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 Emerald Cup Handicap Preview
This valuable premier handicap is scheduled to take place in April each year at the Curragh racecourse, a month before the Irish Guineas Festival, which used to host it until it was moved in 2026.
The race currently holds a prize fund of €100,000 and, since 2026, is contested over a one-mile, two-furlong trip, having previously been run over a mile, and is open to runners aged four or older.
Emerald Cup Handicap Information:
- Emerald Cup Handicap Past Winners
- Emerald Cup Handicap Trainer Statistics
- Emerald Cup Handicap Jockey Statistics
Why not use the trends shortlist below to help you narrow down the field and then head over to the dedicated Curragh 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 Other Principal Races at Curragh Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Emerald Cup 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 Cup 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 2027 Emerald Cup 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 Cup Handicap Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Emerald Cup 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 Cup Handicap next time out, then you would have backed a total of 6 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +10.91. Whilst we wait for the 2027 Emerald Cup Handicap, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 1:36.58 was set by Aussie Valentine in 2019, trained by Adrian McGuinness and ridden by Tom Madden, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2026 when Fiver Friday won in a time of 2:19.72 for trainer Gavin Cromwell, who booked Nathan Crosse in the saddle.
Emerald Cup Handicap Past Winners
Here are the Emerald Cup 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 Emerald Cup Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 2:19.72 | Fiver Friday (IRE) 6yo 8-7 (5 of 18) 11/2 | Nathan Crosse Gavin Cromwell (IRE) |
| 2025 1:38.08 | Skukuza (GB) 4yo 9-9 (18 of 18) 9/2 | Ryan Moore Ed Dunlop (GB) |
| 2024 1:39.05 | State Actor (IRE) 4yo 8-10 (5 of 14) 11/2F | Danny Sheehy W T Farrell (IRE) |
| 2023 1:39.64 | Rahmi (IRE) 4yo 8-8 (16 of 20) 18/1 | Danny Sheehy (3lbs) J P Murtagh (IRE) |
| 2022 1:40.27 | Celtic Crown (IRE) 5yo 8-7 (25 of 27) 28/1 | Wayne Lordan Joseph G Murphy (IRE) |
| 2021 1:47.43 | Visualisation (IRE) 3yo 8-11 (6 of 16) 9/2F | Declan McDonogh Joseph Patrick O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2019 1:36.58 | Aussie Valentine (IRE) 8yo 9-1 (2 of 11) 16/1 | Tom Madden (3lbs) Adrian McGuinness (IRE) |
| 2018 1:40.22 | Saltonstall (GB) 4yo 9-12 (2 of 13) 7/1 | William Buick M Halford (IRE) |
| 2017 1:42.45 | Mister Sea Wolf (IRE) 5yo 10-1 (10 of 20) 5/1 | Colin Keane G M Lyons (IRE) |
| 2016 1:43.12 | Creggs Pipes (IRE) 4yo 8-12 (8 of 15) 7/1 | Pat Smullen Andrew Slattery (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Emerald Cup Handicap have been based:
- IRE: 18 winners with an additional 54 placings from 359 runners
- GB: 2 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
Emerald Cup Handicap Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Emerald Cup Handicap over the last 20 renewals, with M Halford, J S Bolger, and G M Lyons having all won the race twice. 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). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Emerald Cup Handicap. Mrs John Harrington has sent a total of 10 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst D K Weld has sent out 10 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Emerald Cup 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 | 22-2-7 | -6.50 | -1.55 |
| J S Bolger | 15-2-2 | +4.00 | -2.37 |
| G M Lyons | 14-2-4 | +0.00 | +0.14 |
| Adrian McGuinness | 27-1-5 | -10.00 | -3.65 |
| Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 13-1-5 | -7.50 | -2.43 |
| David Marnane | 12-1-5 | -5.50 | +4.07 |
| Joseph G Murphy | 9-1-1 | +20.00 | +9.50 |
| J P Murtagh | 8-1-3 | +11.00 | +7.63 |
| W McCreery | 7-1-3 | +1.00 | +1.94 |
| Gavin Cromwell | 6-1-2 | +0.50 | -0.41 |
Emerald Cup Handicap Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Emerald Cup Handicap over the last 20 renewals is Danny Sheehy, who has won the race twice, 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 Cup Handicap, Chris Hayes (0-17), Rory Cleary (0-16), N G McCullagh (0-13), W J Lee (0-12) and Gary Carroll (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite having multiple rides in the race.
Here are some of the top Emerald Cup 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 | 17-1-2 | -11.50 | -10.94 |
| Shane Foley | 16-1-4 | -8.50 | -3.56 |
| Ronan Whelan | 11-1-5 | -3.00 | +3.76 |
| Colin Keane | 10-1-2 | -4.00 | -2.87 |
| Ben Curtis | 4-1-2 | +3.00 | +3.75 |
| Michael Hussey | 3-1-1 | +12.00 | +6.75 |
| Shane B Kelly | 3-1-1 | +5.00 | +2.38 |
| Nathan Crosse | 3-1-1 | +3.50 | +1.44 |
2027 Emerald Cup Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, 4, 6, 2, 1, (1, 16), (6, 15), 9, 13, 11, 14, 9, 5, 3, 1, 3, 2, 1, 7, 7
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 (67%) - Highest Placed is not G2/LST/Cl3-5
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Within the first 13 of the market
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Had 1 - 12 placings (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Fewer than 4 wins (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Furthest Placed 1m - 1m3f
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved a TS of 51+ (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved an RPR of 83+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Not in a LST/Cl2 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 28/1
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Carried 122 - 156lbs (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (70%) - Placed within last 3 starts
- 19 / 20 (76%) - Won by at least ½l (Last Win)
- 18 / 20 (66%) - No older than a 5yo
- 18 / 20 (75%) - Held an OR of 84+
- 18 / 20 (79%) - 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 Cup 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 Cup Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Emerald Cup Handicap Trend Analysis
❌ 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 0-71.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2026: Winner in 5 (16,7,10) [18 Runners]
- 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]
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Emerald Cup Handicap are Naas, Curragh, Gowran Park and Leopardstown; there have been a total of 3 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 16 winners from a total of 286 runners, while female runners have produced 4 winners from a total of 75 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Emerald Cup Handicap:
- Aussie Rules (2 Wins)
- Pivotal (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Emerald Cup Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- Danehill Dancer (0 Wins from 9 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. Ahead of the 2027 Emerald Cup Handicap, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the Emerald Cup Handicap
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Emerald Cup Handicap. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Fiver Friday Thurles - 2nd of 13 (7/1) | Most Stylish Racegoers Handicap Hurdle |
| 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 |
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 Emerald Cup 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
Other Principal races at the Curragh Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Curragh racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in March
Races in May (Irish Guineas Festival)
Races in June
Races in July
Races in August
Races in September (Irish Champions Festival)
- Blandford Stakes
- Bold Lad Sprint Handicap
- Flying Five Stakes
- Irish St Leger
- Moyglare Stud Stakes
- National Stakes
- Northfields Handicap
