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.
2026 Thirsk Hunt Cup Preview
Scheduled to take place in May of each year and being the highlight of the flat season at the Thirsk racecourse is the Thirsk Hunt Cup, a Class 2 handicap that is run over a trip of one mile and is open to runners aged four or older.
For sponsorship purposes, the 2026 renewal of the Thirsk Hunt Cup will hold the title of 'Sky Bet Thirsk Hunt Cup Handicap'.
Thirsk Hunt Cup Information:
Why not use the trends shortlist below to help you narrow down the field and then head over to the dedicated Thirsk tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG expert racing tipsters to find yourself a bet?
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Thirsk Hunt Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2010, when the race had an over-round of 120%. The race in 2009 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 133%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Thirsk Hunt Cup, 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 Thirsk Hunt Cup 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 Thirsk Hunt Cup Trend Analysis. With the field now finalised, we have the Thirsk Hunt Cup Trend Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run Thirsk Hunt Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Minority Report (1:35.97) in 2006
- Flawed Genius (1:36.41) in 2009
- Redarna (1:36.63) in 2022
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 Thirsk Hunt Cup next time out, then you would have backed a total of 0 winners. Backing all 20 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -20.00. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Thirsk Hunt Cup.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2016 renewal when Finn Class from Michael Dods under the guidance of Tom Eaves, won in a time of 1:47.67, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Minority Report, trained by Luca Cumani and ridden by Nicky Mackay set the quickest time of 1:35.97 in the 2006 renewal.
Thirsk Hunt Cup Past Winners
Here are the Thirsk Hunt Cup 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 Thirsk Hunt Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
Race Notes: The 2018 renewal was run at the Wetherby Racecourse.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 1:37.20 | Flight Plan (GB) 5yo 9-9 (9 of 13) 8/1 | Sam James K R Burke (GB) |
| 2024 1:43.74 | Titan Rock (GB) 6yo 8-7 (5 of 14) 12/1 | James Sullivan John & Sean Quinn (GB) |
| 2023 1:43.06 | Northern Express (IRE) 5yo 9-7 (2 of 15) 11/2 | Callum Rodriguez Michael Dods (GB) |
| 2022 1:36.63 | Redarna (GB) 8yo 8-13 (15 of 15) 66/1 | Paul Mulrennan Dianne Sayer (GB) |
| 2021 1:36.93 | Storting (GB) 5yo 8-11 (7 of 15) 18/1 | Tony Hamilton Mick Channon (GB) |
| 2019 1:37.49 | Hayadh (GB) 6yo 8-12 (10 of 16) 14/1 | Lewis Edmunds Rebecca Bastiman (GB) |
| 2018 1:39.52 | Original Choice (IRE) 4yo 9-1 (15 of 15) 6/1 | Ben Curtis William Haggas (GB) |
| 2017 1:38.87 | Cote DAzur (GB) 4yo 9-1 (17 of 17) 8/1 | P J McDonald Les Eyre (GB) |
| 2016 1:47.67 | Finn Class (IRE) 5yo 8-9 (2 of 15) 16/1 | Tom Eaves Michael Dods (GB) |
| 2015 1:38.47 | Sound Advice (GB) 6yo 8-9 (12 of 18) 13/2 | Phillip Makin Keith Dalgleish (GB) |
Thirsk Hunt Cup Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Thirsk Hunt Cup over the last 20 renewals is Kevin Ryan, who has won the race twice, with those two winners coming from My Paris (2007) and Flawed Genius (2009). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Thirsk Hunt Cup. Tim Easterby has sent a total of 29 runners to the race without recording any wins, whilst David O'Meara has sent out 27 without a winner.
Here are the Thirsk Hunt Cup 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Ryan | 18-2-6 | -1.50 | -0.38 |
| K R Burke | 8-1-2 | +1.00 | +2.63 |
| Dianne Sayer | 4-1-1 | +63.00 | +38.25 |
| William Haggas | 3-1-1 | +4.00 | +1.75 |
| Tim Easterby | 29-0-1 | -29.00 | -27.81 |
| David O'Meara | 27-0-6 | -27.00 | -17.92 |
| Geoffrey Harker | 5-0-0 | -5.00 | -5.00 |
| Grant Tuer | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
| Richard Hannon | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -1.22 |
| Declan Carroll | 2-0-0 | -2.00 | -2.00 |
Thirsk Hunt Cup Jockey Statistics
Here are the Thirsk Hunt Cup 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam James (Flight Plan) | 7-1-1 | +2.00 | -1.00 |
| Connor Beasley (City Of Poets) | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -2.00 |
| Shane Gray (Al Mubhir) | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -3.62 |
| Andrew Mullen (Bellarchi) | 5-0-0 | -5.00 | -5.00 |
| Cam Hardie (Redarna) | 5-0-0 | -5.00 | -5.00 |
| Mark Winn (Mirsky) | 2-0-1 | -2.00 | -0.87 |
| Oisin Orr (Sea Force) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Sean Kirrane (Accentuate) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
2026 Thirsk Hunt Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, 1, 3, 2, 3, 13, 10, 1, (1, 3), 12, 2, (5, 11), 3, 5, 4, 2, 9, 2, 9, 7
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 (76%) - Break of 189 - 716 days (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Ran in 2 - 43 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (83%) - Fewer than 1 win (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Had 2 - 16 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Fewer than 1 wins (Season)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Highest Placed is not G1/LST/Cl5
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Not in a Cl2/Cl6 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Highest Won is not G3/LST/Cl5
- 19 / 20 (63%) - Within the first 9 of the market
- 19 / 20 (75%) - No older than a 6yo
- 19 / 20 (75%) - No more than +2yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 19 / 20 (83%) - Achieved a TS of 64+ (Last 3)
- 19 / 20 (89%) - Held an OR of 86+ (Last 5)
- 18 / 20 (81%) - Achieved a TS of 83+ (Career)
- 17 / 20 (70%) - No bigger than 50/1 (Career)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Thirsk racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Thirsk Hunt Cup. 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 Thirsk Hunt Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Thirsk Hunt Cup Trend Shortlist
Thirsk will host the 2026 renewal of the Thirsk Hunt Cup, which will be run at 2:40 pm on Saturday, 2nd May 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 Dashing Darcey (12/1)
- Geoffrey Harker (5-0-0 -5.00 / -5.00)
- Oisin McSweeney (0-0-0 0.00 / 0.00)
- 15/15 Sea Force (4/1)
- William Haggas (3-1-1 +4.00 / +1.75)
- Oisin Orr (1-0-0 -1.00 / -1.00)
Others: Flight Plan (14/15), City Of Poets (13/15), Esherann (12/15), Blue Rc (12/15), Mirsky (11/15), Accentuate (11/15), Apiarist (11/15), A War Eagle (9/15), Bellarchi (9/15), Al Mubhir (8/15), Rhoscolyn (8/15), Redarna (7/15) and Witch Hunter (6/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (11:54 am Thursday 30th April 2026), if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Thirsk Hunt Cup Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +55.75, is when runners were GB-bred.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 1 win in the past 180 days, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-43.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 9 (5,3) [13 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 5 (4,2) [14 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 2 (7,1) [15 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 15 (4,10) [15 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 7 (4,11) [15 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Thirsk Hunt Cup is Newbury; there have been a total of 6 winners of this race who ran at Newbury last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Thirsk; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Thirsk last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 290 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 10 runners.
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Thirsk Hunt Cup despite multiple attempts:
- Invincible Spirit (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Dark Angel (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Dutch Art (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Danehill Dancer (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Kings Best (0 Wins from 6 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Redarna in 2022, winning for Dianne Sayer at odds of 66/1 under the guidance of Paul Mulrennan. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 3 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2026 Thirsk Hunt Cup, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the Thirsk Hunt Cup
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Thirsk Hunt Cup. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Flight Plan Thirsk - 4th of 6 (7/2) | British EBF Michael Foster Conditions Stakes |
| 2024 - Titan Rock Newcastle (AW) - 9th of 12 (9/1) | BetMGM: Its Showtime Handicap |
| 2023 - Northern Express Musselburgh - 5th of 11 (7/1) | tote.co.uk BetÂŁ5GetÂŁ20 Musselburgh Silver Arrow Handicap |
| 2022 - Redarna Newmarket (Rowley) - 6th of 9 (14/1) | 888Sport Whats Your Thinking Handicap |
| 2021 - Storting Newbury - 6th of 16 (41/1) | Dubai Duty Free Millenium Millionaire Handicap |
| 2019 - Hayadh Musselburgh - 2nd of 10 (11/2) | Silver Arrow Handicap |
| 2018 - Original Choice Doncaster - 10th of 20 (5/1) | Spring Mile |
| 2017 - Cote DAzur Pontefract - 5th of 9 (6/1) | Watch Racing UK On 3 Devices Handicap |
| 2016 - Finn Class Doncaster - 5th of 21 (50/1) | Spring Mile |
| 2015 - Sound Advice Newbury - 7th of 17 (41/1) | Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Handicap |
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 Thirsk Hunt Cup 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 Flat racing.
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
