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2027 John Smith's Cup Preview
Previously known as the Magnet Cup, the John Smith's Cup is a Class 2 handicap run at York in July of each year. The race is open to runners who are three years old or older and is run 1m2½f.
The race holds the record for the longest-running commercial sponsorship in British racing, having been sponsored by John Smith's Brewery since the race was first created in 1960.
John Smith's Cup Information:
Why not use the trends shortlist below to help you narrow down the field and then head over to the dedicated York 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 York Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the John Smith's Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2012, when the race had an over-round of 119%. The race in 2019 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 139%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the John Smith's Cup, the over-round has been 131%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £131 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 John Smith's 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 John Smith's Cup Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run John Smith's Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Charlie Tokyo (1:56.61) in 2007
- Sirvino (2:07.18) in 2009
- Educate (2:07.34) in 2016
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 Smith's Cup 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 -5.25. Before placing your bet on the 2027 John Smith's Cup, see which other runners today are being backed 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 2008 renewal when Flying Clarets from Richard Fahey under the guidance of Frederik Tylicki, won in a time of 2:17.61, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Charlie Tokyo, trained by Richard Fahey and ridden by Jamie Moriarty set the quickest time of 1:56.61 in the 2007 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
John Smith's Cup Past Winners
Here are the John Smith's Cup 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 John Smith's Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 2:09.35 | Raammee (GB) 4yo 9-2 (14 of 22) 5/1 | Ray Dawson Roger Varian (GB) |
| 2025 2:10.10 | Fox Legacy (GB) 4yo 9-4 (19 of 18) 10/1 | P J McDonald Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2024 2:09.66 | Enfjaar (IRE) 4yo 9-1 (1 of 20) 15/2 | Jack Mitchell Roger Varian (GB) |
| 2023 2:09.18 | Pride Of America (FR) 6yo 9-5 (2 of 18) 18/1 | Frederick Larson (3lbs) Amy Murphy (GB) |
| 2022 2:08.37 | Anmaat (IRE) 4yo 9-8 (10 of 22) 5/1F | Kevin Stott Owen Burrows (GB) |
| 2021 2:11.82 | Johnny Drama (IRE) 6yo 8-13 (1 of 20) 22/1 | Joshua Bryan Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2020 2:09.48 | Sinjaari (IRE) 4yo 8-11 (7 of 22) 11/1 | Stevie Donohoe William Haggas (GB) |
| 2019 2:10.38 | Pivoine (IRE) 5yo 9-8 (6 of 21) 14/1 | Rob Hornby Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2018 2:09.50 | Euchen Glen (GB) 5yo 9-3 (3 of 19) 20/1 | Alistair Rawlinson Jim Goldie (GB) |
| 2017 2:10.16 | Ballet Concerto (GB) 4yo 9-3 (11 of 20) 8/1 | James Doyle Sir Michael Stoute (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the John Smith's Cup have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 60 placings from 376 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 4 runners
John Smith's Cup Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the John Smith's Cup over the last 20 renewals, with William Haggas, Andrew Balding, and Roger Varian having all won the race three times. William Haggas's winners have been Green Destiny (2011), Danchai (2013) and Sinjaari (2020). Andrew Balding's winners have been with Pivoine (2019), Johnny Drama (2021) and Fox Legacy (2025). Roger Varian's winners have been with Farraaj (2014), Enfjaar (2024) and Raammee (2026). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the John Smith's Cup is Richard Fahey (2 wins). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the John Smith's Cup. Saeed bin Suroor (0-19), David O'Meara (0-17) and Brian Ellison (0-12) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top John Smith's 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Haggas | 22-3-6 | +8.00 | +1.86 |
| Andrew Balding | 14-3-6 | +35.00 | +24.50 |
| Roger Varian | 13-3-6 | +8.50 | +5.19 |
| Richard Fahey | 35-2-7 | -10.00 | -3.05 |
| Jim Goldie | 16-1-2 | +5.00 | +4.25 |
| Sir Michael Stoute | 9-1-5 | +0.00 | +1.63 |
| David Barron | 5-1-3 | +12.00 | +11.75 |
| Ismail Mohammed | 4-1-2 | +15.00 | +11.25 |
| Peter Chapple-Hyam | 3-1-1 | +31.00 | +18.63 |
| Rod Millman | 3-1-1 | +12.00 | +6.75 |
John Smith's Cup Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the John Smith's Cup over the last 20 renewals is Andrea Atzeni, who has won the race twice, with those two winners coming from Danchai (2013) and Farraaj (2014). Two jockeys have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the John Smith's Cup. Daniel Tudhope has ridden 12 runners in the race without recording any wins, whilst Paul Mulrennan has ridden 11 without a winner.
Here are some of the top John Smith's 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrea Atzeni | 8-2-3 | +10.00 | +5.31 |
| P J McDonald | 8-1-3 | +3.00 | +3.94 |
| Kevin Stott | 5-1-2 | +1.00 | +0.51 |
| Robert Havlin | 4-1-1 | +30.00 | +17.63 |
| Rob Hornby | 4-1-1 | +11.00 | +5.75 |
| Stevie Donohoe | 4-1-2 | +8.00 | +6.88 |
| Alistair Rawlinson | 3-1-1 | +18.00 | +10.50 |
| Jack Mitchell | 3-1-2 | +5.50 | +3.94 |
| Ray Dawson | 3-1-3 | +3.00 | +13.01 |
| James Doyle | 2-1-1 | +7.00 | +4.00 |
2027 John Smith's Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): (4, 14), 11, (2, 16), 6, 15, 15, (14, 2), 3, 5, (9, 16), 7, 14, 2, (9, 11), (12, PU), (1, 22), 17, 2, 3, 10
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 (77%) - Within the first 14 of the market
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Achieved a TS of 80+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Carried 122 - 137lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - No bigger than 33/1
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Ran in 1 - 23 races (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved an RPR of 96+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Fewer than 6 races (Season)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Ran in 3 - 12 races (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not on HY/SFT/FM/FS (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Fewer than 6 races (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Carried 121 - 137lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Ran in 4 - 37 races (Career)
- 19 / 20 (88%) - No older than a 6yo
- 18 / 20 (73%) - Achieved a TS of 85+ (Hcps)
- 18 / 20 (77%) - Won within last 6 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the York racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the John Smith's 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 John Smith's Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
2027 John Smith's Cup Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2027 renewal of the John Smith's Cup will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually 48 hours before the race.
John Smith's Cup Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +66.50, is when runners had 1 career place on the going.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had a furthest trip run of 1m2f; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-66.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2026: Winner in 14 (1,7,3) [22 Runners]
- 2025: Winner in 19 (10,6,14) [18 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 1 (6,10,8) [20 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 2 (11,6,3) [18 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 10 (3,8,2) [22 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the John Smith's Cup is Ascot; there have been a total of 6 winners of this race who ran at Ascot 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 19 winners from a total of 367 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 13 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the John Smith's Cup:
- Authorized (2 Wins)
- Lope De Vega (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the John Smith's Cup despite multiple attempts:
- Cape Cross (0 Wins from 13 runners)
- Dubawi (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Danehill Dancer (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Arcano (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Dark Angel (0 Wins from 6 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Kings Warrior in 2012, winning for Peter Chapple-Hyam at odds of 33/1 under the guidance of Robert Havlin. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 1 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2027 John Smith's Cup, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the John Smith's Cup
Many trainers target races as preparation for the John Smith's Cup. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Raammee Sandown - 2nd of 12 (4/1) | Read Meg Nicholls Blog At betmgm.co.uk Handicap |
| 2025 - Fox Legacy Ascot - 6th of 30 (7/1) | Royal Hunt Cup |
| 2024 - Enfjaar Chelmsford (AW) - 1st of 8 (6/4) | biologybyclare.com Handicap |
| 2023 - Pride Of America Longchamp - 7th of 8 (27/1) | La Coupe - Fondation Claude Pompidou |
| 2022 - Anmaat Newmarket (Rowley) - 2nd of 26 (11/2) | Cambridgeshire Handicap |
| 2021 - Johnny Drama Lingfield (AW) - 5th of 5 (11/2) | Winter Derby |
| 2020 - Sinjaari Newmarket (Rowley) - 13th of 19 (8/1) | Old Rowley Cup |
| 2019 - Pivoine Ascot - 18th of 19 (33/1) | Duke of Edinburgh Stakes |
| 2018 - Euchen Glen Newcastle (AW) - 2nd of 19 (7/1) | Northumberland Vase |
| 2017 - Ballet Concerto Ascot - 4th of 29 (20/1) | Royal Hunt 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 Smith's Cup 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 York Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the York racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in May (Dante Festival)
- Churchill Tyres Handicap
- Jorvik Stakes
- Minster Stakes
- Musidora Stakes
- Dante Stakes
- Hambleton Stakes
- Lindum York Handicap
- Middleton Stakes
- Westow Stakes
- Macmillan Charity Handicap
- Marygate Fillies Stakes
- Michael Seely Memorial Fillies Stakes
- Yorkshire Cup
Races in July
Races in August (Ebor Festival)
- Acomb Stakes
- Ebor Festival Stayers Heritage Handicap
- Great Voltigeur Stakes
- Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Handicap
- Juddmonte International Stakes
- Clipper Handicap
- Ebor Festival Fillies Heritage Handicap
- Galtres Stakes
- Harry's Half Million By Goffs
- Lowther Stakes
- Yorkshire Oaks
- Ebor Festival Mile Heritage Handicap
- Ebor Festival Sky Bet Heritage Handicap
- Gimcrack Stakes
- Lonsdale Cup
- Nunthorpe Stakes
- City of York Stakes
- Ebor Festival Finale Heritage Handicap
- Ebor Handicap
- Melrose Heritage Handicap
- Roses Stakes
- Strensall Stakes
