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2026 Poule d'Essai des Poulains Preview
The Poule d'Essai des Poulains is the French equivalent of the 2000 Guineas, where the race is restricted to three-year-old colts who compete over a distance of one mile (1,600m). This race, a Group 1 that features at Longchamp on the same day as the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, is equivalent to Britain's 1000 Guineas.
Since 2006, the French have held the upper hand in the race; the only people to stop them have been Aidan O'Brien, who has won the race five times since then, including in 2025 with the talented Henri Matisse, and Charlie Appleby, who won it in 2022.
Poule d'Essai des Poulains Information:
- Poule d'Essai des Poulains Past Winners
- Poule d'Essai des Poulains Trainer Statistics
- Poule d'Essai des Poulains Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Longchamp tips page that will cover this race, as well as all the other races on the day. 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 Other Principal Races in France section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Poule d'Essai des Poulains market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2009, when the race had an over-round of 119%. The race in 2008 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 183%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, the over-round has been 126%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ126 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Poule d'Essai des Poulains 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 Poule d'Essai des Poulains Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Poule d'Essai des Poulains races over the last 20 renewals:
- Henri Matisse (1:33.91) in 2025
- Victor Ludorum (1:34.14) in 2020
- Style Vendome (1:34.68) in 2013
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 Poule d'Essai des Poulains next time out, then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -0.57. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Henri Matisse, trained by A P O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, who set the fastest winning time in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. That runner won the race in a time of 1:33.91 in 2025. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer J E Pease and jockey Stephane Pasquier with Karakontie who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 1:41.06 in the 2014 renewal.
Poule d'Essai des Poulains Past Winners
Here are the Poule d'Essai des Poulains 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 Poule d'Essai des Poulains are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 1:33.91 | Henri Matisse (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (6 of 16) 12/5F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2024 1:37.84 | Metropolitan (FR) 3yo 9-2 (1 of 13) 243/10 | Alexis Pouchin Mario Baratti (FR) |
| 2023 1:38.56 | Marhaba Ya Sanafi (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (7 of 9) 26/1 | Mickael Barzalona A Schutz (FR) |
| 2022 1:34.98 | Modern Games (IRE) 3yo 9-3 (4 of 15) 2/1F | William Buick Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2021 1:40.15 | St Marks Basilica (FR) 3yo 9-2 (6 of 12) 41/10 | Ioritz Mendizabal A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2020 1:34.14 | Victor Ludorum (GB) 3yo 9-2 (2 of 9) 7/5F | Mickael Barzalona A Fabre (FR) |
| 2019 1:38.98 | Persian King (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (2 of 10) 1/2F | Pierre-Charles Boudot A Fabre (FR) |
| 2018 1:37.72 | Olmedo (FR) 3yo 9-2 (3 of 11) 13/5 | Cristian Demuro J-C Rouget (FR) |
| 2017 1:36.82 | Brametot (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (3 of 13) 4/1 | Cristian Demuro J-C Rouget (FR) |
| 2016 1:36.97 | The Gurkha (IRE) 3yo 9-2 (11 of 13) 4/1 | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains have been based:
- FR: 14 winners with an additional 23 placings from 157 runners
- IRE: 5 winners with an additional 6 placings from 38 runners
- GB: 1 winner with an additional 10 placings from 62 runners
- GER: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 4 runners
- CZE: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 2 runners
- SPA: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 2 runners
2025 Poule d'Essai des Poulains Replay
Poule d'Essai des Poulains Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains over the last 20 renewals is A P O'Brien, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from Aussie Rules (2006), Astronomer Royal (2007), The Gurkha (2016), St Marks Basilica (2021) and Henri Matisse (2025). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains are A Fabre (4 wins) and J-C Rouget (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Poule d'Essai des Poulains 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 | 33-5-10 | +19.50 | +5.41 |
| A Fabre | 22-4-10 | -1.10 | +0.04 |
| J-C Rouget | 23-2-4 | -14.40 | -13.49 |
| C Laffon-Parias | 7-1-2 | +15.50 | +5.89 |
| D Guillemin | 5-1-1 | +6.00 | +2.00 |
| N Clement | 4-1-4 | +1.50 | +8.82 |
| Charlie Appleby | 3-1-1 | +0.00 | -0.80 |
| F Rohaut | 2-1-2 | +32.00 | +19.30 |
| Mario Baratti | 2-1-1 | +23.30 | +13.58 |
| A Schutz | 1-1-1 | +26.00 | +15.60 |
Poule d'Essai des Poulains Jockey Statistics
There are multiple leading jockeys in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains over the last 20 renewals, with Olivier Peslier, Stephane Pasquier, Mickael Barzalona, Ryan Moore, and Cristian Demuro having all won the race twice. Olivier Peslier's winners have been with Falco (2008) and Make Believe (2015). Stephane Pasquier's winners have been with Lucayan (2012) and Karakontie (2014). Mickael Barzalona's winners have been with Victor Ludorum (2020) and Marhaba Ya Sanafi (2023). Ryan Moore's winners have been with The Gurkha (2016) and Henri Matisse (2025). Cristian Demuro's winners have been with Brametot (2017) and Olmedo (2018).
Here are some of the top Poule d'Essai des Poulains 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olivier Peslier | 16-2-4 | +12.50 | +2.85 |
| Stephane Pasquier | 15-2-2 | +21.50 | +7.70 |
| Mickael Barzalona | 14-2-4 | +15.40 | +8.44 |
| Ryan Moore | 13-2-2 | -4.60 | -7.40 |
| Cristian Demuro | 8-2-2 | +0.60 | -2.04 |
| Christophe Soumillon | 19-1-4 | -11.00 | -10.48 |
| Maxime Guyon | 12-1-4 | -1.00 | -0.16 |
| Ioritz Mendizabal | 9-1-2 | -3.90 | -3.24 |
| Thierry Thulliez | 6-1-4 | -0.50 | +5.22 |
| William Buick | 6-1-1 | -3.00 | -3.80 |
2026 Poule d'Essai des Poulains Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, 9, (2, 12), 3, 9, 5, 6, 11, 1, 6, 5, 13, 4, 1, 1, 6, 1, 4, 8, 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. The trend information is based on the available information on the Racing Post in terms of previous runs, etc.
- 20 / 20 (79%) - No bigger than 33/1
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Highest Won is not G2/Cl3/Cl5-6
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Not on GS/FM/STD-SLW (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - In a field of 7 - 16 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Not on GF/STD-SLW/STD/FS (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - No bigger than 10/1 (Career Win)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Sex is Colt
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Beaten no more -5l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Not in a Cl5-6 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved an RPR of 85+ (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (78%) - No bigger than 11/1 (Debut)
- 19 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 15/1 (LTO)
- 19 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 10/1 (Last Win)
- 19 / 20 (89%) - Placed within last 2 starts
- 17 / 20 (71%) - Won within last 2 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Longchamp racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. 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 ÂŁ6,000 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 Poule d'Essai des Poulains by adding a tip on the race here.
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Poule d'Essai des Poulains Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +59.80, is when runners ran at Longchamp last time out.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners carried 126lbs last time out, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-65.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 6 (12,15) [16 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 1 (4,13) [13 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 7 (1,10) [9 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 4 (15,1) [15 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 6 (2,11) [12 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains is Longchamp; there have been a total of 12 winners of this race who ran at Longchamp last time out.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains; that stallion, Shamardal, has produced 2 winners (2020,2010).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains despite multiple attempts:
- Lope De Vega (0 Wins from 12 runners)
- Invincible Spirit (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- War Front (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Dansili (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Oasis Dream (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Lucayan in 2012, winning for F Rohaut at odds of 33/1 under the guidance of Stephane Pasquier. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 5 winning favourites in the race. Remember to use the best racing tipsters along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Poule d'Essai des Poulains. All figures and trends above, such as the horse's previous runs, are based on the information that is available on the Racing Post.
Route to the Poule d'Essai des Poulains
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Henri Matisse Leopardstown - 1st of 7 (6/4) | Ballylinch Stud "Red Rocks" Stakes |
| 2024 - Metropolitan Longchamp - 5th of 6 (7/1) | Prix de Fontainebleau |
| 2023 - Marhaba Ya Sanafi Longchamp - 2nd of 5 (89/10) | Prix de Fontainebleau |
| 2022 - Modern Games Del Mar - 1st of 13 (1/1) | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf |
| 2021 - St Marks Basilica Newmarket (Rowley) - 1st of 14 (10/1) | Dewhurst Stakes |
| 2020 - Victor Ludorum Longchamp - 3rd of 8 (2/5) | Prix de Fontainebleau |
| 2019 - Persian King Longchamp - 1st of 5 (1/5) | Prix de Fontainebleau |
| 2018 - Olmedo Longchamp - 2nd of 5 (8/5) | Prix de Fontainebleau |
| 2017 - Brametot Chantilly - 1st of 7 (51/10) | Prix de Fontainebleau |
| 2016 - The Gurkha Navan - 1st of 11 (11/8) | Kilberry |
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 Poule d'Essai des Poulains 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 International racing.
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal Races in France
Here are some other notable races throughout France, which take place during the racing season, for which we also have blogs.
Races at Auteuil Racecourse
Races at Chantilly Racecourse
Races at Deauville Racecourse
Races at Longchamp Racecourse
- Grand Prix de Paris
- Poule d'Essai des Pouliches
- Prix de la Foret
- Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp
- Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
- Prix de l'OpĂŠra
- Prix du Moulin de Longchamp
- Prix Ganay
- Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
- Prix Marcel Boussac
- Prix Royal-Oak
- Prix Vermeille
