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 Emerald Mile Handicap Preview
This valuable premier handicap is scheduled to take place in May of each year at the Curragh racecourse on the opening day of the Irish Guineas Festival.
The race currently holds a prize fund of €100,000 and is contested over a one-mile trip with it being open to runners who are aged four or older.
Emerald Mile Handicap Information:
- Emerald Mile Handicap Past Winners
- Emerald Mile Handicap Trainer Statistics
- Emerald Mile Handicap Jockey Statistics
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Curragh 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 Other Principal Races at Curragh Racecourse section for links to these.
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How competitive is the Emerald Mile Handicap market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2019 when the race had an over-round of 121%. The race in 2011 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 157%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Emerald Mile Handicap, the over-round has been 138%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £138 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Emerald Mile 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 Emerald Mile Handicap Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Emerald Mile Handicap races over the last 20 renewals:
- Aussie Valentine (1:36.58) in 2019
- Fiesolana (1:37.89) in 2013
- Skukuza (1:38.08) in 2025
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 Emerald Mile Handicap next time out, then you would have backed a total of 4 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +6.25. Ahead of the 2026 Emerald Mile 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 2006 renewal when Shayrazan from James Leavy under the guidance of Michael Hussey, won in a time of 1:49.70, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Aussie Valentine, trained by Adrian McGuinness and ridden by Tom Madden set the quickest time of 1:36.58 in the 2019 renewal.
Emerald Mile Handicap Past Winners
Here are the Emerald Mile 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 Emerald Mile Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 (95k) 1:38.08 | Skukuza (GB) 4yo 9-9 (18 of 18) 9/2 | Ryan Moore Ed Dunlop (GB) |
| 2024 (95k) 1:39.05 | State Actor (IRE) 4yo 8-10 (5 of 14) 11/2F | Danny Sheehy W T Farrell (IRE) |
| 2023 (95k) 1:39.64 | Rahmi (IRE) 4yo 8-8 (16 of 20) 18/1 | Danny Sheehy (3lbs) J P Murtagh (IRE) |
| 2022 (140k) 1:40.27 | Celtic Crown (IRE) 5yo 8-7 (25 of 27) 28/1 | Wayne Lordan Joseph G Murphy (IRE) |
| 2021 (40k) 1:47.43 | Visualisation (IRE) 3yo 8-11 (6 of 16) 9/2F | Declan McDonogh Joseph Patrick O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2019 (45k) 1:36.58 | Aussie Valentine (IRE) 8yo 9-1 (2 of 11) 16/1 | Tom Madden (3lbs) Adrian McGuinness (IRE) |
| 2018 (45k) 1:40.22 | Saltonstall (GB) 4yo 9-12 (2 of 13) 7/1 | William Buick M Halford (IRE) |
| 2017 (45k) 1:42.45 | Mister Sea Wolf (IRE) 5yo 10-1 (10 of 20) 5/1 | Colin Keane G M Lyons (IRE) |
| 2016 (45k) 1:43.12 | Creggs Pipes (IRE) 4yo 8-12 (8 of 15) 7/1 | Pat Smullen Andrew Slattery (IRE) |
| 2015 (45k) 1:39.64 | Hasanour (USA) 5yo 9-2 (8 of 19) 13/2 | Shane Foley M Halford (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Emerald Mile Handicap have been based:
- IRE: 18 winners with an additional 54 placings from 357 runners
- GB: 2 winners with an additional 0 placings from 4 runners
Emerald Mile Handicap Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Emerald Mile Handicap over the last 20 renewals, with M Halford, J S Bolger, and G M Lyons having all won the race two times. M Halford winners have been with Hasanour (2015) and Saltonstall (2018). J S Bolger winners have been with Namaya (2007) and Glor Na Mara (2012). G M Lyons winners have been with Summit Surge (2008) and Mister Sea Wolf (2017). There is one trainer who has not had the best of times in the Emerald Mile Handicap, Kevin Prendergast has sent a total of 10 runners to the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Emerald Mile 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| M Halford | 23-2-7 | -7.50 | -2.55 |
| J S Bolger | 16-2-3 | +3.00 | -1.99 |
| G M Lyons | 15-2-4 | -1.00 | -0.86 |
| Adrian McGuinness | 27-1-5 | -10.00 | -3.65 |
| David Marnane | 12-1-5 | -5.50 | +4.07 |
| Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 10-1-5 | -4.50 | +0.57 |
| Joseph G Murphy | 7-1-1 | +22.00 | +11.50 |
| J P Murtagh | 7-1-3 | +12.00 | +8.63 |
| W McCreery | 7-1-3 | +1.00 | +1.94 |
| A Oliver | 5-1-2 | +2.00 | +1.75 |
Emerald Mile Handicap Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Emerald Mile Handicap over the last 20 renewals is Danny Sheehy, who has won the race two times, with those two winners coming from Rahmi (2023) and State Actor (2024). Multiple jockeys have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Emerald Mile Handicap, Rory Cleary (0-17), Chris Hayes (0-17), N G McCullagh (0-14) and W J Lee (0-11) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple rides to the race.
Here are some of the top Emerald Mile 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Sheehy | 3-2-2 | +22.50 | +13.69 |
| Wayne Lordan | 18-1-3 | +11.00 | +2.69 |
| Declan McDonogh | 16-1-2 | -10.50 | -9.94 |
| Shane Foley | 15-1-4 | -7.50 | -2.56 |
| Ronan Whelan | 11-1-5 | -3.00 | +3.76 |
| Seamie Heffernan | 9-1-2 | +4.00 | +2.50 |
| Colin Keane | 9-1-2 | -3.00 | -1.87 |
| Michael Hussey | 4-1-1 | +11.00 | +5.75 |
| Ben Curtis | 4-1-2 | +3.00 | +3.75 |
| Shane B Kelly | 3-1-1 | +5.00 | +2.38 |
2026 Emerald Mile Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, 3, 4, 6, 2, 1, (1, 16), (6, 15), 9, 13, 11, 14, 9, 5, 3, 1, 3, 2, 1, 7
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 (68%) - Highest Placed is not G2/LST/Cl3-5
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Within the first 13 of the market
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Had 1 - 12 placings (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Furthest Placed 1m - 1m3f
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved an RPR of 83+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Carried 122 - 140lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Achieved a TS of 51+ (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not in a LST/Cl2 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 28/1
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Ran over 6f - 1m1f (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (66%) - No older than a 5yo
- 19 / 20 (70%) - Placed within last 3 starts
- 19 / 20 (75%) - Held an OR of 84+
- 19 / 20 (76%) - Won by at least ½l (Last Win)
- 18 / 20 (78%) - No bigger than 9/1 (Last Win)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Curragh racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Emerald Mile 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 Emerald Mile Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
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Emerald Mile Handicap Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +29.00, is when runners had 1 place in the past 30 days.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 0 career places over the trip, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-64.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 18 (9,4,5) [18 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 5 (12,4) [14 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 16 (17,3,7) [20 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 25 (9,10,19) [27 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 6 (7,8,16) [16 Runners]
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Emerald Mile Handicap are Curragh, Leopardstown, Naas and Gowran Park; there have been a total of 3 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 17 winners from a total of 291 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 3 winners from a total of 70 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Emerald Mile Handicap:
- Aussie Rules (2 Wins)
- Pivotal (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Emerald Mile Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- Danehill Dancer (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Invincible Spirit (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Big Bad Bob (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Holy Roman Emperor (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Celtic Crown in 2022, winning for Joseph G Murphy at odds of 28/1 under the guidance of Wayne Lordan. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 4 winning favourites in the race. Remember to use the best racing tipsters along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Emerald Mile Handicap.
Route to the Emerald Mile Handicap
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Emerald Mile Handicap, these are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Skukuza Newcastle (AW) - 6th of 13 (9/2) | High Gosforth Park Golf Club Handicap |
| 2024 - State Actor Curragh - 1st of 23 (15/2) | Tote Now Online At Tote.ie Maiden |
| 2023 - Rahmi Limerick - 8th of 14 (11/1) | Rathsallagh Country House Of The Year 2023 Handicap |
| 2022 - Celtic Crown Gowran Park - 3rd of 10 (5/1) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies & Mares Handicap |
| 2021 - Visualisation Naas - 2nd of 9 (3/1) | Naas Handicap |
| 2019 - Aussie Valentine Roscommon - 3rd of 4 (11/2) | Knockcroghery Handicap |
| 2018 - Saltonstall Cork - 3rd of 4 (3/1) | Follow Us On Facebook Handicap |
| 2017 - Mister Sea Wolf Naas - 3rd of 17 (5/1) | Irish Lincolnshire |
| 2016 - Creggs Pipes Curragh - 1st of 26 (12/1) | Cross SuperValu Handicap |
| 2015 - Hasanour Curragh - 13th of 23 (14/1) | Irish Lincolnshire |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Emerald Mile 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 International racing.
James Banting
Tipster Competition Assistant
Andy Powell
Content Editor
