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 you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2026 Showcase Trophy Preview
Scheduled to take place during the Showcase Meeting in October of each year at the Cheltenham Racecourse is the Showcase Trophy. This class two handicap is run over a distance of three miles and one furlong, during which the runners will face twenty fences.
Established in 2007 when Nigel Twiston-Davies' Ardaghey was successful, this is an excellent chance for trainers to get their runners out early in the jumps season in a race which carries a decent purse and attracts plenty of the top yards.
Coral Gold Cup Rarely Follows
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Showcase Trophy Information:
We also have a dedicated Cheltenham tips page that will cover this race, as well as all the other races on the day. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal Races at Cheltenham Racecourse section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026 (UKGC Regulated)
How competitive is the Showcase Trophy market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 19 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2009, when the race had an over-round of 111%. The race in 2025 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 135%, whilst on average over the last 19 renewals of the Showcase Trophy, the over-round has been 121%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £121 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Showcase Trophy 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 Showcase Trophy Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Showcase Trophy races over the last 19 renewals:
- Balthazar King (6:03.10) in 2011
- Midnight Chase (6:07.38) in 2010
- Parsons Legacy (6:08.30) in 2008
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 19 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Showcase Trophy next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -7.75. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
The runner that holds the record over the past 19 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2019 renewal when The Conditional from David Bridgwater under the guidance of Tom Cannon, won in a time of 7:02.70, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Balthazar King, trained by Philip Hobbs and ridden by Richard Johnson set the quickest time of 6:03.10 in the 2011 renewal.
Showcase Trophy Past Winners
Here are the Showcase Trophy past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Showcase Trophy are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 6:28.38 | Three Card Brag (IRE) 8yo 11-13 6/1 | Jack Kennedy Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2024 6:18.12 | Senior Chief (GB) 7yo 11-4 11/1 | Darragh O'Keeffe Henry De Bromhead (IRE) |
| 2023 6:34.36 | Whacker Clan (IRE) 7yo 10-8 12/1 | Darragh O'Keeffe Henry De Bromhead (IRE) |
| 2022 6:29.97 | Lord Accord (IRE) 7yo 11-3 15/2 | Richie McLernon Neil Mulholland (GB) |
| 2021 6:15.46 | Definite Plan (IRE) 9yo 9-12 9/2 | Jordan Gainford (3lbs) Gordon Elliott (IRE) |
| 2020 6:33.13 | Frodon (FR) 8yo 11-12 9/2 | Bryony Frost Paul Nicholls (GB) |
| 2019 7:02.70 | The Conditional (IRE) 7yo 10-4 14/1 | Tom Cannon David Bridgwater (GB) |
| 2018 6:19.90 | Relentless Dreamer (IRE) 9yo 10-3 16/1 | Adam Wedge Rebecca Curtis (GB) |
| 2017 6:26.80 | Cogry (GB) 8yo 10-5 13/2 | Sam Twiston-Davies Nigel Twiston-Davies (GB) |
| 2016 6:22.40 | Coologue (IRE) 7yo 11-9 8/1 | Richard Johnson Charlie Longsdon (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Showcase Trophy have been based:
- GB: 15 winners with an additional 38 placings from 209 runners
- IRE: 4 winners with an additional 3 placings from 29 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 4 runners
Showcase Trophy Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Showcase Trophy over the last 19 renewals is Philip Hobbs, who has won the race five times, with those five winners coming from Parsons Legacy (2008), Balthazar King (2011, 2012 & 2013) and Roalco De Farges (2014). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Showcase Trophy are Nigel Twiston-Davies (2 wins), Neil Mulholland (2 wins), Gordon Elliott (2 wins) and Henry De Bromhead (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Showcase Trophy trainer statistics over the last 19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philip Hobbs | 15-5-6 | +21.25 | +10.84 |
| Nigel Twiston-Davies | 17-2-8 | -5.17 | -1.56 |
| Neil Mulholland | 8-2-3 | +7.50 | +3.54 |
| Gordon Elliott | 8-2-2 | +4.50 | +0.45 |
| Henry De Bromhead | 7-2-4 | +18.00 | +12.01 |
| Paul Nicholls | 11-1-2 | -5.50 | -5.80 |
| Jonjo O'Neill | 10-1-4 | -2.00 | -0.09 |
| Charlie Longsdon | 6-1-1 | +3.00 | +0.00 |
| Rebecca Curtis | 5-1-2 | +12.00 | +10.63 |
| David Bridgwater | 2-1-1 | +13.00 | +7.75 |
Showcase Trophy Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Showcase Trophy over the last 19 renewals is Darragh O'Keeffe, who has won the race twice, with those two winners coming from Whacker Clan (2023) and Senior Chief (2024).
Here are some of the top Showcase Trophy jockey statistics over the last 19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darragh O'Keeffe | 3-2-3 | +22.00 | +14.38 |
| Sam Twiston-Davies | 13-1-6 | -5.50 | -1.94 |
| Adam Wedge | 4-1-1 | +13.00 | +7.00 |
| Richie McLernon | 3-1-2 | +5.50 | +3.65 |
| Jack Kennedy | 2-1-1 | +5.00 | +2.75 |
| Jordan Gainford | 2-1-2 | +3.50 | +3.33 |
| Bryony Frost | 2-1-1 | +3.50 | +1.70 |
| Tom Cannon | 1-1-1 | +14.00 | +8.75 |
| Dougie Costello | 1-1-1 | +6.00 | +3.60 |
| Harry Skelton | 8-0-2 | -8.00 | -4.69 |
2026 Showcase Trophy Trends
Favourites' finishing positions (oldest to latest): 4, (3, 10), 3, 4, UR, (4, PU), 1, 2, 10, PU, 4, (2, 4, 5, 6), 2, 4, PU, PU, 2, 3, 4
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.
- 19 / 19 (74%) - No bigger than 16/1
- 19 / 19 (76%) - No bigger than 16/1 (Debut)
- 19 / 19 (77%) - Within the first 10 of the market
- 19 / 19 (80%) - No bigger than 18/1 (LTO)
- 19 / 19 (81%) - Beaten no more -25l (LTO)
- 19 / 19 (83%) - Off a break of 21 - 289 days
- 19 / 19 (83%) - No more than -3yrs (Vs Max Age)
- 19 / 19 (84%) - Highest Won is not G2-3
- 19 / 19 (88%) - Not CH in colour
- 18 / 19 (86%) - Held an OR of 128+ (Hcps)
- 18 / 19 (87%) - No older than a 9yo
- 18 / 19 (89%) - No more than 2 falls (Career)
- 17 / 19 (67%) - Achieved an RPR of 137+ (Last 5)
- 17 / 19 (74%) - Placed within last 3 starts
- 17 / 19 (84%) - No more than +3yrs (Vs Min Age)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Cheltenham racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Showcase Trophy. 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 Showcase Trophy by adding a tip on the race here.
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2026 Showcase Trophy Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2026 renewal of the Showcase Trophy will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually made 48 hours before the race.
Showcase Trophy Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +38.83, is when runners had 1 win in the past year.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 2 career places at the track; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-33.
The course which has produced the most winners of the Showcase Trophy is Cheltenham; there have been a total of 4 winners of this race who ran at Cheltenham last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 237 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 5 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Showcase Trophy; that stallion, Kings Theatre, has produced 4 winners (2017,2013,2012,2011).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Showcase Trophy despite multiple attempts:
- Old Vic (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Milan (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Mahler (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Oscar (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 19 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Relentless Dreamer in 2018, winning for Rebecca Curtis at odds of 16/1 under the guidance of Adam Wedge. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 19 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 a bet on the 2026 Showcase Trophy.
Route to the Showcase Trophy
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Showcase Trophy. These are the races in which the recent winners ran before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Three Card Brag Listowel - 2nd of 18 (9/1) | Kerry National |
| 2024 - Senior Chief Fairyhouse - PU of 20 (10/1) | Irish Grand National |
| 2023 - Whacker Clan Tramore - 1st of 10 (7/1) | McCarthys Irish Bar Lexington Handicap Chase |
| 2022 - Lord Accord Worcester - 3rd of 5 (15/2) | Cazoo Handicap Hurdle |
| 2021 - Definite Plan Gowran Park - 2nd of 5 (4/1) | Join Gowran Park Racing Club Beginners Chase |
| 2020 - Frodon Cheltenham - 4th of 8 (11/2) | Ryanair Chase |
| 2019 - The Conditional Worcester - 3rd of 6 (4/1) | Reirse Ryan Raceday Novices Chase |
| 2018 - Relentless Dreamer Uttoxeter - 3rd of 18 (11/1) | Marstons Pedigree Summer Cup |
| 2017 - Cogry Ayr - 2nd of 30 (18/1) | Scottish Grand National |
| 2016 - Coologue Aintree - PU of 14 (7/1) | Freebooter Handicap Chase |
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 Showcase Trophy Preview are Andy and Darren. 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 National Hunt Racing.
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