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2026 July Festival Handicap Preview
Scheduled to take place in July of each year at the Newmarket racecourse during the July Festival is this Class 2 Heritage Handicap. The race is restricted to three-year-old runners only and is run over a distance of one mile and two furlongs.
July Festival Handicap Information:
- July Festival Handicap Past Winners
- July Festival Handicap Trainer Statistics
- July Festival Handicap Jockey Statistics
Why not use the trends shortlist below to help you narrow down the field and then head over to the dedicated Newmarket 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 during the Newmarket July Festival section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the July Festival Handicap market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2025, when the race had an over-round of 115%. The race in 2007 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 Handicap, the over-round has been 122%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £122 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 July Festival 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 Handicap Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run July Festival Handicap races over the last 20 renewals:
- Walkinthesand (2:00.61) in 2019
- Maputo (2:00.91) in 2013
- New London (2:01.81) in 2022
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 Handicap 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 +1.60. Ahead of the 2026 July Festival Handicap, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Walkinthesand, trained by Richard Hannon and ridden by Ryan Moore, who set the fastest winning time in the July Festival Handicap. That runner won the race in a time of 2:00.61 in 2019. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Andrew Balding and jockey Ryan Moore with Stature who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 2:09.11 in the 2012 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
July Festival Handicap Past Winners
Here are the July Festival 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 Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 2:04.66 | Kings Charter (IRE) 3yo 9-9 (8 of 8) 9/4F | William Buick Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2024 2:05.22 | Involvement (GB) 3yo 9-5 (6 of 10) 100/30F | Oisin Murphy Simon & Ed Crisford (GB) |
| 2023 2:06.61 | Killybegs Warrior (IRE) 3yo 9-7 (6 of 12) 20/1 | Kevin Stott Charlie Johnston (GB) |
| 2022 2:01.81 | New London (IRE) 3yo 9-6 (1 of 12) 6/4F | William Buick Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2021 2:02.86 | Dubai Honour (IRE) 3yo 8-12 (5 of 10) 11/2 | James Doyle William Haggas (GB) |
| 2020 2:04.84 | Zabeel Champion (GB) 3yo 8-5 (2 of 11) 8/1 | P J McDonald Mark Johnston (GB) |
| 2019 2:00.61 | Walkinthesand (IRE) 3yo 9-7 (6 of 14) 9/1 | Ryan Moore Richard Hannon (GB) |
| 2018 2:04.65 | Communique (IRE) 3yo 8-9 (4 of 9) 8/1 | Silvestre De Sousa Mark Johnston (GB) |
| 2017 2:02.34 | Marzouq (USA) 3yo 8-8 (1 of 11) 6/1 | J F Egan Jeremy Noseda (GB) |
| 2016 2:01.97 | Ode To Evening (GB) 3yo 9-5 (13 of 13) 25/1 | James McDonald Mark Johnston (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the July Festival Handicap have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 43 placings from 254 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
2025 July Festival Handicap Replay
July Festival Handicap Trainer Statistics
There are two leading trainers in the July Festival Handicap over the last 20 renewals, with both Andrew Balding and Charlie Appleby, who have both won the race twice. Andrew Balding's winners have been with Jedediah (2008) and Stature (2012). Charlie Appleby's winners have been New London (2022) and Kings Charter (2025). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the July Festival Handicap. Sir Michael Stoute has sent a total of 11 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst John Gosden has sent out 11 without a winner.
Here are some of the top July Festival 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 | 16-2-6 | +9.00 | +8.18 |
| Charlie Appleby | 10-2-4 | -4.25 | -3.21 |
| William Haggas | 13-1-2 | -6.50 | -6.45 |
| Richard Fahey | 7-1-2 | +1.00 | +0.88 |
| Charlie Johnston | 5-1-2 | +16.00 | +9.50 |
| Richard Hannon | 5-1-4 | +5.00 | +10.53 |
| Simon & Ed Crisford | 3-1-1 | +1.33 | +0.00 |
| Sir Michael Stoute | 11-0-5 | -11.00 | -4.88 |
| John Gosden | 11-0-1 | -11.00 | -9.75 |
| Ed Dunlop | 5-0-2 | -5.00 | +0.13 |
July Festival Handicap Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the July Festival Handicap over the last 20 renewals is William Buick, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Resonant (2015), New London (2022) and Kings Charter (2025). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the July Festival Handicap is Ryan Moore (2 wins).
Here are some of the top July Festival 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Buick | 11-3-4 | +7.75 | +2.49 |
| Ryan Moore | 18-2-9 | +5.00 | +5.94 |
| Joe Fanning | 14-1-3 | -6.50 | -3.43 |
| James Doyle | 10-1-2 | -3.50 | -4.70 |
| Jamie Spencer | 10-1-3 | -6.00 | -1.24 |
| Silvestre De Sousa | 6-1-4 | +3.00 | +4.34 |
| J F Egan | 5-1-1 | +2.00 | -0.40 |
| Oisin Murphy | 5-1-2 | -0.67 | -1.15 |
| P J McDonald | 4-1-3 | +5.00 | +6.05 |
| Tom Queally | 3-1-1 | +38.00 | +23.00 |
2026 July Festival Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 11, 7, 3, 7, 2, 10, (3, 5), 3, 9, 5, 8, 8, 5, 4, 5, 1, 4, 1, 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 (83%) - Achieved an RPR of 89+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Fewer than 3 races (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Highest Run is not G1/Cl3/Cl5
- 20 / 20 (87%) - No more than -16lbs (Vs Max Weight)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Furthest Placed 1m - 1m3½f
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved a TS of 41+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Furthest Won 6f - 1m2f
- 19 / 20 (76%) - Held an OR of 87+
- 19 / 20 (80%) - Beaten no more -9¾l (Debut)
- 19 / 20 (84%) - No bigger than 40/1 (Career)
- 19 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 25/1
- 17 / 20 (69%) - No bigger than 14/1 (Debut)
- 17 / 20 (71%) - Achieved a TS of 78+ (Last 5)
- 17 / 20 (73%) - No bigger than 7/1 (Career Win)
- 17 / 20 (82%) - No bigger than 16/1 (Career Place)
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 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 Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
2026 July Festival Handicap Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2026 renewal of the July Festival Handicap will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually 48 hours before the race.
July Festival Handicap Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +52.58, 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 ran in a race worth £3k when last winning, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-40.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 8 (1,7) [8 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 6 (1,10) [10 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 6 (5,7) [12 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 1 (8,7) [12 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 5 (1,2) [10 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the July Festival Handicap is Ascot; there have been a total of 8 winners of this race who ran at Ascot last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 245 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 10 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the July Festival Handicap:
- Cape Cross (2 Wins)
- Poets Voice (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the July Festival Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- New Approach (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Rock Of Gibraltar (0 Wins from 6 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Circumvent in 2010, winning for Paul Cole at odds of 40/1 under the guidance of Tom Queally. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 4 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 July Festival Handicap, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the July Festival Handicap
Many trainers target races as preparation for the July Festival Handicap. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Kings Charter Doncaster - 1st of 16 (4/1) | Hits Radio Proudly Supports WPCC Novice Stakes |
| 2024 - Involvement Ascot - 7th of 29 (11/1) | Britannia Stakes |
| 2023 - Killybegs Warrior Ascot - 11th of 16 (50/1) | Hampton Court Stakes |
| 2022 - New London Chester - 2nd of 4 (4/11) | Chester Vase |
| 2021 - Dubai Honour Ascot - 4th of 29 (29/1) | Britannia Stakes |
| 2020 - Zabeel Champion Newmarket (Rowley) - 1st of 5 (12/1) | Betway Heed Your Hunch Handicap |
| 2019 - Walkinthesand Sandown - 5th of 8 (7/2) | Matchbook Low Commission Exchange Heron Stakes |
| 2018 - Communique York - 5th of 6 (4/1) | sunbets.co.uk Handicap |
| 2017 - Marzouq Goodwood - 2nd of 8 (15/8) | Ladys Newspaper Handicap |
| 2016 - Ode To Evening Sandown - 6th of 9 (14/1) | BetStars By Pokerstars 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 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 Newmarket Bahrain Trophy Stakes | Scandinavia (USA) 3yo - 11/8 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 14:25 Newmarket July Stakes | Zavateri (IRE) 2yo - 18/1 | Eve Johnson Houghton Charles Bishop |
| 15:00 Newmarket Betway Sprint Handicap | Prince Of India (IRE) 3yo - 7/1 | Marco Botti Marco Ghiani |
| 15:35 Newmarket Princess of Wales's Stakes | El Cordobes (IRE) 4yo - 7/2 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 Newmarket July Festival Handicap | Kings Charter (IRE) 3yo - 9/4 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| 14:25 Newmarket Duchess of Cambridge Stakes | Venetian Sun (IRE) 2yo - 2/5 | K R Burke Clifford Lee |
| 15:00 Newmarket Betway Trophy | Oneforthegutter (GB) 6yo - 12/1 | Ian Williams Silvestre De Sousa |
| 15:35 Newmarket Falmouth Stakes | Cinderellas Dream (GB) 4yo - 5/2 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 14:50 Newmarket Bunbury Cup | More Thunder (IRE) 4yo - 6/5 | William Haggas Tom Marquand |
| 15:25 Newmarket Newmarket Handicap Stakes | Fifth Column (IRE) 3yo - 4/1 | John & Thady Gosden Ryan Moore |
| 16:00 Newmarket Superlative Stakes | Saba Desert (GB) 2yo - 6/1 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| 16:35 Newmarket July Cup | No Half Measures (GB) 4yo - 66/1 | Richard Hughes Neil Callan |
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 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
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this July Festival 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
