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2026 Irish Oaks Preview
The Irish Oaks is a Group 1 race open to three-year-old fillies that is run at the Curragh racecourse in July of each year. Established in 1895, the race is run over one mile and four furlongs around the right-handed course and is Ireland's equivalent to the Epsom Oaks.
Watch out for runners who perform well in this race and then head to York to run in the Yorkshire Oaks the following month. Minnie Hauk (2025) was the last to do the double.
Irish Oaks Information:
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.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Irish Oaks market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2006, when the race had an over-round of 109%. The race in 2017 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 127%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Irish Oaks, the over-round has been 118%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £118 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Irish Oaks 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 Irish Oaks Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Irish Oaks races over the last 20 renewals:
- Alexandrova (2:29.60) in 2006
- Covert Love (2:30.38) in 2015
- Enable (2:32.13) 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 Irish Oaks next time out, then you would have backed a total of 9 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +3.68. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Irish Oaks.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2009 renewal when Sariska from Michael Bell under the guidance of Jamie Spencer, won in a time of 2:45.84, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Alexandrova, trained by A P O'Brien and ridden by Kieren Fallon set the quickest time of 2:29.60 in the 2006 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Irish Oaks Past Winners
Here are the Irish Oaks 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 Irish Oaks are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 2:33.62 | Minnie Hauk (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (1 of 7) 2/11F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2024 2:32.61 | You Got To Me (GB) 3yo 9-2 (2 of 14) 15/2 | Hector Crouch Ralph Beckett (GB) |
| 2023 2:43.11 | Savethelastdance (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (5 of 8) 10/11F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2022 2:34.02 | Magical Lagoon (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (8 of 7) 5/4F | Shane Foley Mrs John Harrington (IRE) |
| 2021 2:34.36 | Snowfall (JPN) 3yo 9-2 (1 of 8) 2/7F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2020 2:39.54 | Even So (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (2 of 8) 10/1 | Colin Keane G M Lyons (IRE) |
| 2019 2:34.49 | Star Catcher (GB) 3yo 9-0 (3 of 8) 7/2 | Frankie Dettori John Gosden (GB) |
| 2018 2:32.54 | Sea Of Class (IRE) 3yo 9-0 (7 of 7) 11/4 | James Doyle William Haggas (GB) |
| 2017 2:32.13 | Enable (GB) 3yo 9-0 (6 of 10) 2/5F | Frankie Dettori John Gosden (GB) |
| 2016 2:34.53 | Seventh Heaven (IRE) 3yo 9-0 (9 of 11) 14/1 | Seamie Heffernan A P O'Brien (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Irish Oaks have been based:
- IRE: 10 winners with an additional 24 placings from 144 runners
- GB: 9 winners with an additional 9 placings from 40 runners
- FR: 1 winner with an additional 1 placing from 3 runners
2025 Irish Oaks Replay
Irish Oaks Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Irish Oaks over the last 20 renewals is A P O'Brien, who has won the race eight times, with those eight winners coming from Alexandrova (2006), Peeping Fawn (2007), Moonstone (2008), Bracelet (2014), Seventh Heaven (2016), Snowfall (2021), Savethelastdance (2023) and Minnie Hauk (2025). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Irish Oaks is John Gosden (3 wins). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Irish Oaks. J S Bolger has sent a total of 12 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst D K Weld has sent out 11 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Irish Oaks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A P O'Brien | 68-8-23 | -29.09 | -6.25 |
| John Gosden | 5-3-3 | +3.15 | +1.12 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 6-1-3 | -3.75 | -2.47 |
| G M Lyons | 5-1-1 | +6.00 | +2.00 |
| Ralph Beckett | 5-1-2 | +3.50 | +1.40 |
| Hugo Palmer | 3-1-2 | +5.00 | +3.30 |
| William Haggas | 3-1-1 | +0.75 | -0.28 |
| A De Royer-Dupre | 1-1-1 | +4.50 | +2.81 |
| Ed Dunlop | 1-1-1 | +3.50 | +2.10 |
| Michael Bell | 1-1-1 | +1.00 | +0.60 |
Irish Oaks Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Irish Oaks over the last 20 renewals is Ryan Moore, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Snow Fairy (2010), Snowfall (2021), Savethelastdance (2023) and Minnie Hauk (2025).
Here are some of the top Irish Oaks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Moore | 11-4-8 | -2.12 | -0.77 |
| Seamie Heffernan | 17-1-5 | -2.00 | -3.25 |
| Colin Keane | 6-1-2 | +5.00 | +1.90 |
| Shane Foley | 3-1-2 | -0.75 | -0.52 |
| James Doyle | 2-1-1 | +1.75 | +0.72 |
| William Buick | 2-1-2 | +0.25 | +3.58 |
| Hector Crouch | 1-1-1 | +7.50 | +4.50 |
| Jamie Spencer | 1-1-1 | +1.00 | +0.60 |
| Wayne Lordan | 9-0-2 | -9.00 | -6.71 |
| Declan McDonogh | 9-0-0 | -9.00 | -9.00 |
2026 Irish Oaks Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 2, 1, 1, 15, 3, 1, 5, 5, 3, 7, 1, 5, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 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 (57%) - Within the first 5 of the market
- 20 / 20 (58%) - No bigger than 14/1
- 20 / 20 (65%) - Achieved an RPR of 100+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (74%) - Achieved a TS of 44+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (75%) - Break of 14 - 77 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Highest Run is not G3/Cl2-5
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Achieved a TS of 68+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Highest Placed is not Cl2-5
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Won within last 3 starts
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Off a break of 14 - 50 days
- 20 / 20 (83%) - In a field of 8 - 18 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Ran in 3 - 9 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Had 2 - 7 placings (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Achieved an RPR of 65+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Fewer than 2 races (30 Days)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Curragh racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Irish Oaks. 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 Irish Oaks by adding a tip on the race here.
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2026 Irish Oaks Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2026 renewal of the Irish Oaks will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually 48 hours before the race.
Irish Oaks Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +15.56, is when runners ran in England when last winning.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 1 win in the past year; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-80.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 1 (3) [7 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 2 (6,4) [14 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 5 (7,4) [8 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 8 (6) [7 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 1 (6,3) [8 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Irish Oaks is Epsom; there have been a total of 10 winners of this race who ran at Epsom last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Ascot; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Ascot last time out.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Irish Oaks:
- Galileo (4 Wins)
- Montjeu (2 Wins)
- Nathaniel (2 Wins)
- Sea The Stars (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 Irish Oaks; that stallion is Fastnet Rock, who has failed to produce a winner from 7 runners.
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Seventh Heaven in 2016, winning for A P O'Brien at odds of 14/1 under the guidance of Seamie Heffernan. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 9 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 Irish Oaks.
Route to the Irish Oaks
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Irish Oaks. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Minnie Hauk Epsom - 1st of 9 (9/2) | Epsom Oaks |
| 2024 - You Got To Me Ascot - 4th of 12 (7/2) | Ribblesdale Stakes |
| 2023 - Savethelastdance Epsom - 2nd of 9 (5/6) | Epsom Oaks |
| 2022 - Magical Lagoon Ascot - 1st of 6 (11/4) | Ribblesdale Stakes |
| 2021 - Snowfall Epsom - 1st of 14 (11/2) | Epsom Oaks |
| 2020 - Even So Naas - 1st of 6 (13/8) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Naas Oaks Trial |
| 2019 - Star Catcher Ascot - 1st of 11 (4/1) | Ribblesdale Stakes |
| 2018 - Sea Of Class Newbury - 1st of 7 (3/10) | Johnnie Lewis Memorial British EBF Stakes |
| 2017 - Enable Epsom - 1st of 9 (6/1) | Epsom Oaks |
| 2016 - Seventh Heaven Epsom - 6th of 9 (20/1) | Epsom Oaks |
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 Irish Oaks 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 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 April
Races in May (Irish Guineas Festival)
Races in June
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
