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 you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Summer Hurdle Preview
The Summer Hurdle is run at Market Rasen in July of each year. It is a class 2 handicap race run over hurdles that is open to runners aged three years old or older and is run over two half miles and a furlong, during which the runners will face a total of eight hurdles.
For sponsorship purposes, the 2026 renewal of the Summer Hurdle will hold the title of 'Betway Summer Handicap Hurdle'.
Summer Hurdle Information:
Our dedicated Market Rasen tips page will not only bring you predictions from the OLBG racing tipsters for the upcoming card that includes the Summer Hurdle, but will also have predictions for each meeting at Market Rasen throughout the season, so be sure to head over there.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Summer Hurdle market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2020, when the race had an over-round of 108%. The race in 2012 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 131%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Summer Hurdle, the over-round has been 125%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £125 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Summer Hurdle 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 Summer Hurdle Trend Analysis. With the field now finalised, we have the 2026 Summer Hurdle Runners & Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run Summer Hurdle races over the last 20 renewals:
- Pisgah Pike (3:55.17) in 2022
- LInganno Felice (3:55.60) in 2018
- Australia Day (3:57.40) in 2010
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 Summer Hurdle 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 -8.12. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Summer Hurdle.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2007 renewal when Kings Quay from John Quinn under the guidance of Dougie Costello, won in a time of 4:17.10, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Pisgah Pike, trained by Jamie Snowden and ridden by Gavin Sheehan set the quickest time of 3:55.17 in the 2022 renewal.
Summer Hurdle Past Winners
Here are the Summer Hurdle past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Summer Hurdle are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 4:00.86 | Cavern Club (IRE) 5yo 10-11 8/1 | Gavin Sheehan James Owen (GB) |
| 2024 4:00.00 | Castel Gandolfo (IRE) 7yo 10-13 11/1 | Jonathan Burke Fergal O'Brien (GB) |
| 2023 4:10.21 | Too Friendly (GB) 5yo 11-10 11/2 | Harry Cobden James Owen (GB) |
| 2022 3:55.17 | Pisgah Pike (IRE) 7yo 11-6 22/1 | Gavin Sheehan Jamie Snowden (GB) |
| 2021 4:01.10 | Stonific (IRE) 8yo 10-9 40/1 | Tom Scudamore David O'Meara (GB) |
| 2020 4:00.20 | Red Force One (GB) 5yo 10-12 5/1 | Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2019 4:09.40 | Grapevine (IRE) 6yo 9-9 25/1 | Connor Brace (5lbs) Sophie Leech (GB) |
| 2018 3:55.60 | LInganno Felice (FR) 8yo 11-2 8/1 | Ross Chapman (3lbs) Iain Jardine (GB) |
| 2017 4:01.00 | John Constable (IRE) 6yo 11-12 4/1F | Davy Russell Evan Williams (GB) |
| 2016 4:05.70 | Red Tornado (FR) 4yo 10-9 8/1 | Harry Skelton Dan Skelton (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Summer Hurdle have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 47 placings from 283 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 4 runners
Summer Hurdle Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Summer Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is James Owen, who has won the race twice, with those two winners coming from Too Friendly (2023) and Cavern Club (2025).
Here are the Summer Hurdle trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2026 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Owen | 6-2-3 | +9.50 | +6.32 |
| Dan Skelton | 10-1-5 | -1.00 | +1.24 |
| Emma Lavelle | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -2.94 |
| Adrian Paul Keatley | 3-0-2 | -3.00 | -0.87 |
| David Killahena & Graeme McPherson | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Tom Lacey | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
Summer Hurdle Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Summer Hurdle over the last 20 renewals is Harry Cobden, who has won the race twice, with those two winners coming from Red Force One (2020) and Too Friendly (2023).
Here are the Summer Hurdle jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2026 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Cobden (Mojito Des Mottes) | 5-2-2 | +7.50 | +3.44 |
| Harry Skelton (Louis Veron) | 9-1-5 | +0.00 | +2.24 |
| Kielan Woods (Morning Mayhem) | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -1.75 |
| Sean Bowen (High Fibre) | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| James Bowen (Letterston Lily) | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | +0.63 |
| Brendan Powell (Howth) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
2026 Summer Hurdle Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 16, 9, 2, (2, 6, 7), 13, 3, 5, (1, 2), 3, 9, (5, 9), 1, 2, (11, 12), 5, 4, 5, 4, 2, 5
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.
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Had 6 - 18 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Ran in 4 - 12 races (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Carried 128 - 165lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Fewer than 5 wins (Hurdle)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 66/1 (Career)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 16/1 (Career Win)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Achieved an RPR of 116+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Ran in 10 - 47 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Carried 123 - 158lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - No more than 1 fall (Career)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Ran in England (LTO)
- 19 / 20 (84%) - Within the first 12 of the market
- 19 / 20 (88%) - Held an OR of 115+ (Last 3)
- 18 / 20 (79%) - No older than a 7yo
- 17 / 20 (64%) - Achieved an RPR of 126+ (Career)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Market Rasen racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Summer Hurdle. 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 Summer Hurdle by adding a tip on the race here.
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2026 Summer Hurdle Runners & Shortlist
Market Rasen will host the 2026 renewal of the Summer Hurdle, which will be run at 2:10 pm on Saturday, 18th July 2026, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer, jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 Indemnity (16/1)
- Emma Lavelle (4-0-1 -4.00 / -2.94)
- Ben Jones (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
- 15/15 Newtown Rambler (9/1)
- Adrian Paul Keatley (3-0-2 -3.00 / -0.87)
- Oakley Brown (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
Others: Charlus (14/15), High Fibre (13/15), Squeezebox (13/15), Continuance (13/15), Pigeon House (13/15), Howth (13/15), Louis Veron (13/15), Letterston Lily (11/15), Mojito Des Mottes (11/15), Morning Mayhem (11/15) and Moon Chime (11/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (12:12 pm Thursday 16th July 2026); if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Summer Hurdle Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +96.50, is when runners had 0 season places.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had recorded 2 career non-finishes; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-47.
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Summer Hurdle are Haydock, Uttoxeter, Newton Abbot, Stratford and Wetherby; there have been a total of 2 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 265 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 22 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Summer Hurdle; that stallion, Montjeu, has produced 2 winners (2017,2007).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Summer Hurdle despite multiple attempts:
- Danehill Dancer (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Hernando (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Mastercraftsman (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Stonific in 2021, winning for David O'Meara at odds of 40/1 under the guidance of Tom Scudamore. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 2 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
If you are interested in other races at the Market Rasen racecourse, then why not read our blog for the Summer Plate?
Route to the Summer Hurdle
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Summer Hurdle. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Cavern Club Chester - 1st of 9 (12/1) | Going Is Good Handicap |
| 2024 - Castel Gandolfo Market Rasen - 3rd of 5 (10/3) | Lincs Loos Handicap Hurdle |
| 2023 - Too Friendly Cartmel - 2nd of 12 (13/2) | Oakmere Homes Handicap Hurdle |
| 2022 - Pisgah Pike Newton Abbot - 7th of 7 (10/1) | Racing Partnership Handicap Chase |
| 2021 - Stonific Catterick - 4th of 4 (7/1) | Spindler And Hunter Handicap |
| 2020 - Red Force One Thirsk - 5th of 8 (9/2) | JW 4x4 Northallerton Handicap |
| 2019 - Grapevine Windsor - 3rd of 8 (11/1) | Marathonbet Sportsbook Handicap |
| 2018 - LInganno Felice Uttoxeter - 1st of 7 (4/9) | Remembering Lisa Oldham Novices Hurdle |
| 2017 - John Constable Haydock - 1st of 17 (5/1) | Swinton Handicap Hurdle |
| 2016 - Red Tornado Uttoxeter - 1st of 8 (6/5) | ST14 Construction Novices Hurdle |
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 Summer Hurdle Preview are Andy and Darren. 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 National Hunt Racing.
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
