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2026 Sovereign Path Handicap Preview
Scheduled to take place in September of each year at the Leopardstown Racecourse is the Sovereign Path Handicap, a Premier Handicap that is contested over seven furlongs by runners aged three or older.
The race takes place during the Irish Champions Festival, with the runners having made three or more starts under rules to be eligible for entry.
Sovereign Path Handicap Information:
- Sovereign Path Handicap Past Winners
- Sovereign Path Handicap Trainer Statistics
- Sovereign Path Handicap Jockey Statistics
We also have a dedicated Leopardstown 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.
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How competitive is the Sovereign Path Handicap market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2011 when the race had an over-round of 119%. The race in 2013 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 144%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Sovereign Path Handicap, the over-round has been 132%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £132 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Sovereign Path 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 Sovereign Path Handicap Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Sovereign Path Handicap races over the last 20 renewals:
- Finicius (1:25.12) in 2010
- Baraweez (1:25.40) in 2014
- Dance Night Andday (1:25.46) in 2024
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 Sovereign Path Handicap next time out, then you would have backed a total of 4 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +7.20. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Sovereign Path Handicap, see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2012 renewal when Piri Wango from G M Lyons under the guidance of Emmet McNamara, won in a time of 1:34.76, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Finicius, trained by Eoin Griffin and ridden by Johnny Murtagh set the quickest time of 1:25.12 in the 2010 renewal.
Sovereign Path Handicap Past Winners
Here are the Sovereign Path 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 Sovereign Path Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 1:26.76 | Rahmi (IRE) 6yo 9-7 (16 of 16) 14/1 | Rory Mulligan (7lbs) J P Murtagh (IRE) |
| 2024 1:25.46 | Dance Night Andday (IRE) 4yo 9-7 (20 of 17) 12/1 | Ronan Whelan Ross O'Sullivan (IRE) |
| 2023 1:29.44 | Massive Sovereign (IRE) 3yo 9-1 (13 of 17) 5/1 | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2022 1:31.17 | Im A Gambler (IRE) 3yo 9-13 (1 of 18) 18/1 | Tom Marquand Charlie & Mark Johnston (GB) |
| 2021 1:30.69 | Masen (GB) 3yo 9-11 (19 of 16) 11/2 | Colin Keane G M Lyons (IRE) |
| 2020 1:27.62 | Could Be King (GB) 4yo 10-0 (16 of 18) 14/1 | W J Lee K J Condon (IRE) |
| 2019 1:27.16 | Current Option (IRE) 3yo 8-12 (11 of 17) 11/2 | Ronan Whelan Adrian McGuinness (IRE) |
| 2018 1:26.38 | Zap (GB) 3yo 8-12 (9 of 17) 20/1 | Chris Hayes Richard Fahey (GB) |
| 2017 1:27.79 | Burnt Sugar (IRE) 5yo 9-4 (12 of 18) 7/1 | Declan McDonogh Roger Fell (GB) |
| 2016 1:30.99 | Colour Blue (IRE) 5yo 8-13 (14 of 17) 10/1 | W J Lee W McCreery (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Sovereign Path Handicap have been based:
- IRE: 15 winners with an additional 46 placings from 269 runners
- GB: 5 winners with an additional 9 placings from 40 runners
Sovereign Path Handicap Trainer Statistics
There are two leading trainers in the Sovereign Path Handicap over the last 20 renewals, with both G M Lyons and J S Bolger, who have both won the race twice. G M Lyons winners have been with Piri Wango (2012) and Masen (2021). J S Bolger winners have been with Many Colours (2007) and Tobann (2013). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Sovereign Path Handicap. Mrs John Harrington (0-15), D K Weld (0-13) and David Marnane (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top Sovereign Path Handicap 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| G M Lyons | 24-2-4 | -13.75 | -13.72 |
| J S Bolger | 10-2-4 | +13.00 | +7.57 |
| M Halford | 18-1-4 | -8.00 | -4.61 |
| J P Murtagh | 16-1-2 | -1.00 | -2.62 |
| Adrian McGuinness | 15-1-4 | -8.50 | -5.43 |
| Richard Fahey | 8-1-5 | +13.00 | +10.82 |
| K J Condon | 7-1-4 | +8.00 | +9.72 |
| Kevin Prendergast | 7-1-3 | -3.00 | +1.93 |
| A P O'Brien | 5-1-1 | +1.00 | -0.87 |
| Brian Ellison | 4-1-1 | +9.00 | +4.50 |
Sovereign Path Handicap Jockey Statistics
There are multiple leading jockeys in the Sovereign Path Handicap over the last 20 renewals, with Declan McDonogh, Ronan Whelan, and W J Lee having all won the race two times. Declan McDonogh winners have been with Seeharn (2011) and Burnt Sugar (2017). Ronan Whelan winners have been with Current Option (2019) and Dance Night Andday (2024). W J Lee winners have been with Colour Blue (2016) and Could Be King (2020). Two jockeys have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Sovereign Path Handicap. Gary Carroll has ridden 10 runners in the race without recording any wins, whilst Wayne Lordan has ridden 10 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Sovereign Path Handicap 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Declan McDonogh | 16-2-4 | -4.00 | -2.81 |
| Ronan Whelan | 12-2-4 | +7.50 | +7.07 |
| W J Lee | 10-2-5 | +16.00 | +14.19 |
| Chris Hayes | 14-1-5 | +7.00 | +7.88 |
| Shane Foley | 14-1-4 | -4.00 | -3.78 |
| Colin Keane | 9-1-1 | -2.50 | -4.56 |
| Rory Cleary | 5-1-1 | +12.00 | +6.00 |
| Gary Halpin | 4-1-2 | +1.00 | +2.50 |
| Ryan Moore | 3-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.13 |
| Tom Marquand | 2-1-1 | +17.00 | +10.25 |
2026 Sovereign Path Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): (5, 1), 1, 1, 2, (8, 9), (1, 3), 1, 7, 15, 1, 6, 3, 2, 4, (11, 17), 3, 17, 2, 7, 4
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 (73%) - No bigger than 20/1
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Achieved an RPR of 76+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - No bigger than 25/1 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Placed within last 4 starts
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Fewer than 9 races (Jockey)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Fewer than 3 wins (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Within the first 13 of the market
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Fewer than 14 races (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Carried 126 - 158lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Fewer than 5 placings (Jockey)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Carried 121 - 141lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 12/1 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Not on HY/STD (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - No older than a 7yo
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Break of 7 - 336 days (Last Place)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Leopardstown racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Sovereign Path 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 Sovereign Path Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
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Sovereign Path Handicap Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +34.25, is when runners had 0 career starts with the jockey.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners wore cheekpieces, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-29.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 16 (1,13,5) [16 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 20 (18,21,16) [17 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 13 (7,4,2) [17 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 1 (19,16,11) [18 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 19 (1,4,8) [16 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Sovereign Path Handicap is Curragh; there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Curragh last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Naas; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at Naas last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 14 winners from a total of 258 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 6 winners from a total of 51 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Sovereign Path Handicap:
- No Nay Never (2 Wins)
- Pivotal (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Sovereign Path Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- Kodiac (0 Wins from 15 runners)
- Dark Angel (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Invincible Spirit (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Dandy Man (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Danehill Dancer (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Zap in 2018, winning for Richard Fahey at odds of 20/1 under the guidance of Chris Hayes. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 6 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 Sovereign Path Handicap.
Route to the Sovereign Path Handicap
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Sovereign Path Handicap. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Rahmi Cork - 4th of 7 (18/1) | NFP Irish EBF Platinum Stakes |
| 2024 - Dance Night Andday Naas - 8th of 11 (11/1) | Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF Ballyogan Stakes |
| 2023 - Massive Sovereign Naas - 2nd of 11 (7/4) | Royal Ascot Trials At Naas Handicap |
| 2022 - Im A Gambler Goodwood - 5th of 6 (4/1) | Weatherbys Stallion Book Supreme Stakes |
| 2021 - Masen Killarney - 2nd of 11 (9/2) | Ruby Stakes |
| 2020 - Could Be King Naas - 8th of 11 (9/2) | Owenstown Stud Stakes |
| 2019 - Current Option Curragh - 2nd of 25 (12/1) | Irish Cambridgeshire |
| 2018 - Zap York - 16th of 17 (16/1) | Ebor Festival Mile Heritage Handicap |
| 2017 - Burnt Sugar Goodwood - 2nd of 19 (14/1) | Grosvenor Sport Handicap |
| 2016 - Colour Blue Killarney - 4th of 10 (12/1) | Ruby Stakes |
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 | 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.
| 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 Sovereign Path Handicap 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.
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