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 Symphony Group Handicap Preview
Introduced in 2009 when the inaugural running of the race was won by the popular Barney McGrew, the Symphony Group Handicap is run on the opening day of the York Ebor Festival.
This Class 2 is run over a distance of five furlongs and half a yard (1,189 yards) and is open to runners who are aged three or older.
The race tends to attract big fields, all renewals have had a minimum of fifteen runners which means, if you can find the winner then more often than not, you get a decent price.
Symphony Group Handicap Information:
- Symphony Group Handicap Past Winners
- Symphony Group Handicap Trainer Statistics
- Symphony Group Handicap Jockey Statistics
If you are interested in other predictions at York then head over to the York tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. 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 Symphony Group Handicap market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 16 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2010 when the race had an over-round of 119%. The race in 2022 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 135%, whilst on average over the last 16 renewals of the Symphony Group Handicap, the over-round has been 128%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £128 which is bet.
Symphony Group Handicap Trends:
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? From the past 16 if you had followed the winner of the Symphony Group Handicap next time out then you would have backed a total of 1 winner. Backing all 15 runners who have been out since to win at SP next time out, would have returned an LSP of -12.62. Ahead of the 2025 Symphony Group Handicap why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
The runner that holds the record over the past 16 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2022 renewal when Bergerac from Kevin Ryan under the guidance of Tom Eaves, won in a time of 1:04.78, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Bogart, trained by Kevin Ryan and ridden by Neil Callan set the quickest time of 1:01.72 in the 2013 renewal.
These are the top three quickest-run Symphony Group Handicap over the last 16 renewals:
- Bogart (1:01.72) in 2013
- Boom The Groom (1:01.77) in 2016
- Dakota Gold (1:01.89) in 2019
Symphony Group Handicap Past Winners
Here are the Symphony Group 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 Symphony Group Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 1:02.15 | Jm Jungle (IRE) 4yo 8-10 (6 of 22) 10/1 | Jason Hart John & Sean Quinn (GB) |
| 2023 1:01.93 | Equilateral (GB) 8yo 9-12 (12 of 20) 12/1 | Jamie Spencer Charles Hills (GB) |
| 2022 1:04.78 | Bergerac (IRE) 4yo 8-12 (2 of 22) 22/1 | Tom Eaves Kevin Ryan (GB) |
| 2021 1:03.11 | Copper Knight (IRE) 7yo 8-12 (3 of 22) 18/1 | David Allan Tim Easterby (GB) |
| 2020 1:02.80 | Acclaim The Nation (IRE) 7yo 8-12 (9 of 21) 18/1 | Jason Hart Eric Alston (GB) |
| 2019 1:01.89 | Dakota Gold (GB) 5yo 9-10 (10 of 22) 4/1F | Connor Beasley Michael Dods (GB) |
| 2018 1:02.12 | El Astronaute (IRE) 5yo 9-3 (18 of 19) 12/1 | Rossa Ryan (3lbs) John Quinn (GB) |
| 2017 1:04.20 | Desert Law (IRE) 9yo 8-13 (8 of 16) 14/1 | Luke Morris Paul Midgley (GB) |
| 2016 1:01.77 | Boom The Groom (IRE) 5yo 9-7 (5 of 20) 11/1 | Andrea Atzeni Tony Carroll (GB) |
| 2015 1:03.48 | Caspian Prince (IRE) 6yo 9-7 (5 of 20) 20/1 | Robert Winston Dean Ivory (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Symphony Group Handicap have been based:
- GB: 16 winners with an additional 46 placings from 301 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 3 runners
- SWE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
- AUS: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
Symphony Group Handicap Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Symphony Group Handicap over the last 16 renewals is Kevin Ryan who has won the race three times with those three winners coming from Bogart (2013), Blaine (2014) and Bergerac (2022). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Symphony Group Handicap are Tim Easterby (2 wins) and Michael Dods (2 wins). Two trainers have not had the best of times over the last 16 renewals in the Symphony Group Handicap, David O'Meara has sent a total of 18 runners to the race without recording any wins whilst Richard Fahey has sent out 13 without a winner.
Here are some of the top Symphony Group Handicap trainer statistics over the last 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Ryan | 23-3-4 | +21.00 | +7.38 |
| Tim Easterby | 22-2-4 | +7.00 | +1.13 |
| Michael Dods | 13-2-5 | +7.00 | +8.38 |
| Paul Midgley | 18-1-6 | -3.00 | +7.38 |
| Charles Hills | 8-1-3 | +5.00 | +6.51 |
| John Quinn | 6-1-2 | +7.00 | +4.50 |
| Eric Alston | 4-1-1 | +15.00 | +8.25 |
| Jane Chapple-Hyam | 2-1-1 | +15.00 | +9.00 |
| Tony Carroll | 2-1-1 | +10.00 | +5.88 |
| Dean Ivory | 1-1-1 | +20.00 | +12.50 |
Symphony Group Handicap Jockey Statistics
There are two leading jockeys in the Symphony Group Handicap over the last 16 renewals with both David Allan and Jason Hart who have both won the race two times. David Allan's winners have been with Hamish McGonagall (2010) and Copper Knight (2021). Jason Hart winners have been with Acclaim The Nation (2020) and Jm Jungle (2024). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the Symphony Group Handicap, Daniel Tudhope has ridden 10 runners to the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Symphony Group Handicap jockey statistics over the last 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Allan | 12-2-4 | +17.00 | +9.63 |
| Jason Hart | 4-2-3 | +26.00 | +17.50 |
| Jamie Spencer | 10-1-4 | +3.00 | +6.64 |
| Andrea Atzeni | 5-1-1 | +7.00 | +2.88 |
| Neil Callan | 5-1-1 | +3.00 | +0.38 |
| Tom Eaves | 4-1-1 | +19.00 | +10.75 |
| Connor Beasley | 4-1-1 | +1.00 | -0.50 |
| Luke Morris | 3-1-1 | +12.00 | +6.75 |
| Rossa Ryan | 3-1-3 | +10.00 | +9.13 |
| Daniel Tudhope | 10-0-6 | -10.00 | -0.36 |
2025 Symphony Group Handicap Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 2, 3, 4, 11, 6, 4, (6, 17), 2, 2, (2, 3, 14), 1, 10, 6, (5, 15), 13, 5
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.
- 16 / 16 (66%) - Achieved an RPR of 98+ (Season)
- 16 / 16 (71%) - Achieved an RPR of 96+ (Going)
- 16 / 16 (72%) - No bigger than 22/1
- 16 / 16 (76%) - Off a break of 4 - 25 days
- 16 / 16 (79%) - Achieved a TS of 77+ (Going)
- 16 / 16 (80%) - Ran in 13 - 60 races (Career)
- 16 / 16 (81%) - Within the first 15 of the market
- 16 / 16 (81%) - Ran in 1 - 3 races (30 Days)
- 16 / 16 (83%) - Held an OR of 84+ (Last Win)
- 16 / 16 (84%) - Ran in 6 - 17 races (1 Year)
- 16 / 16 (84%) - Ran in 2 - 6 races (90 Days)
- 16 / 16 (85%) - No bigger than 66/1 (Career)
- 16 / 16 (87%) - No more than -16lbs (Vs Max Weight)
- 16 / 16 (87%) - Sex is not Colt/Filly/Horse/Mare
- 16 / 16 (89%) - Achieved an RPR of 91+ (Last 3)
Remember to use the trends listed above along with the York racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the Symphony Group Handicap. If you are a newcomer to horse racing betting, then the number of types of bets can be scary! Don't let that put you off though, head over to this Types Of Horse Racing Bet article and have a read, you will then have a better knowledge of betting on racing in the future and there are plenty of other articles in the OLBG Betting School too.
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 Symphony Group Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
Symphony Group Handicap Trend Analysis
The trend factor which had produced 8+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +49.00 is when runners ran at Goodwood last time out. The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 1 place in the past 180 days, when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-78.
Here are the most recent winning draws along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2024: Winner in 6 (7,2,3) [22 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 12 (9,19,20) [20 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 2 (22,6,15) [22 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 3 (13,5,21) [22 Runners]
- 2020: Winner in 9 (2,19,16) [21 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Symphony Group Handicap is Goodwood, there has been a total number of 8 winners of this race who ran at Goodwood last time out.
The race is open to both sexes with the Male runners having produced a total of 16 winners from a total of 290 runners whilst the Female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 16 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Symphony Group Handicap, that stallion Equiano has produced 2 winners (2023,2019).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Symphony Group Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- Pivotal (0 Wins from 11 runners)
- Exceed And Excel (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Invincible Spirit (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Shamardal (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Kheleyf (0 Wins from 6 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 16 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Bergerac in 2022, winning for Kevin Ryan at odds of 22/1 under the guidance of Tom Eaves. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 16 renewals there have been 1 winning favourites in the race. Remember to use the best racing tipsters along with the information on this page to find you a bet on the 2025 Symphony Group Handicap.
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 Symphony Group 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 Symphony Group Handicap Preview are at hand, Andy and James. 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.
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
Races in July
Races in October
No Comments
There are no comments here. Be the first to comment...
Keep Reading
Women's Big Bash League Betting Preview & Statistics
As the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) gears up for its tenth season starting October 27, we look back at past champions and key player statistics. Explore team dynamics, standout performances, and what to expect in this thrilling T20 tournament.
Continue ReadingShowcase Trophy Preview, Tips, Runners & Trends (Showcase Meeting)
Explore the Showcase Trophy at Cheltenham's Showcase Meeting. Discover past winners, leading trainers and jockeys, and key trends that could shape this year's race. Gain valuable insights for your handicap chase predictions.
Continue ReadingCheltenham Showcase Meeting Handicap Chase Preview, Tips, Runners & Trends (Showcase Meeting)
Discover key trends, top trainers, and successful jockeys in the Cheltenham Showcase Meeting Handicap Chase. This 2-mile race at Cheltenham's Showcase Meeting offers valuable insights for predicting future winners based on past performances.
Continue Reading