Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 18 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
2025 Clipper Handicap Preview
The Clipper Handicap takes place on the second day of the York Ebor Festival in August of each year, the race is open to runners who are aged three or older and is run over a trip just shy of a mile (seven furlongs, one hundred and ninety-two yards).
It's a race where if you can find the winner then you will be rewarded as six of the last ten winners came in at double-figure prices, four of those 20/1 or bigger!
Clipper Handicap Information:
Our dedicated York tips page will not only bring you predictions from the OLBG racing tipsters for the upcoming card that includes the Clipper Handicap but will also have predictions for each meeting at York throughout the season so be sure to head over there. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information, head down to the Other Principal Races at York Racecourse section for links to these.
How competitive is the Clipper Handicap 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 119%. The race in 2023 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 Clipper Handicap, the over-round has been 128%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £128 which is bet.
Clipper Handicap Trends:
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? From the past 20 if you had followed the winner of the Clipper Handicap next time out then you would have backed a total of 1 winner. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since to win at SP next time out, would have returned an LSP of -17.09. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to easily access the OLBG racing picks daily.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 1:34.59 was set by Blue For You in 2022, which is the quickest time over that period, the runner was trained by David O'Meara and ridden by Daniel Tudhope. The slowest winning time was set in 2017 when Flaming Spear won in a time of 1:41.27, booked to ride was Robert Winston by the trainer Kevin Ryan.
These are the top three quickest-run Clipper Handicap over the last 20 renewals:
- Blue For You (1:34.59) in 2022
- Ropey Guest (1:34.87) in 2023
- Thunder Run (1:35.90) in 2024
Clipper Handicap Past Winners
Here are the Clipper 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 Clipper Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 1:35.90 | Thunder Run (IRE) 3yo 8-9 (6 of 18) 6/1 | David Egan K R Burke (GB) |
| 2023 1:34.87 | Ropey Guest (GB) 6yo 9-2 (8 of 19) 40/1 | Tom Queally George Margarson (GB) |
| 2022 1:34.59 | Blue For You (IRE) 4yo 9-2 (1 of 18) 11/2F | Daniel Tudhope David O'Meara (GB) |
| 2021 1:36.03 | Cruyff Turn (GB) 4yo 9-1 (8 of 18) 28/1 | David Allan Tim Easterby (GB) |
| 2020 1:37.20 | Montatham (GB) 4yo 9-4 (2 of 17) 7/2 | Jim Crowley William Haggas (GB) |
| 2019 1:36.14 | Whats The Story (GB) 5yo 9-6 (14 of 18) 12/1 | Joe Fanning Keith Dalgleish (GB) |
| 2018 1:36.96 | Poets Society (GB) 4yo 9-0 (15 of 18) 20/1 | Frankie Dettori Mark Johnston (GB) |
| 2017 1:41.27 | Flaming Spear (IRE) 5yo 9-2 (4 of 17) 10/1 | Robert Winston Kevin Ryan (GB) |
| 2016 1:36.70 | Firmament (GB) 4yo 8-13 (1 of 20) 8/1 | Daniel Tudhope David O'Meara (GB) |
| 2015 1:37.00 | Chil The Kite (GB) 6yo 9-10 (9 of 18) 20/1 | George Baker Hughie Morrison (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Clipper Handicap have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 58 placings from 358 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 1 runner
Clipper Handicap Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Clipper Handicap over the last 20 renewals is David O'Meara who has won the race three times with those three winners coming from Mont Ras (2013), Firmament (2016) and Blue For You (2022). The only other trainer to have recorded multiple wins in the Clipper Handicap is William Haggas (2 wins). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Clipper Handicap, Richard Fahey has sent a total of 18 runners to the race without recording any wins whilst Saeed bin Suroor has sent out 11 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Clipper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| David O'Meara | 57-3-13 | -15.50 | -7.56 |
| William Haggas | 15-2-2 | -1.50 | -5.81 |
| Tim Easterby | 10-1-1 | +19.00 | +8.50 |
| Kevin Ryan | 8-1-2 | +3.00 | +1.50 |
| K R Burke | 6-1-2 | +1.00 | +0.19 |
| David Simcock | 5-1-2 | +8.00 | +4.75 |
| Hugo Palmer | 4-1-2 | +5.00 | +3.75 |
| William Jarvis | 3-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.13 |
| George Margarson | 2-1-1 | +39.00 | +24.00 |
| Hughie Morrison | 2-1-1 | +19.00 | +11.50 |
Clipper Handicap Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Clipper Handicap over the last 20 renewals is Daniel Tudhope who has won the race two times with those two winners coming from Firmament (2016) and Blue For You (2022). Two jockeys have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Clipper Handicap, Ryan Moore has ridden 10 runners to the race without recording any wins whilst Silvestre De Sousa has ridden 10 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Clipper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Tudhope | 11-2-6 | +4.50 | +6.75 |
| Frankie Dettori | 11-1-3 | +10.00 | +6.25 |
| Joe Fanning | 10-1-3 | +3.00 | +1.88 |
| Jamie Spencer | 9-1-2 | +4.00 | +0.75 |
| William Buick | 9-1-1 | -3.00 | -4.87 |
| Tom Queally | 7-1-1 | +34.00 | +19.00 |
| Jim Crowley | 7-1-1 | -2.50 | -3.81 |
| David Allan | 6-1-1 | +23.00 | +12.50 |
| Kerrin McEvoy | 3-1-1 | +4.00 | +1.75 |
| Harry Bentley | 2-1-1 | +24.00 | +14.63 |
2025 Clipper Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 2, 4, 3, 1, 17, 12, 3, 8, 6, 4, 6, 2, (9, 14), (2, 4, 6), 3, 3, (3, 9), 1, (5, 14), 9
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 (72%) - Not on HY/SFT/GS/FM/STD-SLW/STD-FS (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Fewer than 5 placings (Class)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Fewer than 4 races (Course)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Not in a G2-3/LST/Cl4 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Not on HY/FM/SLW/STD-SLW/STD/FS (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - No older than a 6yo
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Furthest Won 7f - 1m1f
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Beaten no more -11l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - No more than +3yrs (Vs Min Age)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Fewer than 3 wins (Class)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Achieved an RPR of 96+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Highest Won is not G2-3/Cl4
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Achieved an RPR of 80+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Ran over 7f - 1m (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Furthest ran 1m - 1m3f
Remember to use the trends listed above along with the York racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the Clipper Handicap. If there is anything that you do not understand in this blog, please leave a comment or head over to the Horse Racing Terms and Abbreviations article which is available in the OLBG Betting School section.
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 Clipper Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
Clipper Handicap Trend Analysis
The trend factor which had produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +116.00 is when runners had 1 career start over further. The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had a highest class placed of Class 1 (L), when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-72.
Here are the most recent winning draws along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2024: Winner in 6 (8,1,5) [18 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 8 (14,10,12) [19 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 1 (7,14,11) [18 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 8 (18,17,15) [18 Runners]
- 2020: Winner in 2 (11,13,5) [17 Runners]
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Clipper Handicap are Goodwood and Ascot, there has been a total number of 5 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes with the Male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 355 runners whilst the Female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 4 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Clipper Handicap, that stallion Cape Cross has produced 3 winners (2016,2014,2009).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Clipper Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- Dark Angel (0 Wins from 14 runners)
- Invincible Spirit (0 Wins from 13 runners)
- Dansili (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Danehill Dancer (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Pivotal (0 Wins from 8 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Ropey Guest in 2023, winning for George Margarson at odds of 40/1 under the guidance of Tom Queally. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals there have been 2 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2025 Clipper Handicap head over to see which other runners today are being backed by the best racing tipsters today.
Other Principal races during the York Ebor Festival
Remember to head over to the York predictions page to see which runner the racing tipsters support in the Clipper Handicap. Below are the other principal races that we cover during the Ebor Festival with links to each race blog and information for last year's winners.
Wednesday at the Ebor Festival
The highlight on the opening day of the Ebor Festival is the Juddmonte International, a Group 1 race with a purse of £1.25m which is part of the British Champion Series.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 York Symphony Group Handicap | Jm Jungle (IRE) 4yo - 10/1 | John & Sean Quinn Jason Hart |
| 14:25 York Acomb Stakes | The Lion In Winter (IRE) 2yo - 2/1 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 15:00 York Great Voltigeur Stakes | Los Angeles (IRE) 3yo - 5/4 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 15:35 York Juddmonte International Stakes | City Of Troy (USA) 3yo - 5/4 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 16:10 York York Ebor Festival Stayers Handicap | Extensio (IRE) 7yo - 14/1 | P F O'Donnell J M Sheridan |
Thursday at the Ebor Festival
The fillies and mares take centre stage on Thursday at the festival in the Yorkshire Oaks, another Group 1 which is part of the British Champion Series.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 York Lowther Stakes | Celandine (GB) 2yo - 13/2 | Ed Walker Tom Marquand |
| 14:25 York Premier Yearling Stakes | Diligently (GB) 2yo - 22/1 | Clive Cox Rossa Ryan |
| 15:00 York Clipper Handicap | Thunder Run (IRE) 3yo - 6/1 | K R Burke David Egan |
| 15:35 York Yorkshire Oaks | Content (IRE) 3yo - 3/1 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| 16:10 York Galtres Stakes | Scenic (FR) 4yo - 8/1 | Ed Walker Oisin Murphy |
Friday at the Ebor Festival
The British Champion Series race for Friday at the Ebor Festival is the 500k Nunthrope over the sprint distance of five furlongs. The Lonsdale Cup is also part of the British Champion Series on Friday.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 York York Ebor Festival Sky Bet Handicap | Shadow Dance (GB) 4yo - 6/1 | Roger Varian James Doyle |
| 14:25 York Lonsdale Cup | Vauban (FR) 6yo - 11/2 | W P Mullins William Buick |
| 15:00 York Gimcrack Stakes | Cool Hoof Luke (GB) 2yo - 8/1 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
| 15:35 York Nunthorpe Stakes | Bradsell (GB) 4yo - 3/1 | Archie Watson Hollie Doyle |
Saturday at the Ebor Festival
The highlight on the final day of the Ebor Festival is the Ebor Handicap itself, a stamina testing class two handicap which carries a purse of 500k.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 York Strensall Stakes | See The Fire (GB) 3yo - 3/1 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
| 14:25 York Melrose Heritage Handicap | Tabletalk (IRE) 3yo - 12/1 | Tom Clover Rossa Ryan |
| 15:00 York City of York Stakes | Breege (GB) 4yo - 33/1 | John & Sean Quinn Colin Keane |
| 15:35 York Ebor Handicap | Magical Zoe (IRE) 6yo - 11/2 | Henry De Bromhead W J Lee |
| 16:45 York Roses Stakes | Tropical Storm (GB) 2yo - 5/2 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Clipper Handicap Preview are at hand, Andy and Darren. They both work on the Horse racing tips team 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.
Darren Brett
Tipster Competition Manager
Andy Powell
Content Editor
Other Principal Races at York Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the York racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in May (Dante Festival)
- Churchill Tyres Handicap
- Duke of York Stakes
- Jorvik Stakes
- Musidora Stakes
- Dante Stakes
- Hambleton Stakes
- Lindum York Handicap
- Middleton Stakes
- Knights Solicitors Handicap
- Yorkshire Cup
