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2026 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Preview
This Premier Handicap takes place during the Irish Champions Festival at the Curragh Racecourse and is a sprint handicap. The race is open to runners who are aged three or older and is contested over the sprint distance of six furlongs.
Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Information:
- Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Past Winners
- Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Trainer Statistics
- Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Curragh tips page that will cover this race as well as all of the other races on the day of the race. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. 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.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2008 when the race had an over-round of 117%. The race in 2015 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 143%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap, the over-round has been 133%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £133 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap 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 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Bold Lad Sprint Handicap races over the last 20 renewals:
- Invincible Force (57.50) in 2007
- My Good Brother (58.50) in 2013
- Cape Of Approval (1:00.41) in 2012
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 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap 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 -14.50. Ahead of the 2026 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Invincible Force, trained by Paul Green and ridden by Fran Berry, who set the fastest winning time in the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap. That runner won the race in a time of 57.50 in 2007. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Edward Lynam and jockey Andrew Slattery with Dexter Belle who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 1:16.84 in the 2022 renewal.
Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Past Winners
Here are the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap 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 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 1:15.34 | Tango Flare (IRE) 6yo 9-1 (7 of 23) 50/1 | Luke McAteer Patrick T Foley (IRE) |
| 2024 1:10.93 | My Mate Alfie (IRE) 3yo 10-0 (20 of 25) 12/1 | Colin Keane G M Lyons (IRE) |
| 2023 1:15.33 | Big Gossey (IRE) 6yo 9-2 (23 of 22) 16/1 | Robert Whearty (5lbs) Charles O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2022 1:16.84 | Dexter Belle (IRE) 4yo 8-7 (9 of 20) 50/1 | Andrew Slattery Edward Lynam (IRE) |
| 2021 1:12.68 | Big Gossey (IRE) 4yo 8-11 (5 of 22) 33/1 | Michael Hussey Charles O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2020 1:13.97 | Mr Lupton (IRE) 7yo 9-9 (6 of 22) 11/2F | Colin Keane Richard Fahey (GB) |
| 2019 1:10.68 | Buffer Zone (GB) 4yo 9-6 (6 of 24) 11/2F | Colin Keane G M Lyons (IRE) |
| 2018 1:12.37 | Soffia (GB) 3yo 8-1 (9 of 26) 20/1 | Danny Sheehy (5lbs) Edward Lynam (IRE) |
| 2017 1:14.38 | Ice Age (IRE) 4yo 9-6 (19 of 22) 15/2 | Charles Bishop Eve Johnson Houghton (GB) |
| 2016 1:16.32 | New Bidder (GB) 5yo 9-4 (2 of 17) 22/1 | Graham Gibbons David Barron (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap have been based:
- IRE: 14 winners with an additional 37 placings from 297 runners
- GB: 6 winners with an additional 15 placings from 61 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap over the last 20 renewals is Edward Lynam, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Good To Follow (2010), Soffia (2018) and Dexter Belle (2022). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap are G M Lyons (2 wins), T G McCourt (2 wins), Richard Fahey (2 wins) and Charles O'Brien (2 wins). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap. Adrian McGuinness (0-17), M Halford (0-11) and W McCreery (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top Bold Lad Sprint Handicap 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Lynam | 25-3-4 | +51.33 | +26.33 |
| G M Lyons | 13-2-3 | +6.50 | +1.04 |
| T G McCourt | 11-2-3 | +4.00 | +0.95 |
| Richard Fahey | 10-2-4 | +5.50 | +4.94 |
| Charles O'Brien | 7-2-3 | +44.00 | +28.88 |
| David O'Meara | 12-1-6 | -6.00 | +1.06 |
| David Barron | 5-1-1 | +18.00 | +9.75 |
| Patrick T Foley | 4-1-2 | +47.00 | +33.75 |
| Eve Johnson Houghton | 2-1-1 | +6.50 | +3.69 |
| P F O'Donnell | 1-1-1 | +12.00 | +7.50 |
Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap over the last 20 renewals is Colin Keane, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from My Good Brother (2013), Buffer Zone (2019), Mr Lupton (2020) and My Mate Alfie (2024). Multiple jockeys have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap, Chris Hayes (0-19), N G McCullagh (0-14), Leigh Roche (0-12), W J Lee (0-10) and Shane Foley (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite having multiple rides in the race.
Here are some of the top Bold Lad Sprint Handicap 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Keane | 11-4-6 | +22.00 | +15.51 |
| Wayne Lordan | 12-1-3 | -7.00 | -4.65 |
| Andrew Slattery | 5-1-1 | +46.00 | +27.25 |
| Jamie Spencer | 5-1-2 | +4.00 | +2.10 |
| Daniel Tudhope | 5-1-4 | +1.00 | +3.68 |
| Michael Hussey | 4-1-2 | +30.00 | +18.58 |
| Danny Sheehy | 4-1-1 | +17.00 | +9.50 |
| Robert Whearty | 3-1-2 | +14.00 | +11.25 |
| Charles Bishop | 2-1-1 | +6.50 | +3.69 |
| Luke McAteer | 1-1-1 | +50.00 | +31.25 |
2026 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 11, 10, 2, 1, 1, 7, 1, 6, 1, (1, 5, 22), 2, 10, 11, (1, 2), 1, 17, 5, 8, (2, 9), 5
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 (82%) - Furthest ran 6½f - 1m2f
- 20 / 20 (82%) - No bigger than 10/1 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Had 1 - 11 placings (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Fewer than 5 wins (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Ran in 1 - 35 races (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Ran in 6 - 48 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Achieved a TS of 67+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Carried 121 - 140lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Fewer than 3 wins (Further)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Achieved a TS of 72+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Sex is not Colt/Horse/Mare
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Held an OR of 76+ (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Furthest Placed 6f - 1m
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Had 2 - 18 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Fewer than 13 placings (Hcps)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Curragh racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap. 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 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
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Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +89.00, is when runners had a furthest trip won of 6f.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had a furthest trip run of 6f, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-46.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 7 (11,12,6) [23 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 20 (12,13,17) [25 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 23 (3,16,12) [22 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 9 (7,8,14) [20 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 5 (26,6,2) [22 Runners]
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap are Cork and Curragh; there have been a total of 5 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 16 winners from a total of 272 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 4 winners from a total of 87 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap:
- Dark Angel (2 Wins)
- Gutaifan (2 Wins)
- Kyllachy (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- Acclamation (0 Wins from 15 runners)
- Dandy Man (0 Wins from 11 runners)
- Kodiac (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Zebedee (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Choisir (0 Wins from 9 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Dexter Belle in 2022, winning for Edward Lynam at odds of 50/1 under the guidance of Andrew Slattery. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 7 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2026 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Tango Flare Cork - 7th of 7 (50/1) | NFP Irish EBF Platinum Stakes |
| 2024 - My Mate Alfie Curragh - 3rd of 11 (14/1) | FBD Hotels And Resorts Heritage Hotel Phoenix Sprint Stakes |
| 2023 - Big Gossey Curragh - 3rd of 13 (5/1) | Bord Na Mona Recycling Handicap |
| 2022 - Dexter Belle Curragh - 8th of 10 (16/1) | Dubai Duty Free Summer Fillies Handicap |
| 2021 - Big Gossey Curragh - 7th of 16 (11/1) | TRI Equestrian Handicap |
| 2020 - Mr Lupton Ripon - 3rd of 19 (20/1) | Great St Wilfrid Stakes |
| 2019 - Buffer Zone Curragh - 5th of 9 (7/2) | Qatar Racing And Equestrian Club Phoenix Sprint Stakes |
| 2018 - Soffia Cork - 2nd of 11 (13/2) | Irish EBF Supporting Irish Champions Weekend Fillies Handicap |
| 2017 - Ice Age Windsor - 1st of 15 (7/1) | Sky Bet Windsor Sprint Series Finale Handicap |
| 2016 - New Bidder Doncaster - 12th of 15 (9/1) | Betfred "Follow Us On Twitter" Handicap |
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 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap 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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