Matron Stakes Preview, Tips, Runners & Trends (Irish Champions Festival)

See which trainers and jockeys have performed well in this fact-packed blog for the Matron Stakes. This is a race that is hosted at Leopardstown during the Irish Champions Festival, with the race being run over a distance of 1 mile. See which trends the past winners of the Matron Stakes have set for this year.
Matron Stakes Preview, Tips, Runners & Trends (Irish Champions Festival)
Andy Powell
Andy Powell Expert Guide

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 you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.

2026 Matron Stakes Preview

Scheduled to take place in September of each year at the Leopardstown Racecourse during the Irish Champions Festival is the Matron Stakes.

Restricted to fillies who are aged three or older, this is a Group 1 race which is contested over one mile.

Matron Stakes Information:

Our dedicated Leopardstown tips page will not only bring you predictions from the OLBG racing tipsters for the upcoming card that includes the Matron Stakes, but will also have predictions for each meeting at Leopardstown throughout the season, so be sure to head over there. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Races Covered during the Irish Champions Festival section for links to these.

Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
ALSO READ

Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025

How competitive is the Matron Stakes 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 2012 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 129%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Matron Stakes, the over-round has been 118%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £118 which is bet.

Below you will find the 2026 Matron Stakes 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 Matron Stakes Trend Analysis.

These are the top three quickest-run Matron Stakes races over the last 20 renewals:

  1. Tahiyra (1:37.50) in 2023
  2. Chachamaidee (1:37.58) in 2012
  3. Fiesolana (1:38.16) in 2014

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 Matron Stakes next time out, then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 17 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -8.82. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Matron Stakes, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.

Over the last 20 renewals, it was Tahiyra, trained by D K Weld and ridden by Chris Hayes, who set the fastest winning time in the Matron Stakes. That runner won the race in a time of 1:37.50 in 2023. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer P Twomey and jockey W J Lee with Pearls Galore who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 1:44.36 in the 2022 renewal.

What the expert says...
The Sun Chariot Stakes has been the most popular route for the winner with nine heading to that race (2006-24), with both Alice Springs (2016) and Laurens (2018) being successful in both.

Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com

Matron Stakes Past Winners

Here are the Matron Stakes' 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 Matron Stakes are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.

YearHorse (Drawn)Info
2025
1:38.93
Fallen Angel (GB)
4yo 9-7 (2 of 11) 9/4F
James Doyle
K R Burke (GB)
2024
1:40.67
Porta Fortuna (IRE)
3yo 9-2 (8 of 9) 5/4F
Tom Marquand
Donnacha Aidan O'Brien (IRE)
2023
1:37.50
Tahiyra (IRE)
3yo 9-2 (4 of 12) 5/6F
Chris Hayes
D K Weld (IRE)
2022
1:44.36
Pearls Galore (FR)
5yo 9-7 (7 of 9) 16/1
W J Lee
P Twomey (IRE)
2021
1:41.98
No Speak Alexander (IRE)
3yo 9-2 (3 of 13) 25/1
Shane Foley
Mrs John Harrington (IRE)
2020
1:39.77
Champers Elysees (IRE)
3yo 9-2 (8 of 11) 9/2
Colin Keane
J P Murtagh (IRE)
2019
1:38.81
Iridessa (IRE)
3yo 9-0 (4 of 7) 10/1
Wayne Lordan
Joseph Patrick O'Brien (IRE)
2018
1:39.23
Laurens (FR)
3yo 9-0 (5 of 7) 10/1
Daniel Tudhope
K R Burke (GB)
2017
1:41.89
Hydrangea (IRE)
3yo 9-0 (9 of 10) 20/1
Wayne Lordan
A P O'Brien (IRE)
2016
1:42.08
Alice Springs (IRE)
3yo 9-0 (7 of 8) 5/1
Ryan Moore
A P O'Brien (IRE)

Where have the winning runners come from?

Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Matron Stakes have been based:

  • IRE: 14 winners with an additional 21 placings from 139 runners
  • GB: 6 winners with an additional 13 placings from 43 runners
  • FR: 0 winners with an additional 2 placings from 5 runners

2025 Matron Stakes Replay


Matron Stakes Trainer Statistics

The leading trainer in the Matron Stakes over the last 20 renewals is A P O'Brien, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Lillie Langtry (2010), Alice Springs (2016) and Hydrangea (2017). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Matron Stakes are D K Weld (2 wins) and K R Burke (2 wins).

Here are some of the top Matron Stakes 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):

TrainerR-W-PWinEW
A P O'Brien43-3-13-11.50-14.15
D K Weld9-2-3-1.67-3.03
K R Burke4-2-3+10.25+6.35
J S Bolger8-1-2-4.75-1.15
W McCreery7-1-1-1.00-3.00
Joseph Patrick O'Brien6-1-1+5.00+1.25
J P Murtagh6-1-1-0.50-2.30
Mrs John Harrington5-1-2+21.00+11.54
Kevin Prendergast4-1-1+22.00+12.00
Sir Michael Stoute4-1-3-0.75+0.04

Matron Stakes Jockey Statistics

The leading jockey in the Matron Stakes over the last 20 renewals is Wayne Lordan, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Legatissimo (2015), Hydrangea (2017) and Iridessa (2019). Other jockeys who have recorded multiple wins in the Matron Stakes are Ryan Moore (2 wins), Chris Hayes (2 wins) and W J Lee (2 wins). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the Matron Stakes; Seamie Heffernan has ridden 13 runners in the race without recording any wins.

Here are some of the top Matron Stakes 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):

JockeyR-W-PWinEW
Wayne Lordan11-3-4+23.75+12.15
Ryan Moore12-2-9-2.75+0.00
Chris Hayes8-2-2+19.83+9.50
W J Lee7-2-3+16.00+8.70
Colin Keane7-1-2-1.50-1.20
Shane Foley6-1-1+20.00+10.00
Jamie Spencer3-1-2+4.00+2.45
James Doyle3-1-2+0.25+0.10
Daniel Tudhope2-1-2+9.00+6.95
Tom Queally2-1-1+4.50+2.30

Matron Stakes Trend Analysis

✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +58.58, is when runners had a highest class placed of Class 1 (G1).

❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 1 career start in the class, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-38.

Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:

  • 2025: Winner in 2 (1,11) [11 Runners]
  • 2024: Winner in 8 (7,9) [9 Runners]
  • 2023: Winner in 4 (9,7) [12 Runners]
  • 2022: Winner in 7 (8,1) [9 Runners]
  • 2021: Winner in 3 (7,2) [13 Runners]

The course which has produced the most winners of the Matron Stakes is Goodwood; there have been a total of 6 winners of this race who ran at Goodwood last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Deauville; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Deauville last time out.

Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Matron Stakes:

  • Galileo (3 Wins)
  • Danehill Dancer (2 Wins)
  • Siyouni (2 Wins)

Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was No Speak Alexander in 2021, winning for Mrs John Harrington at odds of 25/1 under the guidance of Shane Foley. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 7 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Matron Stakes, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.

Route to the Matron Stakes

Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Matron Stakes. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:

InfoLast Race
2025 - Fallen Angel
Deauville - 1st of 13 (119/10)
Prix Rothschild
2024 - Porta Fortuna
Newmarket (July) - 1st of 7 (10/11)
Falmouth Stakes
2023 - Tahiyra
Ascot - 1st of 6 (8/13)
Coronation Stakes
2022 - Pearls Galore
Deauville - 5th of 7 (10/1)
Prix Rothschild
2021 - No Speak Alexander
Deauville - 10th of 14 (23/1)
Prix Rothschild
2020 - Champers Elysees
Gowran Park - 1st of 11 (5/6)
Coolmore Stud No Nay Never Fairy Bridge Stakes
2019 - Iridessa
Curragh - 7th of 8 (4/1)
Irish Oaks
2018 - Laurens
York - 6th of 8 (3/1)
Yorkshire Oaks
2017 - Hydrangea
Goodwood - 4th of 6 (10/1)
Nassau Stakes
2016 - Alice Springs
Deauville - 8th of 10 (15/8)
Prix Rothschild

Other Principal races during the Irish Champions Festival

Saturday at the Irish Champions Festival

Leopardstown hosts the opening day of the Irish Champions Festival, the highlight of the day being the Irish Champions Stakes, a race dominated by Aidan O'Brien in recent years, with him winning all of the last five renewals and having won the race a total of twelve times.

RaceLast WinnerInfo
13:40 Leopardstown
Champions Juvenile Stakes
Benvenuto Cellini (IRE)
2yo - 1/2
A P O'Brien
Christophe Soumillon
14:15 Leopardstown
Solonaway Stakes
Alakazi (FR)
3yo - 7/2
J P Murtagh
Ben Coen
14:50 Leopardstown
Matron Stakes
Fallen Angel (GB)
4yo - 9/4
K R Burke
James Doyle
15:25 Leopardstown
Irish Champion Stakes
Delacroix (IRE)
3yo - 2/1
A P O'Brien
Christophe Soumillon
16:35 Leopardstown
Petingo Handicap
Happy Pharoah (IRE)
3yo - 9/1
Donnacha Aidan O'Brien
Paddy Harnett
17:10 Leopardstown
Sovereign Path Handicap
Rahmi (IRE)
6yo - 14/1
J P Murtagh
Rory Mulligan

Sunday at the Irish Champions Festival

The Sunday of the Irish Champions Festival is hosted at the Curragh with four Group 1 races, the highlight being the Irish St Leger. Aidan has not been as dominant in this, with just six wins, three behind both Vincent O'Brien and Dermot Weld.

RaceLast WinnerInfo
13:50 Curragh
Bold Lad Sprint Handicap
My Mate Alfie (IRE)
3yo - 12/1
G M Lyons
Colin Keane
14:25 Curragh
Blandford Stakes
Hanalia (IRE)
3yo - 12/1
J P Murtagh
Shane Foley
15:00 Curragh
Moyglare Stud Stakes
Lake Victoria (IRE)
2yo - 11/2
A P O'Brien
Wayne Lordan
15:35 Curragh
Flying Five Stakes
Bradsell (GB)
4yo - 2/1
Archie Watson
Hollie Doyle
16:10 Curragh
National Stakes
Scorthy Champ (IRE)
2yo - 12/1
Joseph Patrick O'Brien
Dylan Browne McMonagle
16:45 Curragh
Irish St Leger
Kyprios (IRE)
6yo - 2/5
A P O'Brien
Ryan Moore
17:55 Curragh
Northfields Handicap
This Songisforyou (USA)
6yo - 9/1
Emmet Mullins
Colin Keane

Article Contributor Information

We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Matron Stakes 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

James Banting

Expert Guide

James Banting, a passionate horse racing enthusiast and aficionado, brings a wealth of experience to OLBG, having attended numerous race meetings over the years. His background working with the Jockey Association provides him with a unique insider's perspective on the industry.
Andy Powell

Andy Powell

Expert Guide

Andy, a seasoned horse racing expert with over 15 years of experience, possesses a comprehensive understanding of the sport, from delving into complex statistical data for flat racing in the UK and Ireland to crafting insightful flat racing blogs for OLBG.

No Comments

There are no comments here. Be the first to comment...

Please login or register to reply to this news article
KEEP READING
156th Grosser Preis von Baden Preview, Tips, Runners & Trends

156th Grosser Preis von Baden Preview, Tips, Runners & Trends

Explore the Grosser Preis von Baden at Baden-Baden Racecourse. Uncover key trends, past champions, and critical insights that reveal the secrets to success in Germany’s most prestigious Group 1 flat race, a true highlight of the European racing calendar.
Continue Reading
Ascot Heritage Handicap Preview, Tips, Runners & Trends

Ascot Heritage Handicap Preview, Tips, Runners & Trends

Preview the Ascot Heritage Handicap at Ascot Racecourse, a competitive sprint handicap for talented runners. Explore past winners, leading trainers, and top jockeys while identifying key trends and patterns that define this high-profile event in the heritage handicap calendar.
Continue Reading
Ebor Festival Finale Heritage Handicap Preview, Tips, Runners & Trends (Ebor Festival)

Ebor Festival Finale Heritage Handicap Preview, Tips, Runners & Trends (Ebor Festival)

Explore past trends and successful connections in the Finale Heritage Handicap. Discover how key patterns among winners and the influence of trainer and jockey form shape this closing race of the York Ebor Festival.
Continue Reading