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 Victoria Cup Preview
The Victoria Cup is a flat handicap that is scheduled to take place in May of each year at the Ascot racecourse. The race is run over a straight seven furlongs and is open to runners aged four or older.
Victoria Cup Information:
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Ascot tips on the day of the race. Do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist, or are they predicting other runners? You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Ascot Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Victoria Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2005, when the race had an over-round of 127%. The race in 2014 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 142%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Victoria Cup, the over-round has been 137%, which means the bookie expects to pay out ÂŁ100 for every ÂŁ137 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Victoria 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 Victoria Cup Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Victoria Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Iffraaj (1:22.97) in 2005
- Hickory (1:23.66) in 2025
- Flash Fire (1:25.35) in 2016
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 Victoria Cup 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 -10.42. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Victoria Cup.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2021 renewal when River Nymph from Clive Cox under the guidance of Adam Kirby, won in a time of 1:30.95, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Iffraaj, trained by Michael Jarvis and ridden by Philip Robinson set the quickest time of 1:22.97 in the 2005 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Victoria Cup Past Winners
Here are the Victoria 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 Victoria Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
Race Notes: There was no renewal in 2020, and the 2005 renewal was held at Lingfield.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 1:23.66 | Hickory (IRE) 7yo 8-5 (11 of 17) 22/1 | Saffie Osborne Jamie Osborne (GB) |
| 2024 1:26.58 | The Wizard Of Eye (IRE) 5yo 9-2 (12 of 21) 7/1 | Tom Marquand Charlie Fellowes (GB) |
| 2023 1:30.53 | Rebel Territory (GB) 5yo 9-1 (2 of 22) 11/1 | Jim Crowley Amanda Perrett (GB) |
| 2022 1:27.18 | Vafortino (IRE) 4yo 8-7 (27 of 27) 16/1 | Benoit De La Sayette (7lbs) Kevin Philippart De Foy (GB) |
| 2021 1:30.95 | River Nymph (GB) 4yo 9-0 (24 of 27) 11/1 | Adam Kirby Clive Cox (GB) |
| 2019 1:27.35 | Cape Byron (GB) 5yo 9-3 (10 of 26) 8/1 | Andrea Atzeni Roger Varian (GB) |
| 2018 1:25.40 | Ripp Orf (IRE) 4yo 8-1 (13 of 27) 20/1 | Hayley Turner David Elsworth (GB) |
| 2017 1:27.14 | Fastnet Tempest (IRE) 4yo 8-5 (18 of 24) 5/1F | Josephine Gordon William Haggas (GB) |
| 2016 1:25.35 | Flash Fire (IRE) 4yo 9-6 (29 of 26) 20/1 | Adam Kirby Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2015 1:26.46 | Speculative Bid (IRE) 4yo 8-9 (23 of 26) 10/1 | Jamie Spencer David Elsworth (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Victoria Cup have been based:
- GB: 19 winners with an additional 59 placings from 480 runners
- IRE: 1 winner with an additional 1 placing from 5 runners
- AUS: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 3 runners
- USA: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
2025 Victoria Cup Replay
Victoria Cup Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Victoria Cup over the last 20 renewals is David Elsworth, who has won the race twice, with those two winners coming from Speculative Bid (2015) and Ripp Orf (2018). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Victoria Cup. Richard Fahey (0-23), David O'Meara (0-20), Kevin Ryan (0-15), Richard Hannon (0-11) and Andrew Balding (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top Victoria Cup 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Elsworth | 5-2-3 | +27.00 | +17.63 |
| David Barron | 13-1-5 | -4.00 | +1.13 |
| Jim Goldie | 13-1-3 | -4.50 | +0.95 |
| William Haggas | 12-1-3 | -6.00 | -0.74 |
| George Margarson | 11-1-1 | +15.00 | +5.63 |
| Clive Cox | 9-1-2 | +3.00 | +2.51 |
| Amanda Perrett | 6-1-3 | +6.00 | +9.51 |
| Jamie Osborne | 5-1-2 | +18.00 | +12.25 |
| Roger Varian | 5-1-1 | +4.00 | +1.00 |
| Charlie Fellowes | 5-1-1 | +3.00 | +0.38 |
Victoria Cup Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Victoria Cup over the last 20 renewals is Adam Kirby, who has won the race twice, with those two winners coming from Flash Fire (2016) and River Nymph (2021).
Here are some of the top Victoria Cup 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Kirby | 8-2-2 | +25.00 | +13.38 |
| Andrea Atzeni | 9-1-2 | +0.00 | +3.75 |
| Hayley Turner | 8-1-2 | +13.00 | +7.75 |
| Jamie Spencer | 8-1-2 | +3.00 | +1.00 |
| Tom Queally | 7-1-1 | +19.00 | +9.63 |
| Jim Crowley | 7-1-1 | +5.00 | +0.88 |
| Ryan Moore | 5-1-3 | +4.00 | +4.01 |
| Saffie Osborne | 4-1-2 | +19.00 | +12.25 |
| Tadhg O'Shea | 4-1-1 | +6.00 | +2.63 |
| Tom Marquand | 4-1-2 | +4.00 | +3.88 |
2026 Victoria Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 6, 21, (1, 2), 16, 2, 5, 9, 20, (4, 13), 7, 12, 1, 10, 2, 9, 6, 8, 10, 2
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 (64%) - No bigger than 25/1
- 20 / 20 (65%) - Within the first 15 of the market
- 20 / 20 (71%) - Ran in 4 - 28 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Ran in 2 - 24 races (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Fewer than 16 races (Class)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Achieved a TS of 78+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Ran over 6f - 1m (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Highest Run is not LST/Cl4
- 20 / 20 (87%) - No more than +20lbs (Vs Min Weight)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Had 3 - 15 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 20/1 (Career Win)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Highest Placed is not G1-2/Cl4-5
- 18 / 20 (80%) - Won within last 9 starts
- 17 / 20 (63%) - Achieved a TS of 79+ (Last 3)
- 17 / 20 (65%) - No older than a 5yo
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Ascot racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Victoria 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 Victoria Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Victoria Cup Trend Analysis
â The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +44.00, is when runners had 3 career wins.
â The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners were priced at 33/1, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-76.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 11 (9,12,1) [17 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 12 (18,13,6) [21 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 2 (23,14,6) [22 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 27 (26,28,13) [27 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 24 (17,25,14) [27 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Victoria Cup is Newmarket (Rowley); there have been a total of 5 winners of this race who ran at Newmarket (Rowley) last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Newbury; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Newbury last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 483 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 7 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Victoria Cup; that stallion, Shamardal, has produced 2 winners (2019,2016).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Victoria Cup despite multiple attempts:
- Oasis Dream (0 Wins from 14 runners)
- Cape Cross (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Kyllachy (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Invincible Spirit (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Acclamation (0 Wins from 8 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Excellent Guest in 2013, winning for George Margarson at odds of 25/1 under the guidance of Tom Queally. 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 Victoria Cup, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the Victoria Cup
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Victoria Cup. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Hickory Wolverhampton (AW) - 2nd of 12 (8/1) | Stay At The Wolverhampton Holiday Inn Handicap |
| 2024 - The Wizard Of Eye Newbury - 7th of 7 (23/1) | Dubai Duty Free Cup Stakes |
| 2023 - Rebel Territory Newmarket (Rowley) - 1st of 9 (7/2) | National Stud Handicap |
| 2022 - Vafortino Newcastle (AW) - 2nd of 11 (19/2) | All Weather Championships Mile Handicap |
| 2021 - River Nymph Doncaster - 14th of 18 (12/1) | Lincoln Handicap |
| 2019 - Cape Byron Ascot - 7th of 15 (7/2) | Ascot Challenge Cup |
| 2018 - Ripp Orf Yarmouth - 2nd of 7 (7/4) | Weatherbys Global Stallions App Handicap |
| 2017 - Fastnet Tempest Newbury - 3rd of 21 (10/1) | OLBG Spring Cup |
| 2016 - Flash Fire Newmarket (Rowley) - 5th of 15 (10/1) | Ben Burgess & Co Handicap |
| 2015 - Speculative Bid Kempton (AW) - 1st of 9 (4/1) | Betfred "Home of Goals Galore" 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 Victoria 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
Other Principal races at Ascot racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Ascot racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in January
Races in February
Races in June (Royal Ascot)
- Ascot Stakes
- Copper Horse Stakes
- Coventry Stakes
- King Charles III Stakes
- Queen Anne Stakes
- St James's Palace Stakes
- Wolferton Stakes
- Duke of Cambridge Stakes
- Kensington Palace Stakes
- Prince of Wales's Stakes
- Queen Mary Stakes
- Queen's Vase
- Royal Hunt Cup
- Windsor Castle Stakes
- Ascot Gold Cup
- Britannia Stakes
- Buckingham Palace Stakes
- Hampton Court Stakes
- King George V Stakes
- Norfolk Stakes
- Ribblesdale Stakes
- Albany Stakes
- Commonwealth Cup
- Coronation Stakes
- Duke of Edinburgh Stakes
- King Edward VII Stakes
- Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes
- Sandringham Stakes
- Chesham Stakes
- Golden Gates Stakes
- Hardwicke Stakes
- Jersey Stakes
- Queen Alexandra Stakes
- Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes
- Wokingham Stakes
Races in July
- Ascot Heritage Handicap Sprint
- International Stakes Heritage Handicap
- King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
- Summer Mile Stakes
Races in August (Shergar Cup)
- Shergar Cup Challenge
- Shergar Cup Classic
- Shergar Cup Dash
- Shergar Cup Mile
- Shergar Cup Sprint
- Shergar Cup Stayers
Races in September
Races in October (Champions Day)
- Balmoral Handicap
- British Champion Stakes
- British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes
- British Champions Long Distance Cup
- British Champions Sprint Stakes
- Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
