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.
2027 Superlative Stakes Preview
The Superlative Stakes is a Group 2 race that takes place during the July Festival at Newmarket Racecourse. The race is restricted to two-year-old runners and is run over a straight seven furlongs.
The race has been known as the Superlative Stakes since 1991, named after the horse Superlative. Previously, the race was known as the Bernard van Cutsem Stakes in honour of the trainer who passed away in 1975.
Superlative Stakes Information:
- Superlative Stakes Past Winners
- Superlative Stakes Trainer Statistics
- Superlative Stakes Jockey Statistics
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Newmarket 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 during the Newmarket July Festival section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026
How competitive is the Superlative Stakes market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2022, when the race had an over-round of 110%. The race in 2012 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 121%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Superlative Stakes, the over-round has been 116%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £116 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 Superlative 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 Superlative Stakes Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Superlative Stakes races over the last 20 renewals:
- Birchwood (1:23.33) in 2015
- Mystery Power (1:23.59) in 2019
- Master Of The Seas (1:23.95) in 2020
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 Superlative Stakes next time out, then you would have backed a total of 7 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of +2.32. Remember to bookmark the racing tips page to access the OLBG racing picks easily daily.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 1:23.33 was set by Birchwood in 2015, trained by Richard Fahey and ridden by James Doyle, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2012 when Olympic Glory won in a time of 1:32.19 for trainer Richard Hannon Snr, who booked Richard Hughes in the saddle.
What the expert says...
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Superlative Stakes Past Winners
Here are the Superlative Stakes' past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. 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 Superlative Stakes are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 1:24.29 | Al Hudaiba (GB) 2yo 9-3 (6 of 7) 5/2 | William Buick Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2025 1:26.30 | Saba Desert (GB) 2yo 9-3 (2 of 7) 6/1 | William Buick Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2024 1:25.28 | Ancient Truth (IRE) 2yo 9-3 (2 of 6) 4/6F | William Buick Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2023 1:26.03 | City Of Troy (USA) 2yo 9-3 (2 of 9) 4/6F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2022 1:25.13 | Isaac Shelby (GB) 2yo 9-3 (2 of 5) 3/1 | Sean Levey Brian Meehan (GB) |
| 2021 1:25.37 | Native Trail (GB) 2yo 9-1 (4 of 9) 11/4 | William Buick Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2020 1:23.95 | Master Of The Seas (IRE) 2yo 9-1 (8 of 10) 4/1 | William Buick Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2019 1:23.59 | Mystery Power (IRE) 2yo 9-1 (7 of 8) 7/1 | Oisin Murphy Richard Hannon (GB) |
| 2018 1:25.48 | Quorto (IRE) 2yo 9-1 (5 of 7) 5/4F | William Buick Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2017 1:25.39 | Gustav Klimt (IRE) 2yo 9-1 (6 of 10) 5/6F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Superlative Stakes have been based:
- GB: 18 winners with an additional 28 placings from 151 runners
- IRE: 2 winners with an additional 5 placings from 12 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 1 runner
2026 Superlative Stakes Replay
Superlative Stakes Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Superlative Stakes over the last 20 renewals is Charlie Appleby, who has won the race seven times, with those seven winners coming from Boynton (2016), Quorto (2018), Master Of The Seas (2020), Native Trail (2021), Ancient Truth (2024), Saba Desert (2025) and Al Hudaiba (2026). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Superlative Stakes are Richard Hannon (2 wins), A P O'Brien (2 wins) and Richard Fahey (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Superlative 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Appleby | 14-7-8 | +17.17 | +8.42 |
| Richard Hannon | 13-2-5 | -2.12 | -0.52 |
| A P O'Brien | 12-2-7 | -8.50 | -5.32 |
| Richard Fahey | 6-2-3 | +6.50 | +4.00 |
| Tom Dascombe | 5-1-2 | +4.00 | +2.00 |
| Brian Meehan | 4-1-1 | +0.00 | -1.12 |
| John Ryan | 3-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.00 |
| John Quinn | 1-1-1 | +10.00 | +6.00 |
| Andrew Balding | 6-0-1 | -6.00 | -4.30 |
| John Gosden | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -3.90 |
Superlative Stakes Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Superlative Stakes over the last 20 renewals is William Buick, who has won the race six times, with those six winners coming from Quorto (2018), Master Of The Seas (2020), Native Trail (2021), Ancient Truth (2024), Saba Desert (2025) and Al Hudaiba (2026). The only other jockey to have recorded multiple wins in the Superlative Stakes is Ryan Moore (3 wins).
Here are some of the top Superlative 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Buick | 11-6-9 | +12.17 | +8.22 |
| Ryan Moore | 12-3-7 | -4.00 | -2.99 |
| James Doyle | 9-1-1 | -1.00 | -3.80 |
| Oisin Murphy | 5-1-2 | +3.00 | +1.90 |
| Sean Levey | 5-1-2 | -1.00 | -0.77 |
| Richard Kingscote | 3-1-2 | +6.00 | +4.00 |
| Hugh Bowman | 2-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.40 |
| Jim Crowley | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -3.50 |
| Pat Dobbs | 3-0-1 | -3.00 | -0.90 |
| Silvestre De Sousa | 3-0-0 | -3.00 | -3.00 |
2027 Superlative Stakes Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 6, 4, 6, 6, 5, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 8, 8, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2
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 (57%) - No bigger than 10/1
- 20 / 20 (62%) - Within the first 5 of the market
- 20 / 20 (73%) - Achieved an RPR of 81+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - No bigger than 20/1 (Career)
- 20 / 20 (77%) - No bigger than 11/1 (Career Win)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - No bigger than 12/1 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (80%) - Not on HY/FM/STD-SLW/STD (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Break of 7 - 56 days (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Beaten no more -4¾l (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Not in a G2/Cl3 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Beaten no more -5¼l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - In a field of 4 - 14 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Not in SCO/WAL (Last Win)
- 18 / 20 (76%) - Placed within last 1 starts
- 17 / 20 (59%) - No bigger than 5/1 (Career Place)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Newmarket racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Superlative 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 Superlative Stakes by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
2027 Superlative Stakes Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2027 renewal of the Superlative Stakes will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually 48 hours before the race.
Superlative Stakes Trend Analysis
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 0 career wins in Flat (Turf) races; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-26.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2026: Winner in 6 (5) [7 Runners]
- 2025: Winner in 2 (6) [7 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 2 (9) [6 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 2 (10,3) [9 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 2 (4) [5 Runners]
The courses that have produced the most winners of the Superlative Stakes are Newmarket (July) and Ascot; there have been a total of 3 winners from each of those courses.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 162 runners, while female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 2 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Superlative Stakes:
- Dubawi (4 Wins)
- Dark Angel (3 Wins)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Red Duke in 2011, winning for John Quinn at odds of 10/1 under the guidance of Kieren Fallon. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 6 winning favourites in the race. Whilst we wait for the 2027 Superlative Stakes, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the top racing tipsters on the best racing tipsters page.
Route to the Superlative Stakes
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Superlative Stakes. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Al Hudaiba Newmarket (July) - 1st of 5 (2/9) | JCB British EBF Novice Stakes |
| 2025 - Saba Desert Sandown - 1st of 6 (4/7) | British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes |
| 2024 - Ancient Truth Newmarket (July) - 1st of 8 (4/5) | Yutree Insurance Supports Racing Welfare British EBF Novice Stakes |
| 2023 - City Of Troy Curragh - 1st of 13 (6/4) | Barronstown Stud Irish EBF |
| 2022 - Isaac Shelby Newbury - 1st of 11 (10/3) | Get A Run For Your Money At BetVictor Maiden Stakes |
| 2021 - Native Trail Sandown - 1st of 10 (8/11) | Chasemore Farm EBF Maiden Stakes |
| 2020 - Master Of The Seas Newmarket (Rowley) - 1st of 4 (10/3) | Betway British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes |
| 2019 - Mystery Power Haydock - 1st of 8 (4/1) | Watch Racing TV Now Maiden Stakes |
| 2018 - Quorto Newmarket (July) - 1st of 9 (9/4) | Fly London Southend Airport To Lyon Novice Stakes |
| 2017 - Gustav Klimt Curragh - 1st of 11 (11/8) | Barronstown Stud Irish EBF |
Other Principal races during the Newmarket July Festival
Remember to head to the Newmarket predictions page to see which runner the racing tipsters support in the Superlative Stakes. Below are the other principal races that we cover during the July Festival, with links to each race blog as well as information for last year's winners.
Thursday at the July Festival
The highlight on Thursday, known as Ladies Day, is the Princess of Wales's Stakes, a Group 2 contest over one mile and four furlongs.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Bahrain Trophy Stakes | Point Of Law (GB) 3yo - 5/2 | John & Thady Gosden James Doyle |
| July Stakes | Inner City Blues (IRE) 2yo - 5/6 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| July Festival Sprint Handicap | Jazl (IRE) 3yo - 12/1 | Simon & Ed Crisford Jack Mitchell |
| Princess of Wales's Stakes | Rebels Romance (IRE) 8yo - 8/11 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
Friday at the July Festival
Festival Friday, as it is known, features the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes, which is part of the British Champion Series and is run over a mile.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| July Festival Handicap | Heraldry (GB) 3yo - 5/1 | John & Thady Gosden William Buick |
| Duchess of Cambridge Stakes | Senorita Bonita (IRE) 2yo - 9/4 | Simon & Ed Crisford Oisin Murphy |
| Betway Trophy | Valedictory (GB) 4yo - 7/2 | John & Thady Gosden William Buick |
| Falmouth Stakes | Blue Bolt (IRE) 4yo - 85/40 | Andrew Balding Colin Keane |
Saturday at the July Festival
As the name would indicate, 'July Cup Day', the main race on the final day of the July Festival is the July Cup, another race which is part of the British Champion Series; this race is contested over six furlongs.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Newmarket Handicap Stakes | St Anton (IRE) 3yo - 10/1 | Richard Hannon Pat Dobbs |
| Bunbury Cup | Aalto (FR) 6yo - 4/1 | Ian Williams William Buick |
| Superlative Stakes | Al Hudaiba (GB) 2yo - 5/2 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| July Cup | Comanche Brave (IRE) 4yo - 11/1 | Donnacha Aidan O'Brien Billy Loughnane |
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 Superlative Stakes 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.
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
Other Principal Races at Newmarket Racecourse
Here are some other notable races at the Newmarket racecourse throughout the racing season that you may be interested in.
Races in April (Craven Meeting)
Races in May (Guineas Festival)
- Jockey Club Stakes
- King Charles II Stakes
- Newmarket Stakes
- 2000 Guineas
- Palace House Stakes
- Rowley Handicap Stakes
- Suffolk Stakes
- 1000 Guineas
- Dahlia Stakes
- Pretty Polly Stakes
Races in September (Cambridgeshire Meeting)
- Jockey Club Rose Bowl
- Tattersall Stakes
- Godolphin Stakes
- Joel Stakes
- Princess Royal Stakes
- Rockfel Stakes
- Rosemary Stakes
- Cambridgeshire Handicap
- Cambridgeshire Meeting Sprint Handicap
- Cheveley Park Stakes
- Jersey Lily Fillies Nursery
- Middle Park Stakes
- Royal Lodge Stakes
