes Preview are Andy and James. They both work on the Horse racing tips team, looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for Flat Racing.
James Banting
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Andy Powell
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