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 Showcase Trophy Preview
Scheduled to take place during the Showcase Meeting in October of each year at the Cheltenham Racecourse is the Showcase Trophy. This class two handicap is run over a distance of three miles and one furlong, during which the runners will face twenty fences.
Established in 2007 when Nigel Twiston-Davies' Ardaghey was successful, this is an excellent chance for trainers to get their runners out early in the jumps season in a race which carries an excellent purse of £100k, which attracts plenty of the top yards.
Gain an edge on the Showcase Trophy by examining our detailed insights into previous race trends and trainer statistics, then check out our list of free bets for Cheltenham.
Showcase Trophy Information:
If you are interested in other predictions at Cheltenham, then head over to the Cheltenham tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Cheltenham Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Showcase Trophy market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 18 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2009 when the race had an over-round of 111%. The race in 2012 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 133%, whilst on average over the last 18 renewals of the Showcase Trophy, the over-round has been 120%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £120 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2025 Showcase Trophy 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 Showcase Trophy Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Showcase Trophy races over the last 18 renewals:
- Balthazar King (6:03.10) in 2011
- Midnight Chase (6:07.38) in 2010
- Parsons Legacy (6:08.30) in 2008
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 18 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Showcase Trophy next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -6.75. Whilst we wait for the 2025 Showcase Trophy, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
The runner that holds the record over the past 18 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2019 renewal when The Conditional from David Bridgwater under the guidance of Tom Cannon, won in a time of 7:02.70, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Balthazar King, trained by Philip Hobbs and ridden by Richard Johnson set the quickest time of 6:03.10 in the 2011 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Showcase Trophy Past Winners
Here are the Showcase Trophy 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. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Showcase Trophy are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 6:18.12 | Senior Chief (GB) 7yo 11-4 11/1 | Darragh O'Keeffe Henry De Bromhead (IRE) |
| 2023 6:34.36 | Whacker Clan (IRE) 7yo 10-8 12/1 | Darragh O'Keeffe Henry De Bromhead (IRE) |
| 2022 6:29.97 | Lord Accord (IRE) 7yo 11-3 15/2 | Richie McLernon Neil Mulholland (GB) |
| 2021 6:15.46 | Definite Plan (IRE) 9yo 9-12 9/2 | Jordan Gainford (3lbs) Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2020 6:33.13 | Frodon (FR) 8yo 11-12 9/2 | Bryony Frost Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2019 7:02.70 | The Conditional (IRE) 7yo 10-4 14/1 | Tom Cannon David Bridgwater (GB) |
| 2018 6:19.90 | Relentless Dreamer (IRE) 9yo 10-3 16/1 | Adam Wedge Rebecca Curtis (GB) |
| 2017 6:26.80 | Cogry (GB) 8yo 10-5 13/2 | Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
| 2016 6:22.40 | Coologue (IRE) 7yo 11-9 8/1 | Richard Johnson Charlie Longsdon (GB) |
| 2015 6:29.10 | Whats Happening (IRE) 8yo 10-8 10/1 | Noel Fehily Tom George (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Showcase Trophy have been based:
- GB: 15 winners with an additional 37 placings from 197 runners
- IRE: 3 winners with an additional 1 placing from 23 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 4 runners
Showcase Trophy Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Showcase Trophy over the last 18 renewals is Philip Hobbs, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from Parsons Legacy (2008), Balthazar King (2011, 2012 & 2013) and Roalco De Farges (2014). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Showcase Trophy are Nigel Twiston-Davies (2 wins), Neil Mulholland (2 wins) and Henry De Bromhead (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Showcase Trophy trainer statistics over the last 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Hobbs | 15-5-6 | +21.25 | +10.84 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 17-2-8 | -5.17 | -1.56 |
| Neil Mulholland | 7-2-3 | +8.50 | +4.54 |
| Henry De Bromhead | 6-2-3 | +19.00 | +12.01 |
| Jonjo O'Neill | 10-1-4 | -2.00 | -0.09 |
| Paul Nicholls | 10-1-2 | -4.50 | -4.80 |
| Gordon Elliott | 7-1-1 | -1.50 | -3.30 |
| Charlie Longsdon | 6-1-1 | +3.00 | +0.00 |
| Rebecca Curtis | 5-1-2 | +12.00 | +10.63 |
| David Bridgwater | 2-1-1 | +13.00 | +7.75 |
Showcase Trophy Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Showcase Trophy over the last 18 renewals is Darragh O'Keeffe, who has won the race two times, with those two winners coming from Whacker Clan (2023) and Senior Chief (2024).
Here are some of the top Showcase Trophy jockey statistics over the last 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darragh O'Keeffe | 2-2-2 | +23.00 | +14.38 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 12-1-6 | -4.50 | -0.94 |
| Adam Wedge | 4-1-1 | +13.00 | +7.00 |
| Richie McLernon | 3-1-2 | +5.50 | +3.65 |
| Jordan Gainford | 2-1-2 | +3.50 | +3.33 |
| Bryony Frost | 2-1-1 | +3.50 | +1.70 |
| Tom Cannon | 1-1-1 | +14.00 | +8.75 |
| Dougie Costello | 1-1-1 | +6.00 | +3.60 |
| Harry Skelton | 7-0-1 | -7.00 | -5.69 |
| Sean Bowen | 5-0-0 | -5.00 | -5.00 |
2025 Showcase Trophy Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 4, (3, 10), 3, 4, UR, (4, PU), 1, 2, 10, PU, 4, (2, 4, 5, 6), 2, 4, PU, PU, 2, 3
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.
- 18 / 18 (75%) - No bigger than 16/1 (Debut)
- 18 / 18 (76%) - No bigger than 16/1
- 18 / 18 (78%) - Within the first 10 of the market
- 18 / 18 (81%) - No bigger than 18/1 (LTO)
- 18 / 18 (81%) - Beaten no more -25l (LTO)
- 18 / 18 (84%) - Highest Won is not G2-3
- 18 / 18 (84%) - No more than -3yrs (Vs Max Age)
- 18 / 18 (88%) - Not CH in colour
- 18 / 18 (89%) - Ran in 9 - 38 races (Career)
- 18 / 18 (89%) - Ran over 1m4½f - 2m5½f (Debut)
- 18 / 18 (89%) - Fewer than 2 wins (180 Days)
- 17 / 18 (88%) - No older than a 9yo
- 17 / 18 (89%) - No more than 2 falls (Career)
- 16 / 18 (67%) - Achieved an RPR of 137+ (Last 5)
- 16 / 18 (75%) - Placed within last 3 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Showcase Trophy. 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 Showcase Trophy by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Showcase Trophy Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 9+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +37.83, is when runners had 1 win in the past year.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 2 career places at the track, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-32.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Showcase Trophy is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 18 winners from a total of 219 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 5 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Showcase Trophy; that stallion, Kings Theatre, has produced 4 winners (2017,2013,2012,2011).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Showcase Trophy despite multiple attempts:
- Old Vic (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Milan (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Oscar (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 18 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Relentless Dreamer in 2018, winning for Rebecca Curtis at odds of 16/1 under the guidance of Adam Wedge. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 18 renewals, there have been 1 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2025 Showcase Trophy, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Showcase Trophy
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Showcase Trophy. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2024 - Senior Chief Fairyhouse - PU of 20 (10/1) | Irish Grand National |
| 2023 - Whacker Clan Tramore - 1st of 10 (7/1) | McCarthys Irish Bar Lexington Handicap Chase |
| 2022 - Lord Accord Worcester - 3rd of 5 (15/2) | Cazoo Handicap Hurdle |
| 2021 - Definite Plan Gowran Park - 2nd of 5 (4/1) | Join Gowran Park Racing Club Beginners Chase |
| 2020 - Frodon Cheltenham - 4th of 8 (11/2) | Ryanair Chase |
| 2019 - The Conditional Worcester - 3rd of 6 (4/1) | Reirse Ryan Raceday Novices Chase |
| 2018 - Relentless Dreamer Uttoxeter - 3rd of 18 (11/1) | Marstons Pedigree Summer Cup |
| 2017 - Cogry Ayr - 2nd of 30 (18/1) | Scottish Grand National |
| 2016 - Coologue Aintree - PU of 14 (7/1) | Freebooter Handicap Chase |
| 2015 - Whats Happening Cheltenham - 1st of 11 (6/1) | Cheltenham Club Handicap Chase |
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 Showcase Trophy Preview are Andy and Darren. 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 National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
