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.
2026 Queen's Cup Preview
The Queens Cup is the feature race on the race day scheduled to take place in April of each year at the Musselburgh racecourse, which also features the Scottish Sprint Cup.
This is a class 2 heritage handicap that is open to runners aged four or older, the race is run over just shy of one mile and six furlongs.
Queen's Cup Information:
Our dedicated Musselburgh tips page will not only bring you predictions from the OLBG racing tipsters for the upcoming card that includes the Queen's Cup but will also have predictions for each meeting at Musselburgh 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 Musselburgh Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Queen's Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 9 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2015 when the race had an over-round of 112%. The race in 2025 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 126%, whilst on average over the last 9 renewals of the Queen's Cup, the over-round has been 120%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £120 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Queen's 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 Queen's Cup Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Queen's Cup over the last 9 renewals:
- Jonny Delta (2:57.98) in 2014
- Austrian School (3:00.01) in 2019
- Themaxwecan (3:02.18) in 2021
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 9 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Queen's Cup next time out, then you would have backed a total of 0 winners. Backing all 8 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -8.00. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Queen's Cup see which other runners today are being backed on the racing predictions page.
Over the last 9 renewals, it was Jonny Delta, trained by Jim Goldie and ridden by Ian Brennan, who set the fastest winning time in the Queen's Cup. That runner won the race in a time of 2:57.98 in 2014. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Archie Watson and jockey Andrew Mullen with Brandon Castle who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 3:15.75 in the 2018 renewal.
Queens Cup Past Winners
Here are the Queen's Cup past winners for the last 9 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 Queen's Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
Race Notes: The 2024 renewal was abandoned due to a waterlogged track.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 3:03.89 | Kihavah (GB) 8yo 9-6 (5 of 14) 7/1 | P J McDonald Adrian Paul Keatley (GB) |
| 2023 3:06.42 | Wise Eagle (IRE) 6yo 9-5 (10 of 14) 9/1 | Daniel Tudhope Adam Nicol (GB) |
| 2022 3:03.42 | Enemy (GB) 5yo 9-2 (2 of 14) 11/1 | Daniel Tudhope Ian Williams (GB) |
| 2021 3:02.18 | Themaxwecan (IRE) 5yo 9-5 (12 of 13) 13/2 | Ben Curtis Mark Johnston (GB) |
| 2019 3:00.01 | Austrian School (IRE) 4yo 9-5 (14 of 14) 4/1F | Joe Fanning Mark Johnston (GB) |
| 2018 3:15.75 | Brandon Castle (GB) 6yo 8-11 (3 of 13) 10/1 | Andrew Mullen Archie Watson (GB) |
| 2017 3:03.06 | Carbon Dating (IRE) 5yo 9-7 (7 of 13) 12/1 | Tadhg O'Shea John Patrick Shanahan (IRE) |
| 2015 3:11.20 | Buthelezi (USA) 7yo 8-12 (11 of 11) 16/1 | Ben Curtis Brian Ellison (GB) |
| 2014 2:57.98 | Jonny Delta (GB) 7yo 8-5 (4 of 12) 12/1 | Ian Brennan (3lbs) Jim Goldie (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Queen's Cup have been based:
- GB: 8 winners with an additional 17 placings from 113 runners
- IRE: 1 winner with an additional 1 placing from 5 runners
Queens Cup Trainer Statistics
Here are some of the top Queen's Cup trainer statistics over the last 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Goldie | 11-1-2 | +2.00 | -0.25 |
| Ian Williams | 5-1-2 | +7.00 | +4.26 |
| Brian Ellison | 4-1-1 | +13.00 | +6.60 |
| Archie Watson | 3-1-2 | +8.00 | +5.25 |
| Adam Nicol | 2-1-1 | +8.00 | +4.63 |
| Adrian Paul Keatley | 1-1-1 | +7.00 | +4.38 |
| Andrew Balding | 6-0-0 | -6.00 | -6.00 |
| Tim Easterby | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -1.37 |
| Richard Fahey | 5-0-0 | -5.00 | -5.00 |
| Charlie Johnston | 4-0-0 | -4.00 | -4.00 |
Queens Cup Jockey Statistics
There are two leading jockeys in the Queen's Cup over the last 9 renewals, with both Ben Curtis and Daniel Tudhope, who have both won the race two times. Ben Curtis winners have been with Buthelezi (2015) and Themaxwecan (2021). Daniel Tudhope winners have been with Enemy (2022) and Wise Eagle (2023).
Here are some of the top Queen's Cup jockey statistics over the last 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Curtis | 7-2-2 | +17.50 | +8.66 |
| Daniel Tudhope | 5-2-2 | +17.00 | +9.51 |
| Joe Fanning | 6-1-1 | -1.00 | -2.50 |
| P J McDonald | 4-1-2 | +4.00 | +2.22 |
| Tadhg O'Shea | 2-1-1 | +11.00 | +6.50 |
| Andrew Mullen | 2-1-1 | +9.00 | +5.25 |
| Franny Norton | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -3.81 |
| Connor Beasley | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -0.50 |
| Hollie Doyle | 3-0-2 | -3.00 | -0.62 |
| Kevin Stott | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -1.25 |
2026 Queens Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 4, 5, 8, 2, (1, 2), 4, (4, 7), 10, 14
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.
- 9 / 9 (56%) - In a field of 7 - 15 (LTO)
- 9 / 9 (56%) - Break of 26 - 218 days (Last Place)
- 9 / 9 (57%) - No bigger than 7/1 (Career Win)
- 9 / 9 (59%) - Ran in 3 - 12 races (Class)
- 9 / 9 (60%) - Achieved a TS of 60+ (Trip)
- 9 / 9 (67%) - Dam is not AUS/BRZ/GB/GER bred
- 9 / 9 (67%) - Within the first 8 of the market
- 9 / 9 (68%) - Ran in 1 - 7 races (Trip)
- 9 / 9 (68%) - Furthest ran 1m6f - 2m2f
- 9 / 9 (72%) - Beaten no more -12½l (LTO)
- 9 / 9 (73%) - Achieved an RPR of 86+ (Trip)
- 9 / 9 (75%) - Had 7 - 20 placings (Career)
- 9 / 9 (79%) - No bigger than 25/1 (Debut)
- 9 / 9 (80%) - No bigger than 25/1 (Career Place)
- 9 / 9 (86%) - Off a break of 7 - 197 days
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Musselburgh racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Queen's 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 Queen's Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Queens Cup Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 5+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +21.00, is when runners had the Same jockey as when last winning.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had a GB bred dam, when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-33.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 5 (3,8) [14 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 10 (2,7) [14 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 2 (5,3) [14 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 12 (14,5) [13 Runners]
- 2019: Winner in 14 (6,1) [14 Runners]
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Queen's Cup are Ayr, Doncaster, Pontefract, Newmarket (Rowley), Meydan, Lingfield (AW), Musselburgh, Ascot and Abu Dhabi, there has been a total of 1 winner from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 9 winners from a total of 109 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 9 runners.
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Queen's Cup despite multiple attempts:
- Galileo (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Authorized (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 9 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Buthelezi in 2015, winning for Brian Ellison at odds of 16/1 under the guidance of Ben Curtis. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 9 renewals, there have been 1 winning favourite in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2026 Queen's Cup, head over to see which other runners today are being backed by the best racing tipsters.
Route to the Queen's Cup
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Queen's Cup, these are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Kihavah Ayr - 9th of 12 (16/1) | Scottish Champion Hurdle |
| 2023 - Wise Eagle Pontefract - 1st of 8 (4/1) | Phil Bull Trophy Conditions Stakes |
| 2022 - Enemy Meydan - 4th of 15 (66/1) | Nad Al Sheba Trophy Presented By DP World UAE |
| 2021 - Themaxwecan Newmarket (Rowley) - 2nd of 10 (11/2) | Close Brothers Cesarewitch Trial Handicap |
| 2019 - Austrian School Ascot - 3rd of 7 (11/2) | Londonmetric Noel Murless Stakes |
| 2018 - Brandon Castle Lingfield (AW) - 6th of 8 (14/1) | Betway Handicap |
| 2017 - Carbon Dating Abu Dhabi - 3rd of 12 (1/1) | Abu Dhabi Championship |
| 2015 - Buthelezi Musselburgh - F of 8 (9/1) | Scottish Champion Chase |
| 2014 - Jonny Delta Doncaster - 8th of 13 (10/1) | Doncaster Mini Handicap |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Queen's Cup 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.
James Banting
Tipster Competition Assistant
Andy Powell
Content Editor
