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.
2027 Imperial Cup Preview
Established in 1907, the Imperial Cup is scheduled to take place in March of each year at the Sandown racecourse, usually on the Saturday before the Cheltenham Festival.
The race is a Grade 3 hurdle that is open to runners aged four or older, and it is run over a trip just shy of two miles, in which eight hurdles are jumped.
Imperial Cup Information:
If you are interested in other predictions at Sandown, then head over to the Sandown 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. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Sandown Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Imperial Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2016, when the race had an over-round of 117%. The race in 2026 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 138%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Imperial Cup, the over-round has been 128%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £128 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 Imperial Cup 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 Imperial Cup Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Imperial Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Daves Dream (3:50.00) in 2009
- Ashkazar (3:50.40) in 2008
- Qaspal (3:54.11) in 2010
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 Imperial Cup next time out, then you would have backed a total of 1 winner. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -13.50. Whilst we wait for the 2027 Imperial Cup, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2013 renewal when First Avenue from Laura Mongan under the guidance of Nathan Adams, won in a time of 4:15.33, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Daves Dream, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Barry Geraghty set the quickest time of 3:50.00 in the 2009 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Imperial Cup Past Winners
Here are the Imperial Cup 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 Imperial Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
Race Notes: The race was abandoned in 2020 because of a waterlogged course.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 4:11.63 | Mondo Man (GB) 5yo 10-12 5/2F | Caoilin Quinn Gary & Josh Moore (GB) |
| 2025 4:00.00 | Go Dante (GB) 9yo 10-8 6/1 | Sean Bowen Olly Murphy (GB) |
| 2024 4:05.10 | Go Dante (GB) 8yo 11-4 5/1F | Sean Bowen Olly Murphy (GB) |
| 2023 4:11.00 | Iceo (FR) 5yo 11-3 5/1 | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2022 4:12.50 | Suprise Package (GB) 6yo 11-1 20/1 | James Bowen Peter Fahey (IRE) |
| 2021 4:14.85 | Langer Dan (IRE) 5yo 10-10 5/1 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
| 2019 4:02.50 | Malaya (FR) 5yo 10-2 7/1 | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2018 4:07.70 | Mr Antolini (IRE) 8yo 10-1 20/1 | Jamie Bargary (3lbs) Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
| 2017 4:03.80 | London Prize (GB) 6yo 11-2 10/1 | Tom O'Brien Ian Williams (GB) |
| 2016 4:05.80 | Flying Angel (IRE) 5yo 10-7 9/1 | Ryan Hatch (3lbs) Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Imperial Cup have been based:
- GB: 18 winners with an additional 53 placings from 344 runners
- IRE: 2 winners with an additional 2 placings from 17 runners
2026 Imperial Cup Replay
Imperial Cup Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Imperial Cup over the last 20 renewals is David Pipe, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Gaspara (2007), Ashkazar (2008) and Baltimore Rock (2014). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Imperial Cup are Paul Nicholls (2 wins), Nigel Twiston-Davies (2 wins) and Olly Murphy (2 wins). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Imperial Cup. Gary Moore has sent a total of 20 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst Alan King has sent out 11 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Imperial Cup 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 Pipe | 17-3-7 | -0.92 | +0.00 |
| Paul Nicholls | 22-2-6 | -8.00 | -6.68 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 7-2-2 | +24.00 | +13.13 |
| Olly Murphy | 4-2-2 | +9.00 | +4.88 |
| Nicky Henderson | 20-1-5 | -7.00 | -7.08 |
| Dan Skelton | 12-1-4 | -6.00 | -1.18 |
| Philip Hobbs | 9-1-4 | -5.25 | +0.22 |
| Lucy Wadham | 8-1-2 | +3.00 | +0.55 |
| Dr Richard Newland | 6-1-2 | +28.00 | +20.26 |
| Ian Williams | 6-1-1 | +5.00 | +1.25 |
Imperial Cup Jockey Statistics
There are two leading jockeys in the Imperial Cup over the last 20 renewals, with both Harry Cobden and Sean Bowen, who have both won the race two times. Harry Cobden winners have been with Malaya (2019) and Iceo (2023). Sean Bowen winners have been with Go Dante (2024 & 2025).
Here are some of the top Imperial Cup 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Cobden | 6-2-2 | +8.00 | +3.51 |
| Sean Bowen | 6-2-2 | +7.00 | +2.88 |
| Harry Skelton | 10-1-3 | -4.00 | -2.81 |
| William Kennedy | 6-1-1 | +28.00 | +15.63 |
| James Bowen | 3-1-3 | +18.00 | +13.83 |
| Caoilin Quinn | 2-1-1 | +1.50 | +0.56 |
| Jamie Bargary | 1-1-1 | +20.00 | +12.50 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 8-0-0 | -8.00 | -8.00 |
| Jack Quinlan | 6-0-2 | -6.00 | +0.63 |
| Kielan Woods | 6-0-3 | -6.00 | -1.30 |
2027 Imperial Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 5, 1, 1, 2, 1, (2, 21), 8, PU, 3, PU, 4, 2, 3, 3, 6, PU, PU, (1, 11), 13, 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 (80%) - Carried 125 - 161lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Within the first 14 of the market
- 20 / 20 (84%) - No bigger than 33/1
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Off a break of 12 - 92 days
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Carried no more than 158lbs
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Break of 12 - 498 days (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - In a field of 6 - 18 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Had 2 - 8 placings (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Fewer than 6 placings (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Had 1 - 4 wins (Hurdle)
- 19 / 20 (77%) - Achieved a TS of 107+ (Last 5)
- 19 / 20 (83%) - Won by at least 1l (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (87%) - No more than +3yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 18 / 20 (66%) - No bigger than 8/1 (Career Win)
- 18 / 20 (86%) - Won within last 7 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Sandown racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Imperial Cup. 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 Imperial Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Imperial Cup Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +31.08, is when runners had 2 career wins in Jumps (Hurdle) races.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 6 starts in the past year, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-54.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Imperial Cup is Newbury; there have been a total of 4 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 3 winners of this race who ran at Sandown last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 18 winners from a total of 341 runners, while female runners have produced 2 winners from a total of 20 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Imperial Cup; that stallion, Kayf Tara, has produced 2 winners (2025,2024).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Imperial Cup despite multiple attempts:
- Kings Theatre (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Desert Prince (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Ebony Express in 2015, winning for Dr Richard Newland at odds of 33/1 under the guidance of William Kennedy. 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 2027 Imperial Cup, head over to see which runners the best racing tipsters are tipping today.
Route to the Imperial Cup
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Imperial Cup. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Mondo Man Plumpton - 1st of 7 (1/6) | Alfriston Hotel - Have You Visited? Maiden Hurdle |
| 2025 - Go Dante Newbury - 7th of 17 (29/1) | Newbury Handicap Hurdle |
| 2024 - Go Dante Newbury - 3rd of 21 (14/1) | Newbury Handicap Hurdle |
| 2023 - Iceo Sandown - 2nd of 10 (3/1) | Unibet New And Improved Bet Builder Handicap Hurdle |
| 2022 - Suprise Package Leopardstown - 9th of 27 (14/1) | Dublin Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle |
| 2021 - Langer Dan Market Rasen - 4th of 7 (9/1) | MansionBets Faller Insurance Handicap Hurdle |
| 2019 - Malaya Ascot - 4th of 10 (20/1) | Ascot Supports Berkshire Community Foundation Handicap Hurdle |
| 2018 - Mr Antolini Huntingdon - 2nd of 7 (4/1) | Watch Racing UK In Stunning HD Handicap Hurdle |
| 2017 - London Prize Newcastle (AW) - 2nd of 9 (11/4) | Betway Handicap |
| 2016 - Flying Angel Newbury - 3rd of 22 (25/1) | Newbury Handicap Hurdle |
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 Imperial Cup 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 Sandown Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Sandown racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
