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 youâre betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Festival Plate Preview
Inaugurated in 1951, the Festival Plate was originally named the Mildmay of Flete Handicap Chase to honour Lord Mildmay, a popular amateur jockey. A handicap chase over 2m4½f on the new course at the Cheltenham racecourse, this is a race where the Martin/David Pipe yard had an exceptional record, scoring seven victories between 1997 and 2014.
It is also worth noting that Venetia Williams has had three wins since 2007, so there are two trainers to note in this race, both of whom had placed runners in 2016, and David Pipe also had the runner-up in 2015.
Dominate the Festival Plate betting scene by leveraging our expert insights into previous race patterns and trainer stats, and don't forget to check out the free bets for Cheltenham.
Festival Plate Information:
If you are interested in other predictions at Cheltenham, then head over to the Cheltenham 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. We cover every race at the Cheltenham Festival, and below you can find links to all of the races for each of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Festival Plate 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 116%. The race in 2020 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 137%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Festival Plate, the over-round has been 131%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ131 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Festival Plate 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 Festival Plate Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Festival Plate races over the last 20 renewals:
- Ballynagour (4:59.34) in 2014
- Non So (5:05.20) in 2006
- Holmwood Legend (5:08.17) in 2011
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 Festival Plate next time out, then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +6.00. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Ballynagour, trained by David Pipe and ridden by Tom Scudamore, who set the fastest winning time in the Festival Plate. That runner won the race in a time of 4:59.34 in 2014. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Ben Pauling and jockey Ben Jones with Shakem UpArry who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 5:29.11 in the 2024 renewal.
| Festival Plate Handicap NRNB 10 Mar @ 16:40 - AntePost | ||
|---|---|---|
| Madara | 8.00 | |
| Jagwar | 8.00 | |
| Mclaurey | 9.00 | |
| Vincenzo | 11.00 | |
| Waterford Whispers | 13.00 | |
Festival Plate Past Winners
Here are the Festival Plate past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse that won, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Festival Plate are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 5:15.50 | Jagwar (FR) 6yo 10-10 3/1F | Jonjo O'Neill Jr Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero (GB) |
| 2024 5:29.11 | Shakem UpArry (IRE) 10yo 11-5 8/1 | Ben Jones Ben Pauling (GB) |
| 2023 5:16.60 | Seddon (IRE) 10yo 10-9 20/1 | Ben Harvey (5lbs) John C McConnell (IRE) |
| 2022 5:13.85 | Coole Cody (IRE) 11yo 11-2 22/1 | Adam Wedge Evan Williams (GB) |
| 2021 5:18.28 | The Shunter (IRE) 8yo 10-5 9/4F | Jordan Gainford (7lbs) Emmet Mullins (IRE) |
| 2020 5:26.08 | Simply The Betts (IRE) 7yo 11-4 100/30F | Gavin Sheehan Harry Whittington (GB) |
| 2019 5:14.29 | Siruh Du Lac (FR) 6yo 10-8 9/2 | Lizzie Kelly (3lbs) Nick Williams (GB) |
| 2018 5:28.20 | The Storyteller (IRE) 7yo 11-4 5/1F | Davy Russell Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2017 5:08.90 | Road To Respect (IRE) 6yo 10-13 14/1 | B J Cooper Noel Meade (IRE) |
| 2016 5:13.10 | Empire Of Dirt (IRE) 9yo 10-11 16/1 | B J Cooper C A Murphy (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Festival Plate have been based:
- GB: 15 winners with an additional 48 placings from 351 runners
- IRE: 5 winners with an additional 9 placings from 81 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 2 placings from 7 runners
2025 Festival Plate Replay
Festival Plate Trainer Statistics
There are two leading trainers in the Festival Plate over the last 20 renewals, with both Venetia Williams and David Pipe, who have both won the race three times. Venetia Williams winners have been with Idole First (2007), Something Wells (2009) and Carrickboy (2013). David Pipe winners have been with Great Endeavour (2010), Salut Flo (2012) and Ballynagour (2014). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Festival Plate. Paul Nicholls (0-28), Nigel Twiston-Davies (0-16), Jonjo O'Neill (0-15), Philip Hobbs (0-15), Alan King (0-15) and W P Mullins (0-12) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top Festival Plate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venetia Williams | 29-3-6 | +69.00 | +46.07 |
| David Pipe | 27-3-7 | +10.50 | +5.38 |
| Nicky Henderson | 26-1-5 | -11.00 | -4.25 |
| Gordon Elliott | 18-1-4 | -12.00 | +16.32 |
| Evan Williams | 7-1-4 | +16.00 | +14.69 |
| Sue Smith | 5-1-2 | +62.00 | +41.88 |
| Kim Bailey | 5-1-1 | +29.00 | +16.63 |
| Ben Pauling | 5-1-2 | +4.00 | +3.50 |
| John C McConnell | 4-1-1 | +17.00 | +9.50 |
| C A Murphy | 2-1-2 | +15.00 | +13.63 |
Festival Plate Jockey Statistics
There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the Festival Plate; Sam Twiston-Davies has ridden 12 runners in the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Festival Plate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Wedge | 6-1-2 | +17.00 | +11.00 |
| David Bass | 4-1-1 | +30.00 | +17.63 |
| Gavin Sheehan | 4-1-1 | +0.33 | -0.92 |
| Jordan Gainford | 3-1-1 | +0.25 | -0.59 |
| Ben Harvey | 2-1-1 | +19.00 | +11.50 |
| Ben Jones | 2-1-1 | +7.00 | +4.00 |
| Jonjo O'Neill Jr | 2-1-2 | +2.00 | +1.82 |
| Mr William Biddick | 1-1-1 | +33.00 | +20.63 |
| Danny Cook | 1-1-1 | +18.00 | +11.25 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 12-0-2 | -12.00 | -8.50 |
2026 Festival Plate Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): F, 19, F, 2, 2, 3, 1, 8, 2, 2, (F, PU), PU, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, PU, F, 1
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 (79%) - Furthest Won 2m1½f - 2m6½f
- 20 / 20 (83%) - In a field of 8 - 19 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Ran over 2m - 2m5½f (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - No bigger than 20/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - In a field of 4 - 17 (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (72%) - Placed within last 3 starts
- 19 / 20 (75%) - Won by at least 1Âźl (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (83%) - Beaten no more -32l (LTO)
- 19 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 66/1 (Career)
- 18 / 20 (75%) - No more than +15lbs (Vs Min Weight)
- 18 / 20 (76%) - Held an OR of 136+
- 18 / 20 (77%) - No bigger than 33/1
- 18 / 20 (84%) - Carried no more than 158lbs
- 17 / 20 (84%) - No more than -4yrs (Vs Max Age)
- 16 / 20 (45%) - Won within last 3 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Festival Plate. 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 ÂŁ6,000 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 Festival Plate by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Festival Plate Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +117.00, is when runners had 1 win in the past 180 days.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 2 wins in the past year, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-84.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Festival Plate is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 8 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Leopardstown; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at Leopardstown last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 427 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 12 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Festival Plate:
- Flemensfirth (2 Wins)
- Shantou (2 Wins)
- Stowaway (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Festival Plate despite multiple attempts:
- Presenting (0 Wins from 15 runners)
- Kings Theatre (0 Wins from 12 runners)
- Oscar (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Old Vic (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Anshan (0 Wins from 6 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Mister McGoldrick in 2008, winning for Sue Smith at odds of 66/1 under the guidance of Dominic Elsworth. 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 Festival Plate, head over to see which runners the best racing tipsters are tipping today.
Route to the Festival Plate
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Festival Plate. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Jagwar Cheltenham - 1st of 7 (4/1) | Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase |
| 2024 - Shakem UpArry Cheltenham - 1st of 6 (11/2) | Cheltenham New Year's Day Handicap Chase |
| 2023 - Seddon Leopardstown - 1st of 16 (7/2) | Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase |
| 2022 - Coole Cody Cheltenham - 7th of 10 (5/1) | Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase |
| 2021 - The Shunter Kelso - 1st of 14 (5/2) | Morebattle Hurdle |
| 2020 - Simply The Betts Cheltenham - 1st of 12 (11/2) | Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase |
| 2019 - Siruh Du Lac Cheltenham - 1st of 11 (6/1) | Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase |
| 2018 - The Storyteller Leopardstown - 7th of 11 (20/1) | Ladbrokes Novice Chase |
| 2017 - Road To Respect Navan - 2nd of 8 (6/1) | Ten Up Novice Chase |
| 2016 - Empire Of Dirt Leopardstown - 1st of 11 (8/1) | Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Chase |
Schedule for Tuesday at the Cheltenham Festival
Prepare for the ROAR of the Cheltenham Festival on the opening day, when the tape goes up for the Supreme Novices Hurdle. The feature on Tuesday is the Champion Hurdle.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Supreme Novices Hurdle | Kopek Des Bordes (FR) 5yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Arkle Challenge Trophy | Jango Baie (FR) 6yo - 5/1 | Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle | Puturhandstogether (IRE) 4yo - 17/2 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Ultima Handicap Chase | Myretown (IRE) 8yo - 13/2 | Lucinda Russell Patrick Wadge |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Champion Hurdle | Golden Ace (GB) 7yo - 25/1 | Jeremy Scott Lorcan Williams |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Plate | Jagwar (FR) 6yo - 3/1 | Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 17:20 Cheltenham National Hunt Chase Challenge Cup | Haiti Couleurs (FR) 8yo - 7/2 | Rebecca Curtis Ben Jones |
Schedule for Wednesday at the Cheltenham Festival
The dust has settled on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, and now on to day two. The feature on the second day is the Queen Mother Champion Chase. We also have the cross country scheduled on Wednesday, a race like Marmite, some love it, and some don't!
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Turners Novices Hurdle | The New Lion (GB) 6yo - 3/1 | Dan Skelton Harry Skelton |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Brown Advisory Novices Chase | Lecky Watson (IRE) 7yo - 20/1 | W P Mullins Sean O'Keeffe |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Coral Cup | Jimmy Du Seuil (FR) 6yo - 16/1 | W P Mullins Danny Mullins |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Cross Country Chase | Stumptown (IRE) 8yo - 5/2 | Gavin Cromwell Keith Donoghue |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Queen Mother Champion Chase | Marine Nationale (IRE) 8yo - 5/1 | Barry Connell Sean Flanagan |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Johnny Henderson Grand Annual | Jazzy Matty (FR) 6yo - 15/2 | Cian Collins Danny Gilligan |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Champion Bumper | Bambino Fever (IRE) 5yo - 4/1 | W P Mullins Miss J Townend |
Schedule for Thursday at the Cheltenham Festival
Halfway through the festival and onto day three, where the Stayers Hurdle is the feature race. A hurdle race to test the stamina and see how can last up the Cheltenham hill.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Mares Novices Hurdle | Air Of Entitlement (IRE) 6yo - 16/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 14:00 Cheltenham Novices Limited Handicap Chase | Caldwell Potter (FR) 7yo - 7/1 | Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Close Brothers Mares Hurdle | Lossiemouth (FR) 6yo - 4/6 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Stayers Hurdle | Bob Olinger (IRE) 10yo - 8/1 | Henry De Bromhead Rachael Blackmore |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Ryanair Chase | Fact To File (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Pertemps Network Final | Doddiethegreat (IRE) 9yo - 25/1 | Nicky Henderson Brian Hughes |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup | Daily Present (IRE) 8yo - 12/1 | Paul Nolan Mr B T Stone |
Schedule for Friday at the Cheltenham Festival
The final day of the festival and the feature race that we have all been waiting for, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which the Irish have been fairly dominant in recent years.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:20 Cheltenham Triumph Hurdle | Poniros (GB) 4yo - 100/1 | W P Mullins Jonjo O'Neill Jr |
| 14:00 Cheltenham County Handicap Hurdle | Kargese (FR) 5yo - 3/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 14:40 Cheltenham Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase | Dinoblue (FR) 8yo - 6/4 | W P Mullins Mark Walsh |
| 15:20 Cheltenham Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle | Jasmin De Vaux (FR) 6yo - 6/1 | W P Mullins Paul Townend |
| 16:00 Cheltenham Cheltenham Gold Cup | Inothewayurthinkin (IRE) 7yo - 15/2 | Gavin Cromwell Mark Walsh |
| 16:40 Cheltenham Festival Hunters Chase | Wonderwall (IRE) 9yo - 28/1 | S Curling Mr R James |
| 17:20 Cheltenham Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle | Wodhooh (FR) 5yo - 9/2 | Gordon Elliott Danny Gilligan |
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 Festival Plate Preview are Andy and Darren. 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 National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal Races at the Cheltenham Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Cheltenham racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in January
Races in January (Festival Trials Day)
- Cheltenham Trophy Handicap Chase
- Classic Novices' Hurdle
- Cleeve Hurdle
- Cotswold Chase
- International Hurdle
- JCB Triumph Juvenile Hurdle Trial
- Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase
Races in April
Races in October (Showcase Meeting)
Races in November (November Meeting)
- Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase
- Hyde Novices' Hurdle
- Shloer Chase
- Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices' Chase
- JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle
- Paddy Power Gold Cup
- Greatwood Hurdle
- November Meeting Handicap Chase
