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.
2025 Northfields Handicap Preview
Scheduled to take place in September of each year at the Curragh Racecourse is the Northfields Handicap. This Premier Handicap takes place during the Irish Champions Festival, where runners aged three or older contest over a distance of one mile and two furlongs.
For sponsorship purposes, the 2025 renewal of the Northfields Handicap will hold the title of 'Irish Stallion Farms EBF Northfields Handicap'.
Northfields Handicap Information:
- Northfields Handicap Past Winners
- Northfields Handicap Trainer Statistics
- Northfields Handicap Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Curragh tips page that will cover this race as well as all of the other races on the day of the race. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. 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 Northfields Handicap market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 11 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2024 when the race had an over-round of 126%. The race in 2016 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 159%, whilst on average over the last 11 renewals of the Northfields Handicap, the over-round has been 136%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £136 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2025 Northfields 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 Northfields Handicap Trend Analysis. With the field now finalised, we have the Northfields Handicap Trend Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run Northfields Handicap races over the last 11 renewals:
- This Songisforyou (2:06.27) in 2024
- Crystal Black (2:07.39) in 2023
- One Cool Poet (2:09.15) in 2019
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 11 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Northfields Handicap next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 11 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -1.60. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
The runner that holds the record over the past 11 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2014 renewal when Assign from A P O'Brien under the guidance of Colm O'Donoghue, won in a time of 2:33.85, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, This Songisforyou, trained by Emmet Mullins and ridden by Colin Keane set the quickest time of 2:06.27 in the 2024 renewal.
Northfields Handicap Past Winners
Here are the Northfields 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 Northfields Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 2:06.27 | This Songisforyou (USA) 6yo 9-3 (4 of 14) 9/1 | Colin Keane Emmet Mullins (IRE) |
| 2023 2:07.39 | Crystal Black (IRE) 5yo 8-13 (22 of 22) 5/1F | Colin Keane Gerard Keane (IRE) |
| 2022 2:10.16 | Kerkiyra (IRE) 3yo 8-3 (26 of 22) 11/1 | Jamie Powell (7lbs) J P Murtagh (IRE) |
| 2021 2:10.38 | Max Mayhem (GB) 3yo 8-8 (15 of 23) 17/2F | Mikey Sheehy (5lbs) Joseph Patrick O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2020 2:09.82 | Sonnyboyliston (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (5 of 22) 4/1 | W J Lee J P Murtagh (IRE) |
| 2019 2:09.15 | One Cool Poet (IRE) 7yo 9-3 (13 of 16) 12/1 | W J Lee Matthew J Smith (IRE) |
| 2018 2:10.49 | Hamley (FR) 5yo 8-7 (1 of 19) 12/1 | Ben Coen (7lbs) Peter Fahey (IRE) |
| 2017 2:13.70 | Panstarr (GB) 3yo 8-4 (10 of 13) 8/1 | Rory Cleary J S Bolger (IRE) |
| 2016 2:10.89 | Maudlin Magdalen (IRE) 6yo 8-0 (15 of 25) 25/1 | Sean Davis (7lbs) Donal Kinsella (IRE) |
| 2015 2:11.55 | Torcedor (IRE) 3yo 8-12 (21 of 21) 12/1 | Wayne Lordan David Wachman (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Northfields Handicap have been based:
- IRE: 11 winners with an additional 29 placings from 204 runners
- GB: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 8 runners
Northfields Handicap Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Northfields Handicap over the last 11 renewals is J P Murtagh, who has won the race two times, with those two winners coming from Sonnyboyliston (2020) and Kerkiyra (2022). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 11 renewals in the Northfields Handicap. D K Weld (0-14), Mrs John Harrington (0-12) and Adrian McGuinness (0-11) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are the Northfields Handicap trainer statistics over the last 11 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2025 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| J P Murtagh | 11-2-4 | +6.00 | +4.63 |
| Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 12-1-3 | -2.50 | -3.56 |
| A P O'Brien | 10-1-1 | -3.50 | -5.56 |
| Emmet Mullins | 1-1-1 | +9.00 | +5.63 |
| D K Weld | 14-0-3 | -14.00 | -5.74 |
| Mrs John Harrington | 12-0-0 | -12.00 | -12.00 |
| Adrian McGuinness | 11-0-1 | -11.00 | -9.50 |
| Noel Meade | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -1.75 |
| Thomas Gibney | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
| Andrew Slattery | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | +0.75 |
| W T Farrell | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
Northfields Handicap Jockey Statistics
There are two leading jockeys in the Northfields Handicap over the last 11 renewals, with both Colin Keane and W J Lee, who have both won the race twice. Colin Keane winners have been with Crystal Black (2023) and This Songisforyou (2024). W J Lee winners have been with One Cool Poet (2019) and Sonnyboyliston (2020).
Here are the Northfields Handicap jockey statistics over the last 11 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2025 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Keane (Sujet) | 10-2-5 | +6.00 | +5.26 |
| W J Lee (State Actor) | 7-2-2 | +11.00 | +5.00 |
| Ben Coen (Shaool) | 5-1-2 | +8.00 | +6.00 |
| Jamie Powell (Retracement) | 3-1-1 | +9.00 | +4.88 |
| Chris Hayes (Spoken Truth) | 8-0-3 | -8.00 | +1.26 |
| Ronan Whelan (Glen To Glen) | 8-0-2 | -8.00 | -4.74 |
| Shane Foley (Lady In Paris) | 8-0-0 | -8.00 | -8.00 |
| Gary Carroll (This Songisforyou) | 7-0-2 | -7.00 | -0.12 |
| Leigh Roche (Jagged Edge) | 6-0-1 | -6.00 | -4.12 |
| Gavin Ryan (Booyea) | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -3.50 |
| Nathan Crosse (Money Dancer) | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| Andrew Slattery (Cloud Seeker) | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -0.25 |
| Dylan Browne McMonagle (Masoun) | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
| Adam Caffrey (Star Harbour) | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Scott McCullagh (Viking Invasion) | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
| Yudish Geerdharry (Final Voyage) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Patrick McGettigan (Mashhoor) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| David Egan (Tony Montana) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
2025 Northfields Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 2, (11, 17), 18, 2, 9, (2, 4), 13, 1, 9, (1, 5), 10
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.
- 11 / 11 (67%) - No more than +17lbs (Vs Min Weight)
- 11 / 11 (70%) - Highest Run is not G1-3/Cl4
- 11 / 11 (70%) - Carried no more than 129lbs
- 11 / 11 (71%) - No bigger than 7/1 (Last Win)
- 11 / 11 (74%) - Furthest Placed 1m2f - 1m5f
- 11 / 11 (74%) - Highest Placed is not G1-3/LST/Cl4-5
- 11 / 11 (76%) - Fewer than 1 races (Class)
- 11 / 11 (76%) - Carried 122 - 138lbs (Last Win)
- 11 / 11 (77%) - No bigger than 25/1
- 11 / 11 (77%) - Not in a G1/G3/LST/Cl4-5 (LTO)
- 11 / 11 (78%) - No bigger than 14/1 (Career Win)
- 11 / 11 (80%) - Achieved an RPR of 87+ (Season)
- 11 / 11 (80%) - Not in a LST/Cl2/Cl5-6 (Debut)
- 11 / 11 (84%) - Ran in Ireland (Debut)
- 11 / 11 (85%) - Ran in 2 - 8 races (Season)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Curragh racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Northfields 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 Northfields Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Northfields Handicap Trend Shortlist
Curragh will host the 2025 renewal of the Northfields Handicap, which will be run at 5:35 pm on Sunday, 14th September 2025, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer and jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 Shaool (12/1)
- J P Murtagh (11-2-4 +6.00 / +4.63)
- Ben Coen (5-1-2 +8.00 / +6.00)
Others: Cloud Seeker (13/15), Crown Of Oaks (13/15), Glen To Glen (13/15), Lady In Paris (13/15), State Actor (13/15), Sujet (13/15), Viking Invasion (13/15), Mr Rango (12/15), Booyea (11/15), Final Voyage (11/15), Jagged Edge (11/15), Masoun (11/15), Spoken Truth (11/15), Star Harbour (11/15), Tony Montana (11/15), Areana (10/15), Retracement (10/15), Rhythm King (10/15), Rock Of Cashel (9/15), This Songisforyou (9/15), Mashhoor (7/15) and Money Dancer (7/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (2:39 pm Friday 12th September 2025), if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Jagged Edge won the Irish Cambridgeshire last time out, and a total of 2 previous winners of that race from a total of 18 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of -5.75.
Northfields Handicap Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 6+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +14.50, is when runners had 1 career win at the track.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners were aged 4, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-64.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2024: Winner in 4 (11,1) [14 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 22 (23,15,12) [22 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 26 (7,1,20) [22 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 15 (14,29,6) [23 Runners]
- 2020: Winner in 5 (7,4,15) [22 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Northfields Handicap is Curragh; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Curragh last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 7 winners from a total of 176 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 4 winners from a total of 36 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Northfields Handicap; that stallion, Fastnet Rock, has produced 2 winners (2018,2015).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Northfields Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- Galileo (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Kodiac (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Camelot (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Holy Roman Emperor (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Mastercraftsman (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 11 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Maudlin Magdalen in 2016, winning for Donal Kinsella at odds of 25/1 under the guidance of Sean Davis. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 11 renewals, there have been 2 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2025 Northfields Handicap, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Northfields Handicap
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Northfields Handicap. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2024 - This Songisforyou Galway - 3rd of 18 (16/1) | COLM QUINN BMW Mile Handicap |
| 2023 - Crystal Black Curragh - 3rd of 22 (10/3) | Irish Cambridgeshire |
| 2022 - Kerkiyra Curragh - 3rd of 6 (2/1) | Neville OByrne Memorial Irish EBF Fillies & Mares Handicap |
| 2021 - Max Mayhem Naas - 2nd of 7 (10/1) | Donate To The Coast To Curragh Charity Cycle In Honour Of Pat Smullen Race |
| 2020 - Sonnyboyliston Curragh - 1st of 11 (13/8) | Sentinel Ireland Equine Products Handicap |
| 2019 - One Cool Poet Leopardstown - 10th of 17 (12/1) | Petingo Handicap |
| 2018 - Hamley Roscommon - 1st of 13 (7/1) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap |
| 2017 - Panstarr Gowran Park - 1st of 10 (7/1) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap |
| 2016 - Maudlin Magdalen Dundalk (AW) - 13th of 14 (20/1) | Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund "Red God" Handicap |
| 2015 - Torcedor Galway - 2nd of 10 (10/1) | Colm Quinn BMW Handicap |
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.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:40 Leopardstown Champions Juvenile Stakes | Green Impact (IRE) 2yo - 5/2 | Mrs John Harrington Shane Foley |
| 14:15 Leopardstown Solonaway Stakes | Diego Velazquez (IRE) 3yo - 10/11 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 14:50 Leopardstown Matron Stakes | Porta Fortuna (IRE) 3yo - 5/4 | Donnacha Aidan O'Brien Tom Marquand |
| 15:25 Leopardstown Irish Champion Stakes | Economics (GB) 3yo - 7/4 | William Haggas Tom Marquand |
| 16:35 Leopardstown Petingo Handicap | Fighter (IRE) 3yo - 9/1 | A P O'Brien Wayne Hassett |
| 17:10 Leopardstown Sovereign Path Handicap | Dance Night Andday (IRE) 4yo - 12/1 | Ross O'Sullivan Ronan Whelan |
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.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Northfields Handicap Preview are at hand, Andy and James. They both work on the Horse racing tips team team looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for International racing.
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
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