Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 18 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
2026 Knights Solicitors Handicap Preview
Scheduled to take place in May of each year at the York racecourse is this class two handicap which takes place during the Dante Festival.
Open to runners aged four or older, they compete over a distance of one mile, two and a half furlongs around this left-handed track.
Knights Solicitors Handicap Information:
- Knights Solicitors Handicap Past Winners
- Knights Solicitors Handicap Trainer Statistics
- Knights Solicitors Handicap Jockey Statistics
If you are interested in other predictions at York, then head over to the York tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information during the Dante Festival, head down to the Other Principal races during the York Dante Festival section for links to these. In addition to those, we also cover numerous races at York during the flat season, you can find links to those here.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Knights Solicitors Handicap market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2022 when the race had an over-round of 114%. The race in 2017 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 131%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Knights Solicitors Handicap, the over-round has been 120%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £120 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Knights Solicitors 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 Knights Solicitors Handicap Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Knights Solicitors Handicap races over the last 20 renewals:
- Im Imposing (2:07.41) in 2010
- Marhaba The Champ (2:08.06) in 2023
- Nayel (2:08.51) in 2016
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 Knights Solicitors Handicap next time out, then you would have backed a total of 5 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +0.50. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Knights Solicitors Handicap, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2005 renewal when Zero Tolerance from David Barron under the guidance of Jamie Spencer, won in a time of 2:17.01, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Im Imposing, trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Ryan Moore set the quickest time of 2:07.41 in the 2010 renewal.
Knights Solicitors Handicap Past Winners
Here are the Knights Solicitors 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 Knights Solicitors Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 (60k) 2:11.66 | Thunder Run (IRE) 4yo 9-12 (4 of 13) 5/1 | Clifford Lee K R Burke (GB) |
| 2024 (50k) 2:09.24 | Botanical (IRE) 4yo 9-8 (2 of 16) 5/2F | James Doyle Roger Varian (GB) |
| 2023 (35k) 2:08.06 | Marhaba The Champ (GB) 4yo 8-13 (4 of 13) 10/1 | William Buick Kevin Ryan (GB) |
| 2022 (35k) 2:09.65 | Bollin Joan (GB) 7yo 8-8 (2 of 10) 12/1 | Duran Fentiman Tim Easterby (GB) |
| 2021 (25k) 2:11.93 | Surrey Pride (IRE) 4yo 8-11 (6 of 12) 5/1 | James Doyle Joseph Tuite (GB) |
| 2019 (25k) 2:11.05 | UAE Prince (IRE) 6yo 9-6 (8 of 11) 15/8F | Andrea Atzeni Roger Varian (GB) |
| 2018 (30k) 2:09.18 | Thundering Blue (USA) 5yo 9-0 (3 of 11) 3/1F | Andrea Atzeni David Menuisier (GB) |
| 2017 (25k) 2:12.71 | Master Carpenter (IRE) 6yo 9-2 (5 of 20) 12/1 | Phillip Makin Rod Millman (GB) |
| 2016 (25k) 2:08.51 | Nayel (IRE) 4yo 8-4 (4 of 13) 12/1 | Tom Marquand (3lbs) Richard Hannon (GB) |
| 2015 (25k) 2:12.15 | Mahsoob (GB) 4yo 9-5 (18 of 18) 11/4F | Paul Hanagan John Gosden (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Knights Solicitors Handicap have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 46 placings from 279 runners
- AUS: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
Knights Solicitors Handicap Trainer Statistics
There are two leading trainers in the Knights Solicitors Handicap over the last 20 renewals, with both Saeed bin Suroor and Roger Varian, who have both won the race three times. Saeed bin Suroor winners have been with Emirates Skyline (2007), Folk Opera (2008) and Moonquake (2009). Roger Varian winners have been with Pekan Star (2011), UAE Prince (2019) and Botanical (2024). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Knights Solicitors Handicap is John Gosden (2 wins). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Knights Solicitors Handicap. Richard Fahey has sent a total of 21 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst David O'Meara has sent out 15 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Knights Solicitors 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saeed bin Suroor | 5-3-4 | +17.50 | +11.57 |
| Roger Varian | 4-3-3 | +9.88 | +5.75 |
| John Gosden | 6-2-3 | +5.25 | +2.84 |
| Tim Easterby | 16-1-1 | -3.00 | -7.80 |
| Michael Easterby | 10-1-1 | -2.00 | -4.62 |
| David Barron | 8-1-5 | +0.50 | +7.20 |
| Kevin Ryan | 7-1-2 | +4.00 | +1.25 |
| Sir Michael Stoute | 7-1-1 | -2.50 | -3.90 |
| Rod Millman | 4-1-1 | +9.00 | +4.50 |
| David Menuisier | 4-1-1 | +0.00 | -1.20 |
Knights Solicitors Handicap Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Knights Solicitors Handicap over the last 20 renewals is Frankie Dettori, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Emirates Skyline (2007), Folk Opera (2008) and Moonquake (2009). Other jockeys who have recorded multiple wins in the Knights Solicitors Handicap are William Buick (2 wins), James Doyle (2 wins) and Andrea Atzeni (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Knights Solicitors 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frankie Dettori | 6-3-4 | +16.50 | +10.57 |
| William Buick | 11-2-2 | +7.50 | +1.31 |
| James Doyle | 6-2-4 | +3.50 | +3.17 |
| Andrea Atzeni | 5-2-2 | +1.88 | -0.07 |
| Ryan Moore | 14-1-2 | -9.50 | -9.77 |
| Paul Mulrennan | 8-1-2 | +0.00 | -1.42 |
| Jamie Spencer | 7-1-3 | +1.50 | +3.44 |
| Neil Callan | 6-1-2 | +1.50 | +2.69 |
| Tom Marquand | 4-1-1 | +9.00 | +4.50 |
| Duran Fentiman | 4-1-1 | +9.00 | +4.20 |
2026 Knights Solicitors Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): (3, 9), 2, 1, (2, 5), (3, 5, 6), 4, 8, PU, 1, 5, 1, 8, 20, 1, 1, 7, 2, 10, 1, 2
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 (48%) - No bigger than 12/1
- 20 / 20 (52%) - Within the first 7 of the market
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Beaten no more -9½l (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Not on HY/FM/STD-SLW/STD (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Furthest ran 1m½f - 1m4f
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Furthest Placed 1m½f - 1m4f
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Won by at least a neck (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Carried 120 - 139lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Not in a LST/Cl2-3 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Highest Run is not G2-3
- 19 / 20 (75%) - No bigger than 14/1 (LTO)
- 18 / 20 (73%) - Placed within last 3 starts
- 18 / 20 (73%) - Achieved an RPR of 84+ (LTO)
- 18 / 20 (74%) - Achieved a TS of 57+ (Last Win)
- 18 / 20 (80%) - No bigger than 9/1 (Last Win)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the York racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Knights Solicitors 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 Knights Solicitors Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Knights Solicitors Handicap Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +7.50, is when runners ran in a race restricted to 3yo+ when last winning.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran on Standard ground when last winning, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-37.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 4 (6,13) [13 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 2 (1,13,6) [16 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 4 (6,2) [13 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 2 (5,1) [10 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 6 (2,12) [12 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Knights Solicitors Handicap is Doncaster; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Doncaster last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Newbury; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at Newbury last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 18 winners from a total of 266 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 2 winners from a total of 14 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Knights Solicitors Handicap:
- Galileo (2 Wins)
- Lope De Vega (2 Wins)
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the Knights Solicitors Handicap; that stallion is Cape Cross, who has failed to produce a winner from 6 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Master Carpenter in 2017, winning for Rod Millman at odds of 12/1 under the guidance of Phillip Makin. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 6 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Knights Solicitors Handicap, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Knights Solicitors Handicap
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Knights Solicitors Handicap, these are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Thunder Run Doncaster - 15th of 22 (11/2) | Lincoln Handicap |
| 2024 - Botanical Hamilton - 1st of 8 (11/10) | Hampton By Hilton Hamilton Park Handicap |
| 2023 - Marhaba The Champ Nottingham - 8th of 9 (5/2) | Watch Irish Racing On Racingtv Handicap |
| 2022 - Bollin Joan Hamilton - 10th of 14 (19/2) | Sky Bet Sunday Series Middle Distance Apprentice Handicap |
| 2021 - Surrey Pride Doncaster - 7th of 23 (7/1) | Betfair November Handicap |
| 2019 - UAE Prince York - 4th of 16 (7/2) | Autumn Mile Handicap |
| 2018 - Thundering Blue Epsom - 5th of 10 (7/1) | Investec City And Suburban Handicap |
| 2017 - Master Carpenter Newbury - 15th of 21 (14/1) | OLBG Spring Cup |
| 2016 - Nayel Windsor - 4th of 11 (5/1) | Phil Rendell Forty Tenth Birthday Handicap |
| 2015 - Mahsoob Newbury - 1st of 17 (3/1) | Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Handicap |
Other Principal races during the York Dante Festival
Remember to head over to the York predictions page to see which runner the racing tipsters are supporting in the Knights Solicitors Handicap. Below are the other principal races that we cover during the Dante Festival, with links to each race blog as well as information for last year's winners.
Wednesday at the Dante Festival
The highlight on Wednesday, the opening day of the Dante Festival, is the Group 2 Duke of York Stakes, a race contested over six furlongs with a prize fund of £150k.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Jorvik Stakes | Almoshher (GB) 4yo - 15/2 | K R Burke Clifford Lee |
| Churchill Tyres Handicap | Rousing Encore (IRE) 5yo - 22/1 | Ruth Carr James Sullivan |
| Duke of York Stakes | Inisherin (GB) 4yo - 11/8 | Kevin Ryan Ryan Moore |
| Musidora Stakes | Whirl (IRE) 3yo - 7/2 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
Thursday at the Dante Festival
Thursday's highlight is the Dante Stakes, a race that carries a prize fund of £180k is restricted to three-year-olds and run over an extended ten furlongs.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Lindum York Handicap | American Affair (GB) 5yo - 7/2 | Jim Goldie Paul Mulrennan |
| Hambleton Stakes | Old Cock (IRE) 4yo - 9/2 | Edward Bethell Callum Rodriguez |
| Middleton Stakes | See The Fire (GB) 4yo - 8/11 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
| Dante Stakes | Pride Of Arras (IRE) 3yo - 18/1 | Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan |
| Westow Stakes | Tropical Storm (GB) 3yo - 4/1 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
Friday at the Dante Festival
On Friday, the final day of the festival, the feature race, the Yorkshire Cup, which is part of the British Champion Series, is the highlight, with a prize fund of £180k the runners compete over a distance of one mile, five furlongs and 188 yards.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Marygate Fillies Stakes | Secret Hideaway (IRE) 2yo - 33/1 | Adrian Paul Keatley P J McDonald |
| Knights Solicitors Handicap | Thunder Run (IRE) 4yo - 5/1 | K R Burke Clifford Lee |
| Michael Seely Memorial Fillies Stakes | Kon Tiki (GB) 3yo - 11/2 | Jane Chapple-Hyam David Egan |
| Yorkshire Cup | Rebels Romance (IRE) 7yo - 11/10 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Knights Solicitors Handicap Preview are at hand, Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team 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.
Darren Brett
Tipster Competition Manager
Andy Powell
Content Editor
