You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
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.
For sponsorship purposes, the 2026 renewal of the Betfred Handicap will hold the title of 'Betfred Nifty 50 Handicap'.
Betfred Handicap Information:
Why not use the trends shortlist below to help you narrow down the field and then head over to the dedicated Epsom tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG expert racing tipsters to find yourself a bet? 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 2026
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. With the field now finalised, we have the Betfred Handicap Trend Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
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 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -8.00. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Betfred Handicap.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 2:04.35 was set by Farraaj in 2014, trained by Roger Varian and ridden by Andrea Atzeni, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2016 when Imshivalla won in a time of 2:12.63 for trainer Richard Fahey, who booked Paul Hanagan in the saddle.
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 race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. Also detailed is the stall from which the horse came 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).
Here are the Betfred Handicap trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (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 |
| Andrew Balding | 12-1-3 | +5.00 | +4.13 |
| K R Burke | 3-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.13 |
| Michael Bell | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
| David O'Meara | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -0.25 |
| Ian Williams | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| James Tate | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +0.75 |
| H Al Jehani | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| David Evans | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
Betfred Handicap Jockey Statistics
There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the Betfred Handicap; Silvestre De Sousa has ridden 11 runners in the race without recording any wins.
Here are the Betfred Handicap jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2026 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oisin Murphy (Respond) | 7-1-1 | -1.50 | -3.30 |
| Edward Greatrex (Dhahabi) | 2-1-2 | +15.00 | +11.10 |
| Pierre-Louis Jamin (Bolster) | 1-1-1 | +5.00 | +3.13 |
| Silvestre De Sousa (Ammes) | 11-0-1 | -11.00 | -9.62 |
| David Probert (Lets Dream) | 7-0-2 | -7.00 | -1.87 |
| James Doyle (Quai De Bethune) | 5-0-0 | -5.00 | -5.00 |
| David Egan (Tycoon) | 3-0-2 | -3.00 | +2.10 |
| Rossa Ryan (Great David) | 1-0-1 | -1.00 | +1.75 |
| Kieran Shoemark (Auld Toon Loon) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
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 proportion 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 (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)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Ran over 1m - 1m4f (Last Win)
- 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 (87%) - Carried no more than 134lbs
- 17 / 20 (69%) - Won within last 6 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 Shortlist
Epsom will host the 2026 renewal of the Betfred Handicap, which will be run at 3:15 pm on Friday, 5th June 2026, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer, jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 Great David (40/1)
- James Tate (1-0-1 -1.00 / +0.75)
- Rossa Ryan (1-0-1 -1.00 / +1.75)
- 15/15 Hand Of God (17/2)
- Harry Charlton (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
- Lewis Edmunds (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
Others: Tycoon (14/15), Sallaal (14/15), Have Secret (14/15), Bolster (13/15), Lets Dream (13/15), Liberty Lane (13/15), Quai De Bethune (13/15), Respond (13/15), Alpha Crucis (12/15), Ammes (12/15), Kings Code (11/15), Auld Toon Loon (11/15), Dhahabi (10/15), Spoken Truth (10/15) and Beylerbeyi (10/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (1:15 pm Wednesday 3rd June 2026), if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Quai De Bethune won the Golden Gates Stakes last time out, and a total of 0 previous winners of that race from a total of 5 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of -5.00.
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 male runners having produced a total of 18 winners from a total of 221 runners, while 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 runners the best racing tipsters are tipping today.
Route to the Betfred Handicap
Many trainers target races as preparation for 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) | Macmillan Charity 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) | Macmillan Charity Handicap |
| 2016 - Imshivalla Ascot - 8th of 9 (14/1) | EBF Breeders Series Fillies Handicap |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this Betfred Handicap Preview are Andy and James. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for Flat racing.
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Epsom 3yo Dash | Stormy Impact (GB) 3yo - 7/1 | Richard Fahey Warren Fentiman |
| Woodcote Stakes | Maximized (GB) 2yo - 6/5 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| Diomed Stakes | Persica (IRE) 4yo - 6/4 | Richard Hannon 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 |
| HKJC World Pool Handicap | Mirsky (GB) 6yo - 9/4 | David O'Meara Oisin Murphy |
| Surrey Stakes | Formal (GB) 3yo - 9/4 | Andrew Balding 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tattenham Corner Stakes | Ten Bob Tony (IRE) 4yo - 5/1 | Ed Walker William Buick |
| Princess Elizabeth Stakes | Spiritual (IRE) 4yo - 9/1 | John & Thady Gosden Robert Havlin |
| Coronation Cup | Jan Brueghel (IRE) 4yo - 100/30 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 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 |
| Lester Piggott Handicap | War Hawk (IRE) 3yo - 9/2 | Simon & Ed Crisford Jack Mitchell |
| Northern Dancer Handicap | Small Fry (IRE) 4yo - 9/4 | Gary & Josh Moore Ashley Lewis |
| JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap | Sondad (GB) 4yo - 12/1 | Michael & David Easterby Joanna Mason |
