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 Lester Piggott Handicap Preview
Run as the opening race on the second day of the Epsom Derby Festival in June of each year is this class two handicap is run over a distance of one mile and two furlongs, with the race being open to only three-year-old runners.
Lester Piggott Handicap Information:
- Lester Piggott Handicap Past Winners
- Lester Piggott Handicap Trainer Statistics
- Lester Piggott Handicap Jockey Statistics
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Epsom 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 at the Epsom Derby Festival section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Lester Piggott 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 101%. The race in 2009 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 129%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Lester Piggott Handicap, the over-round has been 118%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £118 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Lester Piggott 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 Lester Piggott Handicap Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Lester Piggott Handicap races over the last 20 renewals:
- Le Don De Vie (2:04.37) in 2019
- Stravagante (2:05.41) in 2015
- Drochaid (2:05.96) in 2017
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 Lester Piggott Handicap next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -6.50. Ahead of the 2026 Lester Piggott Handicap, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Le Don De Vie, trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by Martin Dwyer, who set the fastest winning time in the Lester Piggott Handicap. That runner won the race in a time of 2:04.37 in 2019. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Simon & Ed Crisford and jockey Jack Mitchell with War Hawk who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 2:15.26 in the 2025 renewal.
Lester Piggott Handicap Past Winners
Here are the Lester Piggott 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 Lester Piggott Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 2:15.26 | War Hawk (IRE) 3yo 9-4 (3 of 9) 9/2 | Jack Mitchell Simon & Ed Crisford (GB) |
| 2024 2:11.15 | Persica (IRE) 3yo 9-9 (11 of 12) 9/2 | Sean Levey Richard Hannon (GB) |
| 2023 2:07.21 | Torito (GB) 3yo 9-7 (4 of 13) 4/1 | Benoit De La Sayette John & Thady Gosden (GB) |
| 2022 2:07.88 | Swilcan Bridge (GB) 3yo 8-2 (12 of 13) 7/1 | Hayley Turner Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2021 2:09.73 | Solent Gateway (IRE) 3yo 8-5 (5 of 7) 28/1 | Hayley Turner Tom Dascombe (GB) |
| 2019 2:04.37 | Le Don De Vie (GB) 3yo 8-2 (4 of 9) 5/1 | Martin Dwyer Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2018 2:07.01 | Connect (GB) 3yo 9-3 (2 of 11) 12/1 | Adam Kirby Clive Cox (GB) |
| 2017 2:05.96 | Drochaid (GB) 3yo 8-8 (3 of 8) 11/2 | Oisin Murphy Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2016 2:10.21 | Gawdawpalin (IRE) 3yo 8-0 (14 of 15) 25/1 | Kieran O'Neill Sylvester Kirk (GB) |
| 2015 2:05.41 | Stravagante (IRE) 3yo 9-4 (11 of 13) 7/2 | Ryan Moore Sir Michael Stoute (GB) |
Lester Piggott Handicap Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Lester Piggott Handicap over the last 20 renewals, with Andrew Balding, Sir Michael Stoute, and Sylvester Kirk having all won the race three times. Andrew Balding winners have been with Drochaid (2017), Le Don De Vie (2019) and Swilcan Bridge (2022). Sir Michael Stoute winners have been with Stage Gift (2006), Conduit (2008) and Stravagante (2015). Sylvester Kirk winners have been with River Captain (2009), Charles Camoin (2011) and Gawdawpalin (2016). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Lester Piggott Handicap. William Haggas has sent a total of 11 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst John Gosden has sent out 11 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Lester Piggott 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Balding | 12-3-5 | +8.50 | +6.29 |
| Sir Michael Stoute | 10-3-5 | +0.38 | -0.65 |
| Sylvester Kirk | 8-3-4 | +46.00 | +28.13 |
| Richard Hannon | 7-1-3 | -1.50 | +0.31 |
| Tom Dascombe | 3-1-1 | +26.00 | +15.50 |
| Eve Johnson Houghton | 3-1-2 | +7.00 | +4.75 |
| William Muir | 3-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.00 |
| John & Thady Gosden | 2-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.50 |
| Jonathan Portman | 1-1-1 | +25.00 | +15.00 |
| Clive Cox | 1-1-1 | +12.00 | +7.20 |
Lester Piggott Handicap Jockey Statistics
There are two leading jockeys in the Lester Piggott Handicap over the last 20 renewals, with both Ryan Moore and Hayley Turner, who have both won the race two times. Ryan Moore winners have been with Conduit (2008) and Stravagante (2015). Hayley Turner winners have been with Solent Gateway (2021) and Swilcan Bridge (2022).
Here are some of the top Lester Piggott 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Moore | 8-2-3 | -1.12 | -2.11 |
| Hayley Turner | 4-2-3 | +33.00 | +23.68 |
| Oisin Murphy | 8-1-2 | -1.50 | -2.89 |
| Richard Kingscote | 5-1-1 | +21.00 | +11.00 |
| Tom Queally | 5-1-3 | +1.00 | +2.70 |
| Kieran O'Neill | 3-1-1 | +23.00 | +13.63 |
| Adam Kirby | 3-1-1 | +10.00 | +5.20 |
| Paul Mulrennan | 2-1-1 | +7.50 | +4.31 |
| Sean Levey | 2-1-1 | +3.50 | +1.81 |
| Liam Keniry | 1-1-1 | +10.00 | +6.00 |
2026 Lester Piggott Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 2, 1, 8, 1, 5, 3, 3, 2, 4, 3, 12, 4, 4, 4, 2, 4, 7, 6, 2, 4
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 (85%) - In a field of 8 - 20 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 28/1
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved a TS of 64+ (Last 5)
- 19 / 20 (85%) - Achieved an RPR of 81+ (Season)
- 19 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 12/1 (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (87%) - Break of 7 - 300 days (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (87%) - Furthest Won 7f - 1m2½f
- 19 / 20 (88%) - Achieved a TS of 66+ (Career)
- 19 / 20 (89%) - Not in a G3/Cl6 (Last Win)
- 18 / 20 (81%) - No bigger than 20/1 (Career Place)
- 17 / 20 (73%) - Won within last 3 starts
- 17 / 20 (82%) - Achieved a TS of 43+ (Last Win)
- 17 / 20 (82%) - No bigger than 12/1 (Career Win)
- 16 / 20 (62%) - Within the first 7 of the market
- 16 / 20 (71%) - Held an OR of 83+
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Epsom racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Lester Piggott 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 Lester Piggott Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Lester Piggott Handicap Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +37.88, is when runners had 1 career start over the trip.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 5 career starts in Flat (Turf) races, 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 3 (6,5) [9 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 11 (1,6) [12 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 4 (3,6) [13 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 12 (15,10) [13 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 5 (3) [7 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Lester Piggott Handicap is Newbury; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Newbury last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Sandown; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Sandown last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 222 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 10 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Lester Piggott Handicap; that stallion, Dansili, has produced 2 winners (2012,2010).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Lester Piggott Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- Cape Cross (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Dark Angel (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Singspiel (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Siyouni (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Solent Gateway in 2021, winning for Tom Dascombe at odds of 28/1 under the guidance of Hayley Turner. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 2 winning favourites in the race. Remember to use the best racing tipsters along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Lester Piggott Handicap.
Route to the Lester Piggott Handicap
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Lester Piggott Handicap, these are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - War Hawk Chester - 1st of 9 (3/1) | Going Is Good Handicap |
| 2024 - Persica Newbury - 4th of 13 (16/1) | London Gold Cup |
| 2023 - Torito Sandown - 2nd of 6 (7/2) | Darley British EBF Novice Stakes |
| 2022 - Swilcan Bridge Goodwood - 2nd of 9 (4/1) | Knights Hill Handicap |
| 2021 - Solent Gateway Chester - 9th of 11 (23/1) | nationalracehorseweek.uk Handicap |
| 2019 - Le Don De Vie Epsom - 1st of 6 (10/3) | Investec Wealth Novice Stakes |
| 2018 - Connect Newbury - 11th of 11 (25/1) | London Gold Cup |
| 2017 - Drochaid Chelmsford (AW) - 1st of 9 (5/1) | totepool Betting On All UK Racing Handicap |
| 2016 - Gawdawpalin Newbury - 10th of 15 (20/1) | London Gold Cup |
| 2015 - Stravagante Sandown - 3rd of 9 (4/1) | bet365 Handicap |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Lester Piggott Handicap Preview are at hand, Andy and James. 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.
James Banting
Tipster Competition Assistant
Andy Powell
Content Editor
Races Covered at the Epsom Derby Festival
Here is the 2026 schedule for the two-day Epsom Derby Festival, each race will be linked to the race blog, and details of last year's winner are in the table below.
Epsom Derby Festival races for Friday 5th June 2026
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Surrey Stakes | Formal (GB) 3yo - 9/4 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
| Woodcote Stakes | Maximized (GB) 2yo - 6/5 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| Coronation Cup | Jan Brueghel (IRE) 4yo - 100/30 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| Betfred Handicap | Ecureuil Secret (FR) 4yo - 28/1 | Richard Fahey Oisin Orr |
| Epsom Oaks | Minnie Hauk (IRE) 3yo - 9/2 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| Trustatrader Handicap | Mirsky (GB) 6yo - 9/4 | David O'Meara Oisin Murphy |
| Debenhams Handicap | Partisan Hero (IRE) 5yo - 7/2 | David Loughnane Silvestre De Sousa |
Epsom Derby Festival races for Saturday 6th June 2026
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Princess Elizabeth Stakes | Spiritual (IRE) 4yo - 9/1 | John & Thady Gosden Robert Havlin |
| Diomed Stakes | Persica (IRE) 4yo - 6/4 | Richard Hannon Ryan Moore |
| Epsom 3yo Dash | Stormy Impact (GB) 3yo - 7/1 | Richard Fahey Warren Fentiman |
| Epsom Dash | Jm Jungle (IRE) 5yo - 7/1 | John & Sean Quinn Jason Hart |
| Epsom Derby | Lambourn (IRE) 3yo - 13/2 | A P O'Brien Wayne Lordan |
| Northern Dancer Handicap | Small Fry (IRE) 4yo - 9/4 | Gary & Josh Moore Ashley Lewis |
| Lester Piggott Handicap | War Hawk (IRE) 3yo - 9/2 | Simon & Ed Crisford Jack Mitchell |
| JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap | Sondad (GB) 4yo - 12/1 | Michael & David Easterby Joanna Mason |
