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2027 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Preview
This Premier Handicap takes place during the Irish Champions Festival at the Curragh Racecourse and is a sprint handicap. The race is open to runners who are aged three or older and is contested over the sprint distance of six furlongs since the distance was changed in 2014, having previously been run over five furlongs.
One for the outsiders
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Information:
- Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Past Winners
- Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Trainer Statistics
- Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Jockey Statistics
Why not use the trends shortlist below to help you narrow down the field and then head over to the dedicated Curragh tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG expert racing tipsters to find yourself a bet? You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Races Covered during the Irish Champions Festival section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026 (UKGC Regulated)
How competitive is the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2008, when the race had an over-round of 117%. The race in 2026 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 146%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap, the over-round has been 134%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £134 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap 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 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Bold Lad Sprint Handicap races over the last 20 renewals:
- Invincible Force (57.50) in 2007
- My Good Brother (58.50) in 2013
- Cape Of Approval (1:00.41) in 2012
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 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap next time out, then you would have backed a total of 1 winner. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -14.50. Ahead of the 2027 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
Over the last 20 renewals, it was Invincible Force, trained by Paul Green and ridden by Fran Berry, who set the fastest winning time in the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap. That runner won the race in a time of 57.50 in 2007. At the other end of the scale, it was the combination of trainer Edward Lynam and jockey Andrew Slattery with Dexter Belle who set the slowest winning time; the race-winning time was 1:16.84 in the 2022 renewal.
Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Past Winners
Here are the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. Also detailed are 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 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 1:12.67 | Coul Angel (IRE) 4yo 9-4 (19 of 24) 7/2F | Tom Marquand Michael Appleby (GB) |
| 2025 1:15.34 | Tango Flare (IRE) 6yo 9-1 (7 of 23) 50/1 | Luke McAteer Patrick T Foley (IRE) |
| 2024 1:10.93 | My Mate Alfie (IRE) 3yo 10-0 (20 of 25) 12/1 | Colin Keane G M Lyons (IRE) |
| 2023 1:15.33 | Big Gossey (IRE) 6yo 9-2 (23 of 22) 16/1 | Robert Whearty (5lbs) Charles O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2022 1:16.84 | Dexter Belle (IRE) 4yo 8-7 (9 of 20) 50/1 | Andrew Slattery Edward Lynam (IRE) |
| 2021 1:12.68 | Big Gossey (IRE) 4yo 8-11 (5 of 22) 33/1 | Michael Hussey Charles O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2020 1:13.97 | Mr Lupton (IRE) 7yo 9-9 (6 of 22) 11/2F | Colin Keane Richard Fahey (GB) |
| 2019 1:10.68 | Buffer Zone (GB) 4yo 9-6 (6 of 24) 11/2F | Colin Keane G M Lyons (IRE) |
| 2018 1:12.37 | Soffia (GB) 3yo 8-1 (9 of 26) 20/1 | Danny Sheehy (5lbs) Edward Lynam (IRE) |
| 2017 1:14.38 | Ice Age (IRE) 4yo 9-6 (19 of 22) 15/2 | Charles Bishop Eve Johnson Houghton (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap have been based:
- IRE: 13 winners with an additional 36 placings from 304 runners
- GB: 7 winners with an additional 17 placings from 66 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap over the last 20 renewals is Edward Lynam, who has won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Good To Follow (2010), Soffia (2018) and Dexter Belle (2022). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap are G M Lyons (2 wins), Richard Fahey (2 wins), T G McCourt (2 wins) and Charles O'Brien (2 wins). Multiple trainers have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap. Adrian McGuinness (0-18), Andrew Slattery (0-10) and W McCreery (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite sending multiple runners to the race.
Here are some of the top Bold Lad Sprint 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Lynam | 27-3-4 | +49.33 | +24.33 |
| G M Lyons | 13-2-3 | +6.50 | +1.04 |
| Richard Fahey | 10-2-4 | +5.50 | +4.94 |
| T G McCourt | 10-2-3 | +5.00 | +1.95 |
| Charles O'Brien | 6-2-3 | +45.00 | +29.88 |
| David O'Meara | 13-1-6 | -7.00 | +0.06 |
| Patrick T Foley | 5-1-2 | +46.00 | +32.75 |
| David Barron | 5-1-1 | +18.00 | +9.75 |
| Eve Johnson Houghton | 2-1-1 | +6.50 | +3.69 |
| Michael Appleby | 2-1-1 | +2.50 | +1.19 |
Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap over the last 20 renewals is Colin Keane, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from My Good Brother (2013), Buffer Zone (2019), Mr Lupton (2020) and My Mate Alfie (2024). Multiple jockeys have not had the best of times over the last 20 renewals in the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap: Chris Hayes (0-19), N G McCullagh (0-13), Leigh Roche (0-12), W J Lee (0-11) and Shane Foley (0-10) have all failed to produce a single winner despite having multiple rides in the race.
Here are some of the top Bold Lad Sprint 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Keane | 11-4-6 | +22.00 | +15.51 |
| Wayne Lordan | 13-1-3 | -8.00 | -5.65 |
| Daniel Tudhope | 6-1-4 | +0.00 | +2.68 |
| Andrew Slattery | 5-1-1 | +46.00 | +27.25 |
| Michael Hussey | 4-1-2 | +30.00 | +18.58 |
| Danny Sheehy | 4-1-1 | +17.00 | +9.50 |
| Jamie Spencer | 4-1-2 | +5.00 | +3.10 |
| Robert Whearty | 3-1-2 | +14.00 | +11.25 |
| Luke McAteer | 2-1-1 | +49.00 | +30.25 |
| Charles Bishop | 2-1-1 | +6.50 | +3.69 |
2027 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Trends
Favourites' finishing positions (oldest to latest): 10, 2, 1, 1, 7, 1, 6, 1, (1, 5, 22), 2, 10, 11, (1, 2), 1, 17, 5, 8, (2, 9), 5, 1
The percentage shown is the proportion 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 (83%) - Furthest ran 6½f - 1m2f
- 20 / 20 (83%) - No bigger than 10/1 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Fewer than 5 wins (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Carried 119 - 131lbs (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Ran in 1 - 35 races (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Achieved a TS of 67+ (Season)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Ran in 6 - 48 races (Career)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Carried 121 - 140lbs (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Achieved a TS of 72+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Fewer than 3 wins (Jockey)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Furthest Placed 6f - 1m
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Held an OR of 76+ (Trip)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Achieved an RPR of 80+ (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Had 2 - 18 placings (Career)
- 19 / 20 (84%) - No older than a 6yo
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Curragh racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap. 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 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
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2027 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2027 renewal of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually 48 hours before the race.
Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +83.50, is when runners had a furthest trip won of 6f.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had a furthest trip run of 6f; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-46.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2026: Winner in 19 (23,16,7) [24 Runners]
- 2025: Winner in 7 (11,12,6) [23 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 20 (12,13,17) [25 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 23 (3,16,12) [22 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 9 (7,8,14) [20 Runners]
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap are Curragh and Cork; there have been a total of 5 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 16 winners from a total of 287 runners, while female runners have produced 4 winners from a total of 84 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap:
- Dark Angel (2 Wins)
- Gutaifan (2 Wins)
- Kyllachy (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- Acclamation (0 Wins from 15 runners)
- Dandy Man (0 Wins from 13 runners)
- Kodiac (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Zebedee (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Choisir (0 Wins from 9 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Dexter Belle in 2022, winning for Edward Lynam at odds of 50/1 under the guidance of Andrew Slattery. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 8 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2027 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap, head over to see which runners the best racing tipsters are tipping today.
Route to the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Bold Lad Sprint Handicap. These are the races in which the recent winners ran before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Coul Angel York - 3rd of 20 (16/1) | Sky Bet Constantine Handicap |
| 2025 - Tango Flare Cork - 7th of 7 (50/1) | NFP Irish EBF Platinum Stakes |
| 2024 - My Mate Alfie Curragh - 3rd of 11 (14/1) | FBD Hotels And Resorts Heritage Hotel Phoenix Sprint Stakes |
| 2023 - Big Gossey Curragh - 3rd of 13 (5/1) | Bord Na Mona Recycling Handicap |
| 2022 - Dexter Belle Curragh - 8th of 10 (16/1) | Dubai Duty Free Summer Fillies Handicap |
| 2021 - Big Gossey Curragh - 7th of 16 (11/1) | TRI Equestrian Handicap |
| 2020 - Mr Lupton Ripon - 3rd of 19 (20/1) | Great St Wilfrid Stakes |
| 2019 - Buffer Zone Curragh - 5th of 9 (7/2) | Qatar Racing And Equestrian Club Phoenix Sprint Stakes |
| 2018 - Soffia Cork - 2nd of 11 (13/2) | Irish EBF Supporting Irish Champions Weekend Fillies Handicap |
| 2017 - Ice Age Windsor - 1st of 15 (7/1) | Sky Bet Windsor Sprint Series Finale Handicap |
Principal races during the Irish Champions Festival
Saturday at the Irish Champions Festival
Leopardstown hosts the opening day of the Irish Champions Festival, the highlight of the day being the Irish Champions Stakes, a race dominated by Aidan O'Brien in recent years, with him winning six of the last seven renewals and having won the race a total of thirteen times.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereign Path Handicap | Krasimir (IRE) 3yo - 15/2 | G M Lyons Reese Holohan |
| Golden Fleece Stakes | Darkness Falls (IRE) 2yo - 1/1 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| Matron Stakes | Blue Bolt (IRE) 4yo - 4/5 | Andrew Balding Colin Keane |
| Solonaway Stakes | Quddwah (GB) 6yo - 1/1 | Simon & Ed Crisford James Doyle |
| Irish Champion Stakes | Hotazhell (GB) 4yo - 50/1 | Mrs John Harrington Shane Foley |
| Petingo Handicap | Immutable (IRE) 6yo - 25/1 | Joseph G Murphy Luke McAteer |
Sunday at the Irish Champions Festival
The Sunday of the Irish Champions Festival is hosted at the Curragh with four Group 1 races, the highlight being the Irish St Leger. Aidan has not been as dominant in this, with just seven wins, two behind both Vincent O'Brien and Dermot Weld.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Bold Lad Sprint Handicap | Coul Angel (IRE) 4yo - 7/2 | Michael Appleby Tom Marquand |
| Blandford Stakes | Thundering On (GB) 3yo - 5/4 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| Moyglare Stud Stakes | Sun Goddess (IRE) 2yo - 4/7 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| Flying Five Stakes | Comanche Brave (IRE) 4yo - 5/2 | Donnacha Aidan O'Brien Billy Loughnane |
| National Stakes | Folsom Blues (IRE) 2yo - 11/2 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien J M Sheridan |
| Irish St Leger | Scandinavia (USA) 4yo - 4/11 | A P O'Brien Ryan Moore |
| Northfields Handicap | Orandi (FR) 8yo - 40/1 | A J Martin Ronan Whelan |
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 Bold Lad Sprint Handicap Preview are Andy and James. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for Flat racing.
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