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 youâre 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
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:
- Tahiyra (1:37.50) in 2023
- Chachamaidee (1:37.58) in 2012
- 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.
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.
| Year | Horse (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):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| A P O'Brien | 43-3-13 | -11.50 | -14.15 |
| D K Weld | 9-2-3 | -1.67 | -3.03 |
| K R Burke | 4-2-3 | +10.25 | +6.35 |
| J S Bolger | 8-1-2 | -4.75 | -1.15 |
| W McCreery | 7-1-1 | -1.00 | -3.00 |
| Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 6-1-1 | +5.00 | +1.25 |
| J P Murtagh | 6-1-1 | -0.50 | -2.30 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 5-1-2 | +21.00 | +11.54 |
| Kevin Prendergast | 4-1-1 | +22.00 | +12.00 |
| Sir Michael Stoute | 4-1-3 | -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):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Lordan | 11-3-4 | +23.75 | +12.15 |
| Ryan Moore | 12-2-9 | -2.75 | +0.00 |
| Chris Hayes | 8-2-2 | +19.83 | +9.50 |
| W J Lee | 7-2-3 | +16.00 | +8.70 |
| Colin Keane | 7-1-2 | -1.50 | -1.20 |
| Shane Foley | 6-1-1 | +20.00 | +10.00 |
| Jamie Spencer | 3-1-2 | +4.00 | +2.45 |
| James Doyle | 3-1-2 | +0.25 | +0.10 |
| Daniel Tudhope | 2-1-2 | +9.00 | +6.95 |
| Tom Queally | 2-1-1 | +4.50 | +2.30 |
2026 Matron Stakes Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 4, 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 3, 4, 2, 1, 3, 2, 2, 4, 3, 3, 4, 1, 1, 1
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 (76%) - No bigger than 25/1
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Achieved a TS of 88+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Not in a LST/Cl2-5 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Break of 10 - 111 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Ran in 3 - 7 races (Season)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Achieved an RPR of 104+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Achieved an RPR of 102+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Ran in 1 - 3 races (90 Days)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Had 4 - 14 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - In a field of 5 - 13 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Ran in 4 - 10 races (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Had 2 - 7 placings (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Placed within last 3 starts
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Achieved a TS of 52+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Off a break of 10 - 78 days
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Leopardstown racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Matron Stakes. 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 Matron Stakes by adding a tip on the race here.
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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:
| Info | Last 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 six of the last seven renewals and having won the race a total of thirteen times.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Champions Juvenile Stakes | Benvenuto Cellini (IRE) 2yo - 1/2 | A P O'Brien Christophe Soumillon |
| Solonaway Stakes | Alakazi (FR) 3yo - 7/2 | J P Murtagh Ben Coen |
| Matron Stakes | Fallen Angel (GB) 4yo - 9/4 | K R Burke James Doyle |
| Irish Champion Stakes | Delacroix (IRE) 3yo - 2/1 | A P O'Brien Christophe Soumillon |
| Petingo Handicap | Happy Pharoah (IRE) 3yo - 9/1 | Donnacha Aidan O'Brien Paddy Harnett |
| 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 seven wins, two behind both Vincent O'Brien and Dermot Weld.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Bold Lad Sprint Handicap | Tango Flare (IRE) 6yo - 50/1 | Patrick T Foley Luke McAteer |
| Blandford Stakes | Barnavara (IRE) 3yo - 6/1 | Mrs John Harrington Shane Foley |
| Moyglare Stud Stakes | Precise (IRE) 2yo - 11/2 | A P O'Brien Ronan Whelan |
| Flying Five Stakes | Arizona Blaze (GB) 3yo - 11/2 | Adrian Murray David Egan |
| National Stakes | Zavateri (IRE) 2yo - 15/2 | Eve Johnson Houghton Charles Bishop |
| Irish St Leger | Al Riffa (FR) 5yo - 3/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Dylan Browne McMonagle |
| Northfields Handicap | Shaool (IRE) 4yo - 11/2 | J P Murtagh Ben Coen |
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
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
