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 York Stakes Preview
Scheduled to take place in July of each year at the York Racecourse is the York Stakes. This Group 2 race is contested over one mile and two furlongs for runners who are aged three or older.
Established in 2006, the race was created to fill the absence of the Scottish Derby, which was discontinued and can act as a trial for the International Stakes, which is run a month later at York.
York Stakes Information:
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.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the York Stakes market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2021 when the race had an over-round of 108%. The race in 2009 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 118%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the York Stakes, the over-round has been 113%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £113 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 York Stakes 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 York Stakes Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run York Stakes races over the last 20 renewals:
- Royal Champion (2:05.64) in 2025
- Sri Putra (2:05.74) in 2012
- Tullius (2:06.25) in 2015
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 York Stakes next time out, then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -5.60. Ahead of the 2026 York Stakes, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2024 renewal when Alflaila from Owen Burrows under the guidance of Jim Crowley, won in a time of 2:20.36, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Royal Champion, trained by K R Burke and ridden by Clifford Lee set the quickest time of 2:05.64 in the 2025 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
York Stakes Past Winners
Here are the York Stakes' 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 York Stakes are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 2:05.64 | Royal Champion (IRE) 7yo 9-8 (3 of 7) 8/1 | Clifford Lee K R Burke (GB) |
| 2024 2:20.36 | Alflaila (GB) 5yo 9-8 (2 of 4) 9/4F | Jim Crowley Owen Burrows (GB) |
| 2023 2:10.17 | Alflaila (GB) 4yo 9-8 (5 of 5) 5/1 | Andrea Atzeni Owen Burrows (GB) |
| 2022 2:11.88 | Sir Busker (IRE) 6yo 9-8 (1 of 5) 15/2 | Ben Curtis William Knight (GB) |
| 2021 2:16.43 | Bangkok (IRE) 5yo 9-6 (1 of 5) 14/1 | David Probert Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2020 2:07.51 | Aspetar (FR) 5yo 9-6 (7 of 7) 11/1 | Jason Watson Roger Charlton (GB) |
| 2019 2:12.47 | Elarqam (GB) 4yo 9-6 (3 of 6) 7/1 | Dane O'Neill Mark Johnston (GB) |
| 2018 2:09.41 | Thundering Blue (USA) 5yo 9-6 (6 of 7) 5/1 | Fran Berry David Menuisier (GB) |
| 2017 2:10.59 | Success Days (IRE) 5yo 9-3 (3 of 7) 3/1F | Shane Foley K J Condon (IRE) |
| 2016 2:06.93 | Time Test (GB) 4yo 9-3 (5 of 5) 1/2F | Pat Smullen Roger Charlton (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the York Stakes have been based:
- GB: 19 winners with an additional 22 placings from 125 runners
- IRE: 1 winner with an additional 1 placing from 5 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 1 runner
- SAF: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
2025 York Stakes Replay
York Stakes Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the York Stakes over the last 20 renewals, with Saeed bin Suroor, Andrew Balding, Roger Charlton, and Owen Burrows having all won the race two times. Saeed bin Suroor winners have been with Stage Gift (2007) and Kirklees (2009). Andrew Balding winners have been with Tullius (2015) and Bangkok (2021). Roger Charlton winners have been with Time Test (2016) and Aspetar (2020). Owen Burrows winners have been with Alflaila (2023 & 2024).
Here are some of the top York Stakes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saeed bin Suroor | 8-2-3 | +3.00 | +0.21 |
| Andrew Balding | 7-2-5 | +19.00 | +14.35 |
| Roger Charlton | 3-2-2 | +10.50 | +6.19 |
| Owen Burrows | 2-2-2 | +7.25 | +3.13 |
| Sir Michael Stoute | 9-1-1 | -7.60 | -6.75 |
| William Haggas | 8-1-4 | -6.56 | -4.77 |
| Roger Varian | 6-1-1 | +7.00 | +2.20 |
| John Gosden | 6-1-1 | -3.00 | -3.75 |
| David Simcock | 3-1-2 | +5.00 | +3.38 |
| K R Burke | 2-1-1 | +7.00 | +5.00 |
York Stakes Jockey Statistics
Here are some of the top York Stakes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neil Callan | 5-1-2 | +8.00 | +4.20 |
| Jim Crowley | 5-1-2 | -1.75 | -2.60 |
| Frankie Dettori | 4-1-4 | -2.00 | +0.56 |
| Andrea Atzeni | 3-1-2 | +3.00 | +2.63 |
| Tom Queally | 3-1-2 | +0.50 | +1.81 |
| Jason Watson | 2-1-1 | +10.00 | +5.88 |
| Jamie Spencer | 2-1-2 | +7.00 | +5.05 |
| Clifford Lee | 2-1-1 | +7.00 | +5.00 |
| Ben Curtis | 2-1-1 | +6.50 | +3.69 |
| Shane Foley | 2-1-1 | +2.00 | +0.88 |
2026 York Stakes Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 2, 1, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 3, 1, 1, 3, 2, 6, 3, 2, 2, (1, 3), 2
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 (80%) - No bigger than 14/1
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Not on HY/FM/STD/STD-FS (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Had 4 - 16 placings (Career)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Ran in 7 - 36 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 33/1 (Career Place)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 33/1 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not in CAN/DNK/SCO/ZAF/SWE/TUR/USA (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Not in AUS/FRA/ITA/SCO/ZAF/WAL (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved an RPR of 106+ (Last 3)
- 19 / 20 (86%) - Within the first 6 of the market
- 19 / 20 (88%) - No bigger than 66/1 (Career)
- 19 / 20 (89%) - Placed within last 4 starts
- 18 / 20 (62%) - Achieved an RPR of 115+ (Career)
- 18 / 20 (67%) - Achieved a TS of 98+ (Career)
- 18 / 20 (83%) - Won within last 5 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the York racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the York Stakes. 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 York Stakes by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
York Stakes Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +28.34, is when runners had 1 start in the past 30 days.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a race restricted to 3yo when last winning, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-23.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 3 (6) [7 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 2 [4 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 5 (1) [5 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 1 (2) [5 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 1 (4) [5 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the York Stakes is Sandown; there have been a total of 8 winners of this race who ran at Sandown last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Ascot; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Ascot last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 124 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 8 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the York Stakes:
- Dark Angel (2 Wins)
- Dubawi (2 Wins)
- Shamardal (2 Wins)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Bangkok in 2021, winning for Andrew Balding at odds of 14/1 under the guidance of David Probert. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 7 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2026 York Stakes, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the York Stakes
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the York Stakes. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Royal Champion Ascot - 7th of 8 (25/1) | Prince of Wales's Stakes |
| 2024 - Alflaila Ascot - 4th of 10 (6/1) | Prince of Wales's Stakes |
| 2023 - Alflaila Newmarket (Rowley) - 1st of 9 (5/2) | Masar Darley Stakes |
| 2022 - Sir Busker Ascot - 5th of 7 (50/1) | Queen Anne Stakes |
| 2021 - Bangkok Newmarket (July) - 4th of 5 (14/1) | Princess of Wales's Stakes |
| 2020 - Aspetar Sandown - 2nd of 6 (8/1) | Coral Gala Stakes |
| 2019 - Elarqam Sandown - 1st of 7 (11/10) | Davies Insurance Services Gala Stakes |
| 2018 - Thundering Blue York - 2nd of 19 (6/1) | John Smith's Cup |
| 2017 - Success Days Curragh - 2nd of 6 (6/1) | Finlay Volvo International Stakes |
| 2016 - Time Test Sandown - 3rd of 7 (6/1) | Coral-Eclipse |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this York Stakes 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
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
