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2027 July Festival Sprint Handicap Preview
Taking place at the July Festival each year at the Newmarket racecourse is this handicap that is restricted to runners who are aged three years old. The race is a Class 2 in which the runners compete over a six-furlong trip.
July Festival Sprint Handicap Information:
- July Festival Sprint Handicap Past Winners
- July Festival Sprint Handicap Trainer Statistics
- July Festival Sprint Handicap Jockey Statistics
If you are interested in other predictions at Newmarket, then head over to the Newmarket tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal races during the Newmarket July Festival section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the July Festival Sprint Handicap market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2024, when the race had an over-round of 121%. The race in 2018 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 135%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the July Festival Sprint Handicap, the over-round has been 128%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £128 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 July Festival Sprint 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 July Festival Sprint Handicap Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run July Festival Sprint Handicap races over the last 20 renewals:
- Shmookh (1:09.93) in 2007
- Lethal Levi (1:09.95) in 2022
- Pass The Vino (1:10.00) in 2019
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 July Festival Sprint Handicap next time out, then you would have backed a total of 7 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +19.46. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 1:09.93 was set by Shmookh in 2007, trained by John Dunlop and ridden by Richard Hills, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2012 when Fulbright won in a time of 1:13.68 for trainer Mark Johnston, who booked Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle.
July Festival Sprint Handicap Past Winners
Here are the July Festival Sprint 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 July Festival Sprint Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 1:10.22 | Jazl (IRE) 3yo 9-3 (2 of 13) 12/1 | Jack Mitchell Simon & Ed Crisford (GB) |
| 2025 1:10.17 | Prince Of India (IRE) 3yo 8-6 (5 of 17) 7/1 | Marco Ghiani Marco Botti (GB) |
| 2024 1:11.81 | Sergeant Wilko (IRE) 3yo 8-10 (9 of 13) 6/1 | Oisin Murphy Kevin Ryan (GB) |
| 2023 1:10.01 | Quinault (GER) 3yo 8-3 (11 of 16) 4/1F | Connor Planas (5lbs) Stuart Williams (GB) |
| 2022 1:09.95 | Lethal Levi (GB) 3yo 8-3 (14 of 19) 16/1 | Jimmy Quinn K R Burke (GB) |
| 2021 1:10.29 | Blackrod (GB) 3yo 8-4 (16 of 17) 11/1 | Silvestre De Sousa Michael Dods (GB) |
| 2020 1:12.54 | Elon (GB) 3yo 8-6 (12 of 17) 40/1 | Callum Shepherd William Knight (GB) |
| 2019 1:10.00 | Pass The Vino (IRE) 3yo 8-4 (20 of 20) 25/1 | David Egan Paul D'Arcy (GB) |
| 2018 1:11.57 | Foxtrot Lady (GB) 3yo 8-12 (8 of 20) 8/1 | David Probert Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2017 1:11.72 | Ekhtiyaar (GB) 3yo 8-10 (19 of 19) 13/2 | Jim Crowley Roger Varian (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the July Festival Sprint Handicap have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 56 placings from 348 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 5 runners
July Festival Sprint Handicap Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the July Festival Sprint Handicap over the last 20 renewals is Andrew Balding, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Fireback (2010), Dancing Star (2016) and Foxtrot Lady (2018). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the July Festival Sprint Handicap. Richard Hannon (0-13), William Haggas (0-11) and Tim Easterby (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top July Festival Sprint 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Balding | 14-3-7 | +16.00 | +13.69 |
| Richard Fahey | 27-1-6 | -19.00 | -9.30 |
| Kevin Ryan | 19-1-6 | -12.00 | -5.19 |
| Roger Varian | 10-1-3 | -2.50 | -1.81 |
| Charles Hills | 8-1-1 | +0.00 | -2.62 |
| K R Burke | 6-1-1 | +11.00 | +5.00 |
| Stuart Williams | 5-1-1 | +0.00 | -1.50 |
| Simon & Ed Crisford | 4-1-1 | +9.00 | +4.50 |
| Marco Botti | 4-1-2 | +4.00 | +2.69 |
| Michael Dods | 3-1-2 | +9.00 | +6.88 |
July Festival Sprint Handicap Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the July Festival Sprint Handicap over the last 20 renewals is David Probert, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Fireback (2010), Coeus (2011), Dancing Star (2016) and Foxtrot Lady (2018). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the July Festival Sprint Handicap is Silvestre De Sousa (2 wins). Multiple jockeys have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the July Festival Sprint Handicap; William Buick (0-15), Andrea Atzeni (0-10) and James Doyle (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite having multiple rides in the race.
Here are some of the top July Festival Sprint 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Probert | 7-4-6 | +33.00 | +26.39 |
| Silvestre De Sousa | 7-2-3 | +16.00 | +9.76 |
| Ryan Moore | 15-1-2 | -7.00 | -8.56 |
| Oisin Murphy | 7-1-3 | +0.00 | +0.44 |
| Jimmy Quinn | 6-1-2 | +11.00 | +8.00 |
| David Egan | 5-1-1 | +21.00 | +11.63 |
| Jim Crowley | 5-1-2 | +2.50 | +0.98 |
| Marco Ghiani | 4-1-2 | +4.00 | +2.76 |
| Tom Queally | 3-1-1 | +31.00 | +18.63 |
| Charles Bishop | 3-1-1 | +31.00 | +18.63 |
2027 July Festival Sprint Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, 7, 8, 8, 8, 6, 2, (3, 15), 4, 6, 13, 17, 12, 3, 9, 3, 1, 8, 15, 3
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 (74%) - Break of 14 - 266 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - In a field of 7 - 15 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Furthest Won 6f - 7f
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Had 2 - 8 placings (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Carried 126 - 133lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 25/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Highest Placed is not G2-3/Cl5-6
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Placed within last 4 starts
- 18 / 20 (62%) - Beaten no more -5l (LTO)
- 18 / 20 (70%) - Achieved an RPR of 83+ (LTO)
- 18 / 20 (80%) - No more than +13lbs (Vs Min Weight)
- 18 / 20 (84%) - Carried no more than 128lbs
- 18 / 20 (86%) - Held an OR of 84+ (LTO)
- 18 / 20 (87%) - No more than -17lbs (Vs Max Weight)
- 18 / 20 (88%) - Achieved an RPR of 84+ (Trip)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Newmarket racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the July Festival Sprint 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 July Festival Sprint Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
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2027 July Festival Sprint Handicap Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2027 renewal of the July Festival Sprint Handicap will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually 48 hours before the race.
July Festival Sprint Handicap Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +42.00, is when the runner's last place was 1 start ago.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners finished in 1st on debut; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-81.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2026: Winner in 2 (9,7) [13 Runners]
- 2025: Winner in 5 (14,4,15) [17 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 9 (12,8) [13 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 11 (9,4,12) [16 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 14 (11,13,4) [19 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the July Festival Sprint Handicap is York; there have been a total of 7 winners of this race who ran at York last time out. The next best courses, which have produced the second most winners, are Ascot and Newmarket (July); 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 18 winners from a total of 307 runners, while female runners have produced 2 winners from a total of 46 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the July Festival Sprint Handicap; that stallion, Bated Breath, has produced 2 winners (2020,2017).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the July Festival Sprint Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- Acclamation (0 Wins from 13 runners)
- Kodiac (0 Wins from 12 runners)
- Invincible Spirit (0 Wins from 11 runners)
- Ardad (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Dutch Art (0 Wins from 6 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Elon in 2020, winning for William Knight at odds of 40/1 under the guidance of Callum Shepherd. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 1 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Route to the July Festival Sprint Handicap
Many trainers target races as preparation for the July Festival Sprint Handicap. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Jazl Ascot - 27th of 27 (13/2) | Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes |
| 2025 - Prince Of India Leicester - 2nd of 13 (6/1) | King Power Handicap |
| 2024 - Sergeant Wilko Leicester - 1st of 6 (3/1) | King Power Handicap |
| 2023 - Quinault York - 1st of 21 (15/2) | Oakmere Homes Supporting Macmillan Sprint Handicap |
| 2022 - Lethal Levi Newmarket (July) - 2nd of 6 (7/2) | Cambridge Precision Innovation Handicap |
| 2021 - Blackrod York - 2nd of 17 (18/1) | Pavers Foundation Catherine Memorial Sprint Handicap |
| 2020 - Elon Wolverhampton (AW) - 1st of 9 (11/8) | British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Auction Stakes |
| 2019 - Pass The Vino Wolverhampton (AW) - 1st of 8 (9/4) | Betway Best For Cheltenham Festival Offers Novice Median Auction Stakes |
| 2018 - Foxtrot Lady York - 5th of 20 (6/1) | Pavers Foundation Catherine Memorial Sprint Handicap |
| 2017 - Ekhtiyaar York - 5th of 18 (5/2) | Catherine Kinloch Paver Memorial Macmillan Charity Handicap |
Other Principal races during the Newmarket July Festival
Remember to head to the Newmarket predictions page to see which runner the racing tipsters support in the July Festival Sprint Handicap. Below are the other principal races that we cover during the July Festival, with links to each race blog as well as information for last year's winners.
Thursday at the July Festival
The highlight on Thursday, known as Ladies Day, is the Princess of Wales's Stakes, a Group 2 contest over one mile and four furlongs.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Bahrain Trophy Stakes | Point Of Law (GB) 3yo - 5/2 | John & Thady Gosden James Doyle |
| July Stakes | Inner City Blues (IRE) 2yo - 5/6 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| July Festival Sprint Handicap | Jazl (IRE) 3yo - 12/1 | Simon & Ed Crisford Jack Mitchell |
| Princess of Wales's Stakes | Rebels Romance (IRE) 8yo - 8/11 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
Friday at the July Festival
Festival Friday, as it is known, features the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes, which is part of the British Champion Series and is run over a mile.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| July Festival Handicap | Heraldry (GB) 3yo - 5/1 | John & Thady Gosden William Buick |
| Duchess of Cambridge Stakes | Senorita Bonita (IRE) 2yo - 9/4 | Simon & Ed Crisford Oisin Murphy |
| Betway Trophy | Valedictory (GB) 4yo - 7/2 | John & Thady Gosden William Buick |
| Falmouth Stakes | Blue Bolt (IRE) 4yo - 85/40 | Andrew Balding Colin Keane |
Saturday at the July Festival
As the name would indicate, 'July Cup Day', the main race on the final day of the July Festival is the July Cup, another race which is part of the British Champion Series; this race is contested over six furlongs.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Newmarket Handicap Stakes | St Anton (IRE) 3yo - 10/1 | Richard Hannon Pat Dobbs |
| Bunbury Cup | Aalto (FR) 6yo - 4/1 | Ian Williams William Buick |
| Superlative Stakes | Al Hudaiba (GB) 2yo - 5/2 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| July Cup | Comanche Brave (IRE) 4yo - 11/1 | Donnacha Aidan O'Brien Billy Loughnane |
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 July Festival Sprint 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 Newmarket Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Newmarket racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in April (Craven Meeting)
Races in May (Guineas Festival)
- Jockey Club Stakes
- King Charles II Stakes
- Newmarket Stakes
- 2000 Guineas
- Palace House Stakes
- Rowley Handicap Stakes
- Suffolk Stakes
- 1000 Guineas
- Dahlia Stakes
- Pretty Polly Stakes
Races in September (Cambridgeshire Meeting)
- Jockey Club Rose Bowl
- Tattersall Stakes
- Godolphin Stakes
- Joel Stakes
- Princess Royal Stakes
- Rockfel Stakes
- Rosemary Stakes
- Cambridgeshire Handicap
- Cambridgeshire Meeting Sprint Handicap
- Cheveley Park Stakes
- Jersey Lily Fillies Nursery
- Middle Park Stakes
- Royal Lodge Stakes
