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 Betfred Handicap Preview
This class two handicap is scheduled to take place in June of each year at the Epsom racecourse during the Derby Festival. The race is open to runners who are aged four or older and is contested over a distance of one mile and two furlongs.
Betfred Handicap Information:
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 Betfred Handicap market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2013 when the race had an over-round of 112%. The race in 2017 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 125%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Betfred Handicap, 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 Betfred 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 Betfred Handicap Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Betfred Handicap races over the last 20 renewals:
- Farraaj (2:04.35) in 2014
- Cadillac (2:05.51) in 2023
- Sky Defender (2:05.65) in 2020
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 Betfred Handicap next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -7.00. Ahead of the 2026 Betfred Handicap, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2016 renewal when Imshivalla from Richard Fahey under the guidance of Paul Hanagan, won in a time of 2:12.63, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Farraaj, trained by Roger Varian and ridden by Andrea Atzeni set the quickest time of 2:04.35 in the 2014 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Betfred Handicap Past Winners
Here are the Betfred 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 Betfred Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 2:08.38 | Ecureuil Secret (FR) 4yo 9-7 (11 of 13) 28/1 | Oisin Orr Richard Fahey (GB) |
| 2024 2:12.07 | Bolster (GB) 4yo 9-8 (3 of 13) 5/1 | Pierre-Louis Jamin K R Burke (GB) |
| 2023 2:05.51 | Cadillac (IRE) 5yo 9-11 (8 of 11) 12/1 | Kevin Stott George Boughey (GB) |
| 2022 2:07.16 | Royal Champion (IRE) 4yo 9-2 (1 of 14) 14/1 | Andrea Atzeni Roger Varian (GB) |
| 2021 2:12.46 | Blue Cup (FR) 5yo 8-12 (9 of 9) 9/2F | Oisin Murphy David Menuisier (GB) |
| 2020 2:05.65 | Sky Defender (GB) 4yo 9-5 (16 of 13) 22/1 | Joe Fanning Mark Johnston (GB) |
| 2019 2:06.08 | Mountain Angel (IRE) 5yo 9-4 (6 of 11) 11/4F | Andrea Atzeni Roger Varian (GB) |
| 2018 2:10.27 | Ajman King (IRE) 4yo 9-6 (9 of 11) 5/4F | Andrea Atzeni Roger Varian (GB) |
| 2017 2:06.96 | Not So Sleepy (GB) 5yo 9-8 (2 of 14) 10/1 | Adam Kirby Hughie Morrison (GB) |
| 2016 2:12.63 | Imshivalla (IRE) 5yo 8-6 (1 of 10) 25/1 | Paul Hanagan Richard Fahey (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Betfred Handicap have been based:
- GB: 19 winners with an additional 39 placings from 232 runners
- UAE: 1 winner with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 2 placings from 2 runners
- HK: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
Betfred Handicap Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Betfred Handicap over the last 20 renewals is Roger Varian, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Farraaj (2014), Ajman King (2018), Mountain Angel (2019) and Royal Champion (2022). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Betfred Handicap are Richard Fahey (2 wins) and Stuart Kittow (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Betfred 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Varian | 6-4-4 | +22.50 | +13.21 |
| Richard Fahey | 17-2-5 | +38.00 | +21.71 |
| Stuart Kittow | 4-2-2 | +12.00 | +6.40 |
| Andrew Balding | 12-1-3 | +5.00 | +4.13 |
| Ralph Beckett | 7-1-4 | -1.50 | +1.13 |
| David Menuisier | 4-1-2 | +1.50 | +0.76 |
| John Gosden | 4-1-2 | -0.75 | -0.59 |
| Hughie Morrison | 3-1-1 | +8.00 | +4.25 |
| K R Burke | 3-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.13 |
| Saeed bin Suroor | 3-1-2 | +1.50 | +1.60 |
Betfred Handicap Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Betfred Handicap over the last 20 renewals is Andrea Atzeni, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Farraaj (2014), Ajman King (2018), Mountain Angel (2019) and Royal Champion (2022). Two jockeys have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Betfred Handicap, Ryan Moore has ridden 11 runners to the race without recording any wins whilst Silvestre De Sousa has ridden 11 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Betfred 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrea Atzeni | 9-4-4 | +19.50 | +10.21 |
| William Buick | 8-1-1 | -4.75 | -5.59 |
| Oisin Murphy | 7-1-1 | -1.50 | -3.30 |
| Joe Fanning | 6-1-1 | +17.00 | +8.75 |
| Adam Kirby | 4-1-1 | +7.00 | +3.25 |
| Neil Callan | 4-1-1 | +3.00 | +0.60 |
| J F Egan | 3-1-1 | +38.00 | +23.00 |
| Frankie Dettori | 3-1-1 | +1.50 | +0.10 |
| Oisin Orr | 2-1-1 | +27.00 | +16.50 |
| Edward Greatrex | 2-1-2 | +15.00 | +11.10 |
2026 Betfred Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 2, 7, 1, 2, 6, 4, 1, 4, 10, (2, 12), 4, 5, 1, 1, 10, 1, 6, 2, 7, 8
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 (76%) - Off a break of 16 - 311 days
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Fewer than 2 placings (90 Days)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Held an OR of 86+
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Fewer than 4 races (90 Days)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Fewer than 5 placings (Class)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Furthest ran 1m2f - 1m5f
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 11/1 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Carried 119 - 136lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Fewer than 6 races (180 Days)
- 19 / 20 (80%) - Achieved an RPR of 93+ (Last 5)
- 19 / 20 (81%) - Held an OR of 87+ (Last 3)
- 18 / 20 (70%) - No bigger than 12/1 (Career Win)
- 18 / 20 (80%) - No bigger than 50/1 (Career)
- 18 / 20 (83%) - Achieved a TS of 81+ (Career)
- 18 / 20 (85%) - Placed within last 4 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Epsom racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Betfred 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 Betfred Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Betfred Handicap Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +84.75, is when runners had 1 start in the past 90 days.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners finished in 4th on debut, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-33.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 11 (6,1) [13 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 3 (11,8) [13 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 8 (2,5) [11 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 1 (3,13) [14 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 9 (6,11) [9 Runners]
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Betfred Handicap are York and Epsom; there have been a total of 4 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 18 winners from a total of 221 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 2 winners from a total of 16 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Betfred Handicap:
- Danehill Dancer (2 Wins)
- Galileo (2 Wins)
- Lope De Vega (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Betfred Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- High Chaparral (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Key Of Luck (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Montjeu (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Rock Of Gibraltar (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Sir Percy (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Chancellor in 2006, winning for Ernst Oertel at odds of 40/1 under the guidance of J F Egan. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 5 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Betfred Handicap, head over to see which other runners today are being backed by the best racing tipsters.
Route to the Betfred Handicap
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Betfred Handicap, these are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Ecureuil Secret Deauville - 3rd of 11 (3/1) | Prix Vulcain |
| 2024 - Bolster Pontefract - 1st of 9 (13/2) | Riu Hotels And Resorts Handicap |
| 2023 - Cadillac Newmarket (Rowley) - 15th of 17 (9/1) | Suffolk Stakes |
| 2022 - Royal Champion Doncaster - 4th of 4 (5/1) | SBK Doncaster Mile Stakes |
| 2021 - Blue Cup York - 7th of 12 (5/2) | Knights Solicitors Handicap |
| 2020 - Sky Defender Doncaster - 4th of 7 (7/1) | Heed Your Hunch At Betway Handicap |
| 2019 - Mountain Angel Epsom - 1st of 11 (7/2) | Investec City And Suburban Handicap |
| 2018 - Ajman King Epsom - 1st of 10 (9/4) | Investec City And Suburban Handicap |
| 2017 - Not So Sleepy York - 8th of 20 (16/1) | Knights Solicitors Handicap |
| 2016 - Imshivalla Ascot - 8th of 9 (14/1) | EBF Breeders Series Fillies Handicap |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Betfred 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 |
