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 Hambleton Stakes Preview
Scheduled to take place in May of each year at the York racecourse during the Dante Festival is the Hambleton Stakes, a class two handicap which was downgraded from a Listed race in 2018 when the new BHA rule came out that no class 1 race could be a handicap.
The race is contested over a distance of just shy of a mile (seven furlongs and one hundred and ninety-two yards), except for the 2005 renewal, which was run over seven furlongs and is open to runners who are aged four or older.
Hambleton Stakes Information:
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the York 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 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 Hambleton Stakes market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2008 when the race had an over-round of 111%. The race in 2025 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 128%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Hambleton Stakes, the over-round has been 122%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £122 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Hambleton Stakes 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 Hambleton Stakes Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Hambleton Stakes races over the last 20 renewals:
- Quito (1:27.21) in 2005
- Croupier (1:34.35) in 2023
- Here Comes When (1:35.96) 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 Hambleton Stakes next time out, then you would have backed a total of 1 winner. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -13.00. Ahead of the 2026 Hambleton Stakes, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 1:27.21 was set by Quito in 2005, which is the quickest time over that period. The runner was trained by D W Chapman and ridden by Tony Culhane. The slowest winning time was set in 2006 when Zero Tolerance won in a time of 1:42.32, booked to ride was Jamie Spencer by the trainer David Barron.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Hambleton Stakes Past Winners
Here are the Hambleton Stakes' 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 Hambleton Stakes are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 (75k) 1:39.08 | Old Cock (IRE) 4yo 8-13 (5 of 14) 9/2 | Callum Rodriguez Edward Bethell (GB) |
| 2024 (75k) 1:36.97 | Point Lynas (IRE) 5yo 9-6 (5 of 17) 6/1 | Callum Rodriguez Edward Bethell (GB) |
| 2023 (50k) 1:34.35 | Croupier (IRE) 4yo 9-5 (6 of 16) 7/1 | William Buick Simon & Ed Crisford (GB) |
| 2022 (50k) 1:36.71 | Cruyff Turn (GB) 5yo 9-5 (1 of 13) 8/1 | David Allan Tim Easterby (GB) |
| 2021 (30k) 1:37.52 | Kynren (IRE) 7yo 9-2 (12 of 14) 17/2 | Connor Beasley David Barron (GB) |
| 2019 (50k) 1:38.15 | Whats The Story (GB) 5yo 9-5 (16 of 14) 9/1 | Joe Fanning Keith Dalgleish (GB) |
| 2018 (50k) 1:36.84 | Afaak (GB) 4yo 9-1 (6 of 10) 9/2 | Jim Crowley Charles Hills (GB) |
| 2017 (50k) 1:35.96 | Here Comes When (IRE) 7yo 9-1 (12 of 17) 10/1 | Oisin Murphy Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2016 (50k) 1:36.34 | Always Smile (IRE) 4yo 9-4 (16 of 19) 8/1F | James Doyle Saeed bin Suroor (GB) |
| 2015 (50k) 1:36.96 | Alfred Hutchinson (GB) 7yo 8-7 (1 of 18) 20/1 | Barry McHugh Geoff Oldroyd (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Hambleton Stakes have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 45 placings from 273 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
Hambleton Stakes Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Hambleton Stakes over the last 20 renewals, with David Barron, Edward Bethell, and Saeed bin Suroor having all won the race two times. David Barron's winners have been with Zero Tolerance (2006) and Kynren (2021). Edward Bethell winners have been with Point Lynas (2024) and Old Cock (2025). Saeed bin Suroor winners have been with Yamal (2009) and Always Smile (2016). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Hambleton Stakes. David O'Meara has sent a total of 29 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst Richard Fahey has sent out 19 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Hambleton Stakes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Barron | 4-2-2 | +11.00 | +6.12 |
| Edward Bethell | 4-2-3 | +8.50 | +7.31 |
| Saeed bin Suroor | 3-2-2 | +12.00 | +7.13 |
| Tim Easterby | 11-1-2 | -2.00 | -2.75 |
| William Haggas | 8-1-2 | -4.00 | -3.70 |
| Andrew Balding | 6-1-1 | +5.00 | +1.25 |
| John Quinn | 6-1-1 | +4.00 | +0.63 |
| Ed Dunlop | 4-1-1 | +2.50 | +0.30 |
| Geoff Oldroyd | 3-1-1 | +18.00 | +10.50 |
| Chris Dwyer | 2-1-2 | +6.50 | +4.82 |
Hambleton Stakes Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Hambleton Stakes over the last 20 renewals is Callum Rodriguez, who has won the race two times, with those two winners coming from Point Lynas (2024) and Old Cock (2025). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the Hambleton Stakes, Daniel Tudhope has ridden 12 runners in the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Hambleton Stakes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callum Rodriguez | 5-2-4 | +7.50 | +7.25 |
| Jamie Spencer | 12-1-4 | -6.50 | -3.04 |
| Ryan Moore | 11-1-5 | -7.00 | -2.80 |
| David Allan | 7-1-2 | +2.00 | +1.25 |
| Joe Fanning | 6-1-1 | +4.00 | +0.63 |
| William Buick | 6-1-1 | +2.00 | -0.62 |
| Oisin Murphy | 5-1-1 | +6.00 | +2.25 |
| Jim Crowley | 5-1-1 | +0.50 | -1.30 |
| Frankie Dettori | 3-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.13 |
| James Doyle | 2-1-1 | +7.00 | +4.00 |
2026 Hambleton Stakes Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 8, 3, 2, 2, (1, 3), (2, 4), 4, 3, 4, 10, 7, (1, 5, 8, 9, 11), 2, 4, 5, 2, 11, 3, 6, 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 (76%) - No bigger than 20/1
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Had 2 - 17 placings (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Had 1 - 8 placings (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Achieved an RPR of 96+ (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved an RPR of 96+ (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved an RPR of 95+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Held an OR of 91+ (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Not on HY/SFT/FM/STD-SLW/FS (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran in 3 - 57 races (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved a TS of 68+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Beaten no more -9½l (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not in a G3/Cl2/Cl6 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Not in FRA/IRL/ITA/WAL (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Had 1 - 9 placings (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Fewer than 4 wins (Trip)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the York racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Hambleton Stakes. 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 Hambleton Stakes by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Hambleton Stakes Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +27.00, is when runners had 1 career place over further.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 0 career starts with the jockey, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-60.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 5 (13,6) [14 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 5 (9,10,15) [17 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 6 (16,5,4) [16 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 1 (7,2) [13 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 12 (6,7) [14 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Hambleton Stakes is Haydock; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Haydock last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 257 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 18 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Hambleton Stakes:
- Invincible Spirit (2 Wins)
- Kings Best (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 Hambleton Stakes; that stallion is Johannesburg, who has failed to produce a winner from 5 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Alfred Hutchinson in 2015, winning for Geoff Oldroyd at odds of 20/1 under the guidance of Barry McHugh. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 2 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Hambleton Stakes, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Hambleton Stakes
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Hambleton Stakes, these are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Old Cock Doncaster - 22nd of 22 (14/1) | Lincoln Handicap |
| 2024 - Point Lynas Haydock - 4th of 7 (11/1) | Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Superior Mile Stakes |
| 2023 - Croupier Doncaster - 22nd of 22 (41/1) | Lincoln Handicap |
| 2022 - Cruyff Turn Thirsk - 7th of 15 (9/1) | Thirsk Hunt Cup |
| 2021 - Kynren Chester - 3rd of 10 (12/1) | tote+ Placepots Pay More Earl Grosvenor Handicap |
| 2019 - Whats The Story Newcastle (AW) - 3rd of 7 (7/1) | Newcastle International Airport Handicap |
| 2018 - Afaak Newbury - 12th of 22 (6/1) | OLBG Spring Cup |
| 2017 - Here Comes When Kempton (AW) - 4th of 7 (8/1) | British Stallion Studs EBF Hyde Stakes |
| 2016 - Always Smile Ascot - 2nd of 17 (2/1) | Sandringham Stakes |
| 2015 - Alfred Hutchinson Haydock - 5th of 13 (8/1) | GPW Recruitment 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 Hambleton Stakes. 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 Hambleton Stakes 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
