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2026 Ascot Challenge Cup Preview
The Ascot Challenge Cup is a valuable Heritage Handicap that is run at Ascot in early October of each year. The race carries a purse of £180k, it is a Class 2, which is open to runners aged three or older, and is contested over seven furlongs.
Ascot Challenge Cup Information:
- Ascot Challenge Cup Past Winners
- Ascot Challenge Cup Trainer Statistics
- Ascot Challenge Cup Jockey Statistics
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.
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How competitive is the Ascot Challenge Cup 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 120%. The race in 2009 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 139%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Ascot Challenge Cup, the over-round has been 129%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £129 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Ascot Challenge 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 Ascot Challenge Cup Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Ascot Challenge Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- All Ivory (1:25.26) in 2005
- Advanced (1:25.89) in 2009
- All Ivory (1:26.26) in 2006
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 Ascot Challenge Cup next time out, then you would have backed a total of 1 winner. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -13.50. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Ascot Challenge Cup, see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2022 renewal when Escobar from David O'Meara under the guidance of Andrea Atzeni, won in a time of 1:31.01, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, All Ivory, trained by Roger Charlton and ridden by Richard Hughes set the quickest time of 1:25.26 in the 2005 renewal.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Ascot Challenge Cup Past Winners
Here are the Ascot Challenge Cup 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 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 Ascot Challenge Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 1:30.89 | Native Warrior (GB) 4yo 9-5 (9 of 15) 9/4F | Jamie Spencer K R Burke (GB) |
| 2024 1:27.51 | Volterra (IRE) 3yo 9-0 (2 of 18) 11/2 | Shane Gray Kevin Ryan (GB) |
| 2023 1:27.14 | Atrium (GB) 4yo 9-3 (13 of 17) 25/1 | Harry Davies Charlie Fellowes (GB) |
| 2022 1:31.01 | Escobar (IRE) 8yo 9-11 (6 of 17) 20/1 | Andrea Atzeni David O'Meara (GB) |
| 2021 1:29.63 | Aldaary (GB) 3yo 9-4 (2 of 16) 100/30F | Jim Crowley William Haggas (GB) |
| 2019 1:28.54 | Kynren (IRE) 5yo 9-2 (17 of 17) 11/4F | Ben Curtis David Barron (GB) |
| 2018 1:29.33 | Raising Sand (GB) 6yo 8-8 (17 of 15) 5/1 | Nicola Currie (3lbs) Jamie Osborne (GB) |
| 2017 1:30.51 | Accidental Agent (GB) 3yo 9-3 (8 of 18) 16/1 | Charles Bishop Eve Johnson Houghton (GB) |
| 2016 1:28.35 | Librisa Breeze (GB) 4yo 9-9 (16 of 18) 11/2F | Robert Winston Dean Ivory (GB) |
| 2015 1:26.54 | Buckstay (IRE) 5yo 9-1 (8 of 17) 9/2F | Jamie Spencer Peter Chapple-Hyam (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Ascot Challenge Cup have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 56 placings from 370 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 3 runners
- NOR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
2025 Ascot Challenge Cup Replay
Ascot Challenge Cup Trainer Statistics
There are multiple leading trainers in the Ascot Challenge Cup over the last 20 renewals, with William Haggas, Kevin Ryan, and Roger Charlton having all won the race two times. William Haggas winners have been with Candidato Roy (2007) and Aldaary (2021). Kevin Ryan winners have been with Advanced (2009) and Volterra (2024). Roger Charlton winners have been with All Ivory (2005 & 2006).
Here are some of the top Ascot Challenge 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Haggas | 11-2-3 | +44.33 | +26.33 |
| Kevin Ryan | 10-2-3 | +30.50 | +17.26 |
| Roger Charlton | 4-2-4 | +20.50 | +18.07 |
| David O'Meara | 32-1-9 | -11.00 | +1.69 |
| Richard Fahey | 27-1-2 | -17.00 | -18.99 |
| Andrew Balding | 16-1-3 | +1.00 | -0.31 |
| Eve Johnson Houghton | 9-1-2 | +8.00 | +4.00 |
| Jamie Osborne | 8-1-4 | -2.00 | +1.89 |
| David Barron | 7-1-2 | -3.25 | -2.65 |
| Michael Bell | 5-1-1 | +8.00 | +3.50 |
Ascot Challenge Cup Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Ascot Challenge Cup over the last 20 renewals is Jamie Spencer, who has won the race two times, with those two winners coming from Buckstay (2015) and Native Warrior (2025).
Here are some of the top Ascot Challenge 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Spencer | 11-2-4 | -2.25 | -2.09 |
| Ryan Moore | 6-1-1 | +4.00 | +0.63 |
| Frankie Dettori | 6-1-3 | +2.00 | +3.01 |
| Jim Crowley | 6-1-3 | -1.67 | +0.83 |
| Oisin Murphy | 4-1-2 | +13.00 | +9.25 |
| Hayley Turner | 4-1-1 | +9.00 | +4.50 |
| Robert Havlin | 4-1-1 | +3.00 | +0.75 |
| Andrea Atzeni | 3-1-1 | +18.00 | +10.50 |
| Charles Bishop | 3-1-1 | +14.00 | +8.00 |
| Harry Davies | 2-1-1 | +24.00 | +14.63 |
2026 Ascot Challenge Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 4, 8, 2, 28, 1, 2, 4, 14, 13, 1, 1, 18, 7, 1, 1, 17, 14, 2, 1
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 (77%) - Had 1 - 5 wins (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Had 2 - 6 wins (Career)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - In a field of 7 - 17 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - No bigger than 20/1 (Career Win)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not in AUS/FRA/DEU/IRL/ITA/SCO/WAL (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Highest Run is not G2/Cl3
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Fewer than 2 wins (90 Days)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Highest Won is not G2-3/Cl5-6
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Ran in 2 - 12 races (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved a TS of 74+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Not on HY/FM/STD-SLW/STD (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Beaten no more -8¾l (LTO)
- 19 / 20 (88%) - No older than a 6yo
- 18 / 20 (77%) - Achieved a TS of 88+ (Hcps)
- 18 / 20 (78%) - Won within last 8 starts
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Ascot racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Ascot Challenge 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 £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 Ascot Challenge Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
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Ascot Challenge Cup Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +52.75, is when runners ran on Good ground last time out.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 0 career wins in Handicap races, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-52.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 9 (4,6) [15 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 2 (12,6,5) [18 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 13 (11,9,12) [17 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 6 (3,12,13) [17 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 2 (4,9,18) [16 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Ascot Challenge Cup is Ayr; there have been a total of 7 winners of this race who ran at Ayr last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is York; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at York 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 372 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 2 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Ascot Challenge Cup; that stallion, Halling, has produced 2 winners (2006,2005).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Ascot Challenge Cup despite multiple attempts:
- Cape Cross (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Pivotal (0 Wins from 9 runners)
- Lope De Vega (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Footstepsinthesand (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Bertolini (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Candidato Roy in 2007, winning for William Haggas at odds of 50/1 under the guidance of Johnny Murtagh. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 7 winning favourites in the race. Remember to use the best racing tipsters along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2026 Ascot Challenge Cup.
Route to the Ascot Challenge Cup
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Ascot Challenge Cup. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Native Warrior Ascot - 1st of 20 (10/3) | Schweppes Handicap |
| 2024 - Volterra York - 2nd of 16 (19/2) | Ebor Festival Mile Heritage Handicap |
| 2023 - Atrium Sandown - 6th of 7 (11/4) | Christophe Duchamp Grand Mont Handicap |
| 2022 - Escobar Ayr - 8th of 24 (18/1) | Ayr Gold Cup |
| 2021 - Aldaary York - 7th of 14 (13/2) | Ebor Festival Mile Heritage Handicap |
| 2019 - Kynren Ayr - 2nd of 10 (7/4) | William Hill Foundation:Uniting Against Dementia Handicap |
| 2018 - Raising Sand Newmarket (Rowley) - 8th of 33 (41/1) | Cambridgeshire Handicap |
| 2017 - Accidental Agent Newbury - 2nd of 11 (16/1) | Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Cup Stakes |
| 2016 - Librisa Breeze York - 4th of 10 (9/2) | City of York Stakes |
| 2015 - Buckstay Ayr - 5th of 25 (12/1) | Ayr Gold Cup |
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 Ascot Challenge Cup Preview are Andy and James. They both work on the Horse racing tips 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.
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
