Founder & Editor · Last reviewed 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 covers the course's other big races, and the Doncaster course guide covers the track.
Where to Bet
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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.
Recent winners and trends
Recent winners and trends
Futurity Trophy: Recent Winners
Group 1 · 1m · 2yo colts and fillies (geldings excluded) · Doncaster · October
| Year | Winner | Age | SP | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hawk Mountain | 2 | 18/5 | Ronan Whelan | Aidan O'Brien |
| 2024 | Hotazhell | 2 | 11/1 | Shane Foley | Jessica Harrington |
| 2023 | Ancient Wisdom | 2 | 5/4f | William Buick | Charlie Appleby |
| 2022 | Auguste Rodin | 2 | 9/4f | Ryan Moore | Aidan O'Brien |
| 2021 | Luxembourg | 2 | 4/6f | Ryan Moore | Aidan O'Brien |
| 2020 | Mac Swiney | 2 | 12/1 | Kevin Manning | Jim Bolger |
| 2019 | Kameko | 2 | 11/2 | Oisin Murphy | Andrew Balding |
| 2018 | Magna Grecia | 2 | 2/1f | Donnacha O'Brien | Aidan O'Brien |
| 2017 | Saxon Warrior | 2 | 13/8f | Ryan Moore | Aidan O'Brien |
| 2016 | Rivet | 2 | 11/4 | Andrea Atzeni | William Haggas |
Trends
- Aidan O'Brien trained 5 of the 10 winners from 2016 to 2025.
- Irish yards won 7 of the 10 runnings from 2016 to 2025 (O'Brien 5, Bolger 1, Harrington 1).
- 5 of the 10 winners from 2016 to 2025 were returned favourite.
- The 2019 running (Kameko) was held at Newcastle on Tapeta, so not every row is a Doncaster turf result.
Source-verified from official records. Last checked 2026-10-05.
The trends
Winning age
- 2yo
- 100%
Age known for 10 of 10 winners (2016–2025)
Market
- Started favourite
- 50%
- Won at 10/1 or bigger
- 20%
- Won at 5/1 or shorter
- 70%
Starting price known for 10 of 10 winners (2016–2025)
Trainers & jockeys
- Most successful trainer
- Aidan O'Brien (5)
- Most successful jockey
- Ryan Moore (3)
10 runnings (2016–2025)
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 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 page compares them side by side.
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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 guide. The Doncaster betting guide has the course trends, and the 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 page the same evening.
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