# Futurity Trophy 2026: Race Time, Winners & Raceday Guide _The Futurity Trophy at Doncaster, the Group 1 mile for two-year-olds in late October: race date, off time, recent winners, trends and raceday guide._ *Source: [https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/futurity-trophy/](https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/futurity-trophy/) ยท last updated 2026-10-14* # Futurity Trophy 2026 The **Futurity Trophy** is the last Group 1 of the British flat season for two-year-olds. It is run over a straight mile at Doncaster in October, often on soft ground, so it asks a young horse for stamina as well as class. For **2026** the race is scheduled for **Saturday 24 October 2026**. The off time, the going and the declared runners are confirmed in race week, and this page adds the off time and going as they are published. ## At a glance - **Course:** Doncaster, South Yorkshire - **Grade:** Group 1 - **Distance:** 1m, straight course - **Age:** 2yo colts and fillies (geldings excluded) - **First run:** 1961, as the Timeform Gold Cup - **Sponsor:** William Hill Phil Bull, who created Timeform, founded the race. It has since been the Observer Gold Cup, the Futurity Stakes and, for almost thirty years, the Racing Post Trophy. Its winners include the Derby winners Reference Point, High Chaparral, Motivator, Authorized, Camelot and Auguste Rodin. Below: the 2026 details, the last ten winners with the trends behind them, how to watch, and the day out. The [Doncaster betting guide](/uk-racecourses/doncaster/doncaster-betting-guide/) covers the course's other big races, and the [Doncaster course guide](/uk-racecourses/doncaster/doncaster-complete-guide/) covers the track. ## 2026 race details # 2026 race details | Detail | Value | |---|---| | **Race date** | Saturday 24 October 2026 | | **Off time** | TBA | | **Going** | TBA | | **Field size** | TBA | | **Distance** | 1m | | **Grade** | Group 1 | | **Age** | 2yo colts and fillies (geldings excluded) | The Futurity Trophy is the feature race of Doncaster's Futurity Trophy Saturday. Final declarations are made two days before the race, and the off time and going above update once Doncaster publishes them. ### Where the race fits The Futurity comes a week after Champions Day at Ascot. Its winner goes into the winter near the top of the betting for next year's Classics, so the result moves the Guineas betting straight away. Late October ground at Doncaster is often soft. A colt with a good-ground win and no soft-ground form is a question mark until the going is declared. Every big race between now and January is listed, soonest first, on our [festivals and big races board](/festivals/). ## Recent winners and trends # Recent winners and trends ## The records # The records - **Leading trainer:** Aidan O'Brien, with twelve wins. - **Leading jockeys:** Lester Piggott and Pat Eddery, with five wins each. - **Leading owner:** Sue Magnier, with eleven wins. - **Away from Doncaster:** the race was run at Newbury in 2006, and at Newcastle on Tapeta in 2019 after Doncaster was waterlogged. Kameko's 2019 running was the first British Group 1 on an artificial surface. Irish stables lead the race in recent years: seven of the ten winners from 2016 to 2025 were trained in Ireland. ## How to watch and where to bet # How to watch and where to bet The television listing and the off time are confirmed in race week, when the declarations are out. This page shows the off time above as soon as it is published. If you are at the course, Doncaster has on-course bookmakers and Tote betting. If you are betting online, two things matter more than the welcome offer: - **Best odds guaranteed.** Prices on a two-year-old Group 1 can move sharply once the going and the final field are known, and a BOG bookmaker pays the starting price if it is bigger than the price you took. Our [best BOG bookmakers](/bookmakers/best-bog-bookmakers/) page lists who offers it on Saturday racing. - **Free bets and their terms.** Read the minimum odds and the expiry before you claim one. Our [free bet offers](/bookmakers/best-free-bet-offers/) page compares them side by side. 18+. Bet only what you can afford to lose. If gambling stops being fun, [BeGambleAware](https://www.begambleaware.org/) offers free, confidential help. ## Raceday at Doncaster # Raceday at Doncaster Futurity Trophy Saturday is one of Doncaster's last big flat days of the year. The weather at the end of October can turn cold by the last race, so dress for it. For getting there, the enclosures and food on the day, read our [day out at Doncaster](/uk-racecourses/doncaster/doncaster-day-out-guide/) guide. The [Doncaster betting guide](/uk-racecourses/doncaster/doncaster-betting-guide/) has the course trends, and the [November Handicap guide](/uk-racecourses/doncaster/november-handicap-guide/) covers the race that closes the course's flat season. Results go on this page within 24 hours of the race, and the full card's results are on our [racing results](/racing-results/) page the same evening. ## Frequently asked questions # Frequently asked questions ### When is the Futurity Trophy 2026? Saturday 24 October 2026 at Doncaster. The off time is confirmed in race week and shown in the race details above. ### What distance is the Futurity Trophy? 1m, on Doncaster's straight course. It is a Group 1 for two-year-old colts and fillies; geldings cannot run. ### Who won the Futurity Trophy last year? Hawk Mountain, trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ronan Whelan, won in 2025 at 18/5. The recent winners table above lists the last ten winners. ### Which trainer has won the Futurity Trophy most often? Aidan O'Brien, with twelve wins. Five of them came in the ten runnings from 2016 to 2025. ### Is the Futurity Trophy the same race as the Racing Post Trophy? Yes. It ran as the Racing Post Trophy from 1989 to 2017. It started in 1961 as the Timeform Gold Cup.