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 youâre betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 John Durkan Memorial Chase Preview
Having been first run back in 1968, the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Chase is scheduled to take place in November of each year at the Punchestown racecourse. It was initially run over two miles but is now run over two miles and four furlongs.
John Durkan Memorial Chase Information:
- John Durkan Memorial Chase Past Winners
- John Durkan Memorial Chase Trainer Statistics
- John Durkan Memorial Chase Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Punchestown tips page that will cover this race as well as all of the other races on the day of the race. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Punchestown Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the John Durkan Memorial Chase market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2013 when the race had an over-round of 106%. The race in 2007 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 John Durkan Memorial Chase, the over-round has been 114%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ114 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 John Durkan Memorial Chase 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 John Durkan Memorial Chase Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run John Durkan Memorial Chase races over the last 20 renewals:
- Arvika Ligeonniere (5:01.90) in 2013
- Fact To File (5:03.90) in 2024
- Gaelic Warrior (5:06.50) 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 John Durkan Memorial Chase 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 -12.40. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 John Durkan Memorial Chase.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2022 renewal when Galopin Des Champs from W P Mullins under the guidance of Paul Townend, won in a time of 5:37.40, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Arvika Ligeonniere, trained by W P Mullins and ridden by R Walsh set the quickest time of 5:01.90 in the 2013 renewal.
John Durkan Memorial Chase Past Winners
Here are the John Durkan Memorial Chase 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. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the John Durkan Memorial Chase are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 5:06.50 | Gaelic Warrior (GER) 7yo 11-12 13/8 | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2024 5:03.90 | Fact To File (FR) 7yo 11-12 7/2 | Mark Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2023 5:14.10 | Fastorslow (FR) 7yo 11-12 9/1 | J J Slevin Martin Brassil (IRE) |
| 2022 5:37.40 | Galopin Des Champs (FR) 6yo 11-10 2/9F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2021 5:24.40 | Allaho (FR) 7yo 11-12 7/2 | Mr P W Mullins W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2020 5:23.80 | Min (FR) 9yo 11-12 13/8F | Mr P W Mullins W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2019 5:36.30 | Min (FR) 8yo 11-10 8/11F | Paul Townend W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2018 5:17.90 | Min (FR) 7yo 11-10 1/1F | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2017 5:34.30 | Sizing John (GB) 7yo 11-10 2/1 | Robbie Power Mrs John Harrington (IRE) |
| 2016 5:16.10 | Djakadam (FR) 7yo 11-10 4/5F | R Walsh W P Mullins (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the John Durkan Memorial Chase have been based:
- IRE: 18 winners with an additional 25 placings from 134 runners
- GB: 2 winners with an additional 1 placing from 3 runners
2025 John Durkan Memorial Chase Replay
John Durkan Memorial Chase Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the John Durkan Memorial Chase over the last 20 renewals is W P Mullins, who has won the race ten times, with those ten winners coming from Arvika Ligeonniere (2013), Djakadam (2015 & 2016), Min (2018, 2019 & 2020), Allaho (2021), Galopin Des Champs (2022), Fact To File (2024) and Gaelic Warrior (2025).
Here are some of the top John Durkan Memorial Chase 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| W P Mullins | 52-10-20 | -26.67 | -14.95 |
| Gordon Elliott | 10-1-4 | -7.37 | -2.54 |
| Martin Brassil | 5-1-2 | +5.00 | +3.13 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 3-1-2 | +0.00 | +0.40 |
| E J O'Grady | 2-1-1 | +1.50 | +0.50 |
| Paul Nolan | 2-1-2 | +1.25 | +1.22 |
| Paul Nicholls | 1-1-1 | +2.25 | +1.35 |
| Henry De Bromhead | 8-0-0 | -8.00 | -8.00 |
| Noel Meade | 6-0-0 | -6.00 | -6.00 |
| M F Morris | 4-0-2 | -4.00 | -2.58 |
John Durkan Memorial Chase Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the John Durkan Memorial Chase over the last 20 renewals is Paul Townend, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Min (2019), Galopin Des Champs (2022) and Gaelic Warrior (2025). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the John Durkan Memorial Chase is Mr P W Mullins (2 wins).
Here are some of the top John Durkan Memorial Chase 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Townend | 8-3-5 | -2.42 | -1.96 |
| Mr P W Mullins | 6-2-3 | +1.13 | +0.37 |
| Mark Walsh | 6-1-3 | -1.50 | -1.07 |
| J J Slevin | 4-1-3 | +6.00 | +5.63 |
| Alain Cawley | 1-1-1 | +2.25 | +1.41 |
| Keith Donoghue | 6-0-1 | -6.00 | -3.00 |
| Brian Hayes | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | +0.50 |
| Jack Kennedy | 4-0-2 | -4.00 | -0.89 |
| Mr Derek O'Connor | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| Danny Mullins | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
2026 John Durkan Memorial Chase Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 2, 1, (1, 3), 1, 5, (1, 2), 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 6, 1, 3, 4, 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 (52%) - No bigger than 9/1
- 20 / 20 (58%) - Within the first 4 of the market
- 20 / 20 (73%) - Ran in 7 - 22 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (74%) - Achieved a TS of 121+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - In a field of 3 - 9 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Carried 159 - 166lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Break of 24 - 302 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - No bigger than 25/1 (Career Place)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Achieved an RPR of 151+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Furthest ran 2m4f - 3m2½f
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Achieved an RPR of 151+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran in 4 - 16 races (Chase)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Won within last 5 starts
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Carried 159 - 168lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Ran in a Non Handicap (LTO)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Punchestown racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the John Durkan Memorial Chase. 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 ÂŁ6,000 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 John Durkan Memorial Chase by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
John Durkan Memorial Chase Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +5.70, is when runners were 1st in the betting market.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 1 place in the past year, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-21.
The course which has produced the most winners of the John Durkan Memorial Chase is Punchestown; there have been a total of 7 winners of this race who ran at Punchestown last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Down Royal; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Down Royal last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 133 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 4 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the John Durkan Memorial Chase:
- Saint Des Saints (3 Wins)
- Walk In The Park (3 Wins)
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have been disappointed with multiple attempts but no wins in the John Durkan Memorial Chase; that stallion is Presenting, 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 Fastorslow in 2023, winning for Martin Brassil at odds of 9/1 under the guidance of J J Slevin. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 12 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2026 John Durkan Memorial Chase, head over to see which runners the best racing tipsters are tipping today.
Route to the John Durkan Memorial Chase
Many trainers target races as preparation for the John Durkan Memorial Chase. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Gaelic Warrior Sandown - 1st of 9 (5/6) | Oaksey Chase |
| 2024 - Fact To File Cheltenham - 1st of 6 (8/13) | Brown Advisory Novices' Chase |
| 2023 - Fastorslow Punchestown - 1st of 5 (20/1) | Punchestown Gold Cup |
| 2022 - Galopin Des Champs Fairyhouse - 1st of 4 (59/50) | Fairyhouse Easter Gold Cup |
| 2021 - Allaho Punchestown - 2nd of 6 (6/4) | Punchestown Champion Chase |
| 2020 - Min Cheltenham - 1st of 8 (2/1) | Ryanair Chase |
| 2019 - Min Punchestown - 2nd of 6 (8/13) | Punchestown Champion Chase |
| 2018 - Min Punchestown - 7th of 7 (1/1) | Punchestown Champion Hurdle |
| 2017 - Sizing John Punchestown - 1st of 6 (19/10) | Punchestown Gold Cup |
| 2016 - Djakadam Punchestown - 2nd of 6 (9/2) | Punchestown Gold Cup |
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 John Durkan Memorial Chase Preview are Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team, looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
