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2026 Mallard Handicap Preview
Scheduled to take place in September of each year at the Doncaster racecourse is the Mallard Handicap, which is run during the St Leger Festival.
The class two handicap is aimed at the stayers on the flat, with it being over a trip of one mile, six and a half furlongs, which is open to runners aged three or older.
Mallard Handicap Information:
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Doncaster 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 during the Doncaster St Leger Festival section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Mallard Handicap 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 110%. The race in 2008 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 123%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Mallard Handicap, the over-round has been 116%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £116 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Mallard 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 Mallard Handicap Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Mallard Handicap races over the last 20 renewals:
- Sunday Symphony (2:58.52) in 2006
- Nanton (3:02.64) in 2009
- Curbyourenthusiasm (3:03.34) in 2015
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 Mallard Handicap next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -9.67. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Mallard Handicap, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 2:58.52 was set by Sunday Symphony in 2006, which is the quickest time over that period. The runner was trained by Saeed bin Suroor and ridden by Frankie Dettori. The slowest winning time was set in 2023 when Legendary Day won in a time of 3:18.28, booked to ride was Mark Winn by trainer Adrian Paul Keatley.
Mallard Handicap Past Winners
Here are the Mallard Handicap 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. Also detailed is the stall where the horse came from and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Mallard Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 3:06.99 | Subsequent (IRE) 4yo 9-12 (11 of 13) 12/1 | Oisin Murphy Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2024 3:12.60 | Faylaq (GB) 8yo 8-13 (4 of 8) 18/1 | Amie Waugh (3lbs) Jim Goldie (GB) |
| 2023 3:18.28 | Legendary Day (GB) 5yo 9-0 (3 of 7) 12/1 | Mark Winn (3lbs) Adrian Paul Keatley (GB) |
| 2022 3:10.32 | Going Gone (IRE) 4yo 9-13 (11 of 10) 13/2 | Pat Cosgrave Jim Boyle (GB) |
| 2021 3:10.09 | Rhythmic Intent (IRE) 5yo 9-12 (5 of 10) 6/1 | Hollie Doyle Stuart Williams (GB) |
| 2020 3:09.06 | Apparate (GB) 4yo 9-4 (3 of 8) 5/1 | David Egan Roger Varian (GB) |
| 2019 3:03.93 | Sleeping Lion (USA) 4yo 9-3 (5 of 6) 4/1 | Jamie Spencer James Fanshawe (GB) |
| 2018 3:05.92 | Just In Time (GB) 4yo 9-1 (7 of 14) 12/1 | Martin Harley Alan King (GB) |
| 2017 3:10.18 | Time To Study (FR) 3yo 8-8 (7 of 7) 11/8F | P J McDonald Mark Johnston (GB) |
| 2016 3:08.92 | Wall Of Fire (IRE) 3yo 8-6 (10 of 11) 5/2F | Josephine Gordon (3lbs) Hugo Palmer (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Mallard Handicap have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 37 placings from 202 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
Mallard Handicap Trainer Statistics
There are two leading trainers in the Mallard Handicap over the last 20 renewals, with both Jim Goldie and James Fanshawe, who have both won the race twice. Jim Goldie winners have been with Nanton (2009) and Faylaq (2024). James Fanshawe winners have been with Old Hundred (2011) and Sleeping Lion (2019).
Here are some of the top Mallard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Goldie | 11-2-6 | +21.00 | +22.26 |
| James Fanshawe | 8-2-3 | +14.00 | +9.88 |
| Sir Michael Stoute | 7-1-2 | +1.50 | +3.32 |
| Andrew Balding | 6-1-2 | +7.00 | +4.17 |
| Alan King | 5-1-4 | +8.00 | +8.22 |
| John Gosden | 5-1-2 | +3.00 | +4.08 |
| Roger Varian | 5-1-3 | +1.00 | +1.80 |
| Saeed bin Suroor | 4-1-2 | +1.00 | +2.65 |
| Michael Bell | 3-1-1 | +8.00 | +6.25 |
| David Simcock | 3-1-2 | +5.00 | +4.64 |
Mallard Handicap Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Mallard Handicap over the last 20 renewals is Jamie Spencer, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Precision Break (2010), Curbyourenthusiasm (2015) and Sleeping Lion (2019).
Here are some of the top Mallard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Spencer | 8-3-5 | +26.00 | +17.69 |
| William Buick | 13-1-2 | -9.50 | -2.67 |
| Ryan Moore | 10-1-4 | -1.50 | +2.62 |
| Daniel Tudhope | 8-1-3 | +5.00 | +7.15 |
| Frankie Dettori | 5-1-2 | +0.00 | +2.34 |
| Oisin Murphy | 4-1-2 | +9.00 | +5.17 |
| Hollie Doyle | 3-1-3 | +4.00 | +4.27 |
| P J McDonald | 3-1-1 | -0.62 | -1.14 |
| Amie Waugh | 2-1-1 | +17.00 | +9.80 |
| Martin Harley | 2-1-2 | +11.00 | +9.00 |
2026 Mallard Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 7, 1, (2, 8), 3, (6, 8), 11, 1, (2, 3), 6, 7, 1, 1, 12, 5, 2, 3, 3, 7, 2, (4, 7)
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 (75%) - Fewer than 8 races (Further)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Fewer than 5 placings (Further)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - No bigger than 20/1
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved a TS of 67+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Had 2 - 14 placings (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Ran in England (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Fewer than 2 placings (Higher Class)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Fewer than 5 races (Higher Class)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Carried 126 - 133lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Placed within last 4 starts
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Highest Run is not G1/Cl4
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved an RPR of 39+ (Going)
- 19 / 20 (86%) - Won within last 8 starts
- 18 / 20 (75%) - No older than a 5yo
- 18 / 20 (82%) - Beaten no more -1½l (LTO)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Doncaster racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Mallard 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 Mallard Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Mallard Handicap Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +32.88, is when runners had 1 start in the past 30 days.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners were aged 6, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-25.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 11 (12,4) [13 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 4 (6,5) [8 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 3 (1) [7 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 11 (13,5) [10 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 5 (10,4) [10 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Mallard Handicap is York; there have been a total of 9 winners of this race who ran at York last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 194 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 10 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Mallard Handicap; that stallion, Dubawi, has produced 2 winners (2024,2020).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Mallard Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- Montjeu (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Cape Cross (0 Wins from 7 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Precision Break in 2010, winning for Paul Cole at odds of 20/1 under the guidance of Jamie Spencer. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 4 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2026 Mallard Handicap, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the Mallard Handicap
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Mallard Handicap. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Subsequent York - 9th of 22 (41/1) | Ebor Handicap |
| 2024 - Faylaq Hamilton - 2nd of 13 (12/1) | Lanark Silver Bell |
| 2023 - Legendary Day York - 3rd of 14 (33/1) | Ebor Festival Sky Bet Heritage Handicap |
| 2022 - Going Gone Ascot - 2nd of 10 (9/1) | Shergar Cup Stayers |
| 2021 - Rhythmic Intent York - 5th of 15 (23/1) | Ebor Festival Sky Bet Heritage Handicap |
| 2020 - Apparate Ascot - 7th of 13 (5/2) | Betfred "Thanks To The NHS" Handicap |
| 2019 - Sleeping Lion York - 8th of 17 (15/2) | Ebor Festival Stayers Heritage Handicap |
| 2018 - Just In Time Goodwood - 1st of 7 (11/8) | Ladbrokes Home Of The Odds Boost Handicap |
| 2017 - Time To Study Haydock - 3rd of 10 (11/2) | 32Red.com Handicap |
| 2016 - Wall Of Fire York - 1st of 13 (16/1) | Melrose Heritage Handicap |
Other Principal races during the Doncaster St Leger Festival
Here is the schedule for the four-day St Leger Festival for races, which we cover with blogs. Each race will be linked to the race blog and detail last year's winner in the table below.
Thursday at St Leger Festival
There are a couple of Group 2s which take centre-stage on the opening day of the St Leger Festival, the £120k May Hill Stakes, where the two-year-olds feature and then the £150k Park Hill Fillies Stakes, where the older fillies compete. We also have the £300k 2-y-o Stakes, a valuable class two race.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Carrie Red Fillies Nursery | Half Sovereign (FR) 2yo - 9/4 | K R Burke Clifford Lee |
| Doncaster 2yo Stakes | Calendar Girl (GB) 2yo - 7/2 | Owen Burrows Saffie Osborne |
| May Hill Stakes | Aylin (IRE) 2yo - 5/1 | K R Burke David Egan |
| Park Hill Stakes | Santorini Star (IRE) 4yo - 7/2 | William Haggas Tom Marquand |
| St Leger Festival Middle Distance Handicap | Munsif (IRE) 3yo - 5/2 | Roger Varian Ray Dawson |
Friday at St Leger Festival
On Friday, the feature race of the day is the Group 2 Doncaster Cup, which is part of the British Champion Series and carries a £150k purse. The Flying Childers Stakes is another race on Friday, which carries a decent purse, £130k on offer for the two-year-olds.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Mallard Handicap | Subsequent (IRE) 4yo - 12/1 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
| Flying Scotsman Stakes | Avicenna (IRE) 2yo - 11/2 | Roger Varian William Buick |
| Flying Childers Stakes | Revival Power (IRE) 2yo - 17/2 | Tim Easterby Oisin Murphy |
| Doncaster Cup | Sweet William (IRE) 6yo - 10/11 | John & Thady Gosden Robert Havlin |
Saturday at St Leger Festival
The feature race of the festival, the St Leger, takes place on Saturday, another race which is part of the British Champion Series, this Group 1 carries a purse of £700k. The three races before the St Leger all carry decent purses too, the Champagne Stakes (£150k), the Portland (£100k) and the Park Stakes (£140k).
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| St Leger Festival Mile Handicap | Treble Tee (IRE) 3yo - 11/5 | Simon & Ed Crisford Oisin Murphy |
| Champagne Stakes | Puerto Rico (IRE) 2yo - 15/2 | A P O'Brien Sean Levey |
| Portland Heritage Handicap | Eternal Sunshine (GB) 5yo - 12/1 | Jim Goldie Lauren Young |
| Park Stakes | Marvelman (IRE) 3yo - 13/2 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
| St Leger | Scandinavia (USA) 3yo - 2/1 | A P O'Brien Tom Marquand |
| St Leger Festival Ten Furlong Handicap | Fantasy Believer (IRE) 8yo - 9/1 | Ed Walker Oisin Murphy |
Sunday at St Leger Festival
Sunday is a bit more low-key, only one class one race, which is the £85k Sceptre Stakes for the fillies over 7f, and there are also a couple of decent handicaps carrying good purses of £70k and £65k.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| City of Doncaster Handicap | Rogue Diplomat (IRE) 3yo - 14/1 | James Owen Harry Davies |
| St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap | Desert Falcon (IRE) 5yo - 9/1 | Julie Camacho Rowan Scott |
| Sceptre Stakes | Fair Angellica (GB) 4yo - 11/1 | Richard Hughes Finley Marsh |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Mallard Handicap Preview are Andy and James. 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 Flat Racing.
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
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