British and Irish racing staged 1,139 races in August 2026, with an average field of 9.09 runners against 9.05 in August 2025.Sample: 10,351 runners · Window: August 2026 · Source: RaceWatch results database: every British and Irish race, Industry SP, prize money as recorded (GB £, IRE €)
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Runners per race by Year
The month in numbers: August 2026
| Britain | Flat | 761 | 8.38 | 8.42 | 8.60 | 6,378 | 118 | |||
| Britain | Jumps | 81 | 7.38 | 8.34 | 8.03 | 598 | 14 | |||
| Ireland | Flat | 149 | 11.69 | 11.36 | 11.78 | 1,742 | 23 | |||
| Ireland | Jumps | 148 | 11.03 | 10.35 | 11.28 | 1,633 | 22 |
British and Irish races August 2026. Comparisons use the whole of August in earlier years the ten-year norm is 2016 to 2025. Joint favourites each count as a favourite. Fixtures = course and date pairs.
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Favourites won %
Average field size, August, 2021 to 2026
| 2026 | 8.38 | 7.38 | 11.69 | 11.03 | 1,139 |
| 2025 | 8.42 | 8.34 | 11.36 | 10.35 | 1,182 |
| 2024 | 8.85 | 9.17 | 11.70 | 11.60 | 1,198 |
| 2023 | 9.22 | 8.27 | 12.04 | 11.41 | 1,223 |
| 2022 | 8.18 | 6.68 | 11.19 | 11.59 | 1,248 |
| 2021 | 8.40 | 8.08 | 12.54 | 11.56 | 1,278 |
Runners per race. Blank where fewer than 20 races were run in that code and country.
RaceWatch indices for August 2026
| RaceWatch Field Size Index (100 = normal) | 96.60 | 90.90 | 100.10 | 98.20 |
| RaceWatch Favourites Index (100 = normal) | 101.20 | 91.30 | 106.10 | 98.20 |
| Top 10 yards' share of winners % | 19.20 | 48.10 | 49.70 | 45.90 |
Index = the month's value divided by the average for the same calendar month over 2016 to 2025, times 100. Blank where fewer than 30 races. Full series on /data/index/field-size, /data/index/favourites and /data/index/yard-concentration.
Biggest-priced winners, August 2026
| 8 Aug 26 | 80/1 | Haydock | Betway Leigh Handicap Stakes | Flat | 5 | Lisa Williamson | |
| 28 Aug 26 | 80/1 | Sedgefield | Darlington Ra & Ellie Wake Novices' Hurdle Race | Jumps | 8 | L J Morgan | |
| 7 Aug 26 | 50/1 | Thirsk | goracing.co.uk Future Stars Apprentice Classified Stakes | Flat | 9 | Lawrence Mullaney | |
| 21 Aug 26 | 50/1 | Killarney (IRE) | T1 Healthcare Handicap | Flat | 9 | Paul W Flynn | |
| 6 Aug 26 | 40/1 | Sligo (IRE) | Lighthouse At Clifford Electrical Handicap Hurdle | Jumps | 8 | Brian Francis Cawley | |
| 17 Aug 26 | 40/1 | Windsor | Matchbook Betting Exchange Supporting Uk Racing Handicap Stakes | Flat | 12 | Barry Brennan | |
| 18 Aug 26 | 40/1 | Lingfield (AW) | Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Classified Stakes (Div I) | Flat | 12 | J. R. Jenkins | |
| 21 Aug 26 | 40/1 | Hamilton | Hemmings Homes 10th Anniversary Handicap Stakes | Flat | 10 | Jim Goldie | |
| 21 Aug 26 | 40/1 | Ffos Las | Ascona Ladies Fashion And Style Handicap Stakes | Flat | 12 | Lisa Williamson | |
| 7 Aug 26 | 33/1 | Thirsk | Bob Vickery Memorial Restricted Maiden Fillies' Stakes | Flat | 11 | Ben Haslam |
Industry starting price. British and Irish races.
Top trainers in Britain, August 2026, by winners
| 1 | Andrew Balding | 22 | 122 | £2,052,948 | 22 | 0 | |
| 2 | William Haggas | 16 | 94 | £1,005,420 | 16 | 0 | |
| 3 | Edward Bethell | 16 | 57 | £230,189 | 16 | 0 | |
| 4 | Karl Burke | 15 | 78 | £380,465 | 15 | 0 | |
| 5 | Charlie Appleby | 14 | 34 | £563,735 | 14 | 0 | |
| 6 | David O'Meara | 14 | 105 | £228,464 | 14 | 0 | |
| 7 | Ed Walker | 13 | 90 | £628,390 | 13 | 0 | |
| 8 | Ralph Beckett | 13 | 78 | £414,536 | 12 | 1 | |
| 9 | George Boughey | 12 | 56 | £441,652 | 12 | 0 | |
| 10 | Roger Varian | 12 | 45 | £341,848 | 12 | 0 |
British races only, pounds sterling. Ties on winners are split by prize money. Win % Prize money = all places. Races August 2026.
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Top trainers in Ireland, August 2026, by winners
| 1 | Willie Mullins | 22 | 66 | £306,029 | 4 | 18 | |
| 2 | Aidan O'Brien | 15 | 62 | £767,213 | 15 | 0 | |
| 3 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 14 | 128 | £617,465 | 13 | 1 | |
| 4 | Henry de Bromhead | 12 | 74 | £207,352 | 3 | 9 | |
| 5 | Andrew Slattery | 11 | 62 | £185,791 | 7 | 4 | |
| 6 | Gavin Cromwell | 9 | 63 | £109,559 | 4 | 5 | |
| 7 | Adrian McGuinness | 8 | 57 | £126,557 | 8 | 0 | |
| 8 | Willie McCreery | 8 | 35 | £87,410 | 8 | 0 | |
| 9 | Ger Lyons | 6 | 39 | £271,231 | 6 | 0 | |
| 10 | John C McConnell | 6 | 59 | £89,695 | 0 | 6 |
Irish races only, euro. Ties on winners are split by prize money. Win % Prize money = all places. Races August 2026.
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Top jockeys in Britain, August 2026, by winners
| 1 | Billy Loughnane | 31 | 31 | 0 | 149 | £540,535 | |
| 2 | Oisin Murphy | 26 | 26 | 0 | 129 | £744,240 | |
| 3 | David Egan | 19 | 19 | 0 | 91 | £330,187 | |
| 4 | Hector Crouch | 18 | 18 | 0 | 74 | £524,043 | |
| 5 | Oisin Orr | 18 | 18 | 0 | 70 | £199,994 | |
| 6 | Cieren Fallon | 17 | 17 | 0 | 103 | £377,969 | |
| 7 | David Probert | 17 | 17 | 0 | 97 | £290,519 | |
| 8 | Daniel Tudhope | 15 | 15 | 0 | 76 | £284,845 | |
| 9 | Jason Hart | 15 | 15 | 0 | 102 | £193,801 | |
| 10 | Luke Morris | 14 | 14 | 0 | 94 | £150,229 |
British races only, pounds sterling. Ties on winners are split by prize money. Win % Prize money = all places. Races August 2026.
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Top jockeys in Ireland, August 2026, by winners
| 1 | Darragh O'Keeffe | 14 | 0 | 14 | 82 | £215,900 | |
| 2 | Colin Keane | 12 | 12 | 0 | 58 | £390,553 | |
| 3 | Billy Lee | 12 | 12 | 0 | 82 | £301,980 | |
| 4 | Dylan Browne McMonagle | 11 | 11 | 0 | 78 | £429,735 | |
| 5 | Wayne Lordan | 10 | 10 | 0 | 41 | £321,162 | |
| 6 | Ryan Moore | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | £424,299 | |
| 7 | Chris Hayes | 7 | 7 | 0 | 78 | £198,962 | |
| 8 | Ben Coen | 7 | 7 | 0 | 73 | £193,094 | |
| 9 | Daniel King | 7 | 1 | 6 | 79 | £113,427 | |
| 10 | Sam Coen | 7 | 7 | 0 | 31 | £70,212 |
Irish races only, euro. Ties on winners are split by prize money. Win % Prize money = all places. Races August 2026.
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Top owners in Britain, August 2026, by winners
| 1 | Godolphin | 18 | 18 | 0 | 55 | £692,398 | |
| 2 | Wathnan Racing | 9 | 9 | 0 | 66 | £841,095 | |
| 3 | Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum | 9 | 9 | 0 | 29 | £639,912 | |
| 4 | Amo Racing | 8 | 8 | 0 | 47 | £284,136 | |
| 5 | J C Smith | 7 | 7 | 0 | 18 | £73,792 | |
| 6 | Juddmonte | 5 | 5 | 0 | 25 | £1,325,832 | |
| 7 | Mr Jaber Abdullah | 5 | 5 | 0 | 36 | £169,510 | |
| 8 | The Rogues Gallery | 5 | 5 | 0 | 21 | £83,608 | |
| 9 | Cheveley Park Stud | 5 | 5 | 0 | 18 | £65,460 | |
| 10 | Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum | 5 | 5 | 0 | 19 | £63,371 |
British races only, pounds sterling. Ties on winners are split by prize money. Win % Prize money = all places. Races August 2026.
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Top owners in Ireland, August 2026, by winners
| 1 | JP McManus | 5 | 0 | 5 | 24 | £92,006 | |
| 2 | Coolmore | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | - | £307,200 |
| 3 | Newtown Anner Stud | 3 | 3 | 0 | 18 | £101,599 | |
| 4 | Simon Munir & Isaac Souede | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | £50,022 | |
| 5 | Coolmore | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | - | £49,499 |
| 6 | Derek Kierans | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | - | £31,899 |
| 7 | Pimlico Racing Ireland | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | - | £24,001 |
| 8 | Juddmonte | 2 | 2 | 0 | 16 | £154,301 | |
| 9 | The Thoroughbred Racing Corporation Ltd | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | - | £122,101 |
| 10 | Coolmore | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | - | £68,800 |
Irish races only, euro. Ties on winners are split by prize money. Win % Prize money = all places. Races August 2026.
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Irish v British raiders, August 2026
| Irish-trained in Britain | Flat | 73 | 11 | 25 | £1,439,982 | |
| Irish-trained in Britain | Jumps | 10 | 1 | 6 | £10,717 | |
| British-trained in Ireland | Flat | 14 | 2 | 13 | €165,399 | |
| British-trained in Ireland | Jumps | 5 | 0 | 3 | €11,525 |
Trainer base by the country where the yard ran most of its runners that year. Prize money in the currency of the races: £ for Irish-trained runners in Britain, € for British-trained runners in Ireland.
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Cross-border winners, August 2026 (richest 25)
| 29 Aug 26 | British-trained in Ireland | 3/1J | Curragh (IRE) | Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes (Group 3) | John & Thady Gosden | |
| 27 Aug 26 | Irish-trained in Britain | 11/8 | Ffos Las | Bni Elli Maiden Stakes | Emmet Mullins | |
| 21 Aug 26 | Irish-trained in Britain | 4/1 | Hamilton | Darley EBF Novice Stakes | Noel C. Kelly | |
| 21 Aug 26 | Irish-trained in Britain | 16/1 | York | British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes | Joseph Patrick O'Brien | |
| 20 Aug 26 | Irish-trained in Britain | 4/5F | Lingfield (AW) | Free Tips On Attheraces.com EBF Maiden Stakes | Joseph Patrick O'Brien | |
| 20 Aug 26 | Irish-trained in Britain | 1/1F | York | Harry's Half Million By Goffs | Aidan O'Brien | |
| 19 Aug 26 | Irish-trained in Britain | 2/1F | York | Sky Bet Stayers Handicap Stakes (Heritage Handicap) | Joseph Patrick O'Brien | |
| 19 Aug 26 | Irish-trained in Britain | 11/8F | York | Tattersalls Acomb Stakes (Group 3) | Aidan O'Brien | |
| 15 Aug 26 | Irish-trained in Britain | 8/1 | Newmarket (July) | Betway Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Stakes | Gerard O'Leary | |
| 15 Aug 26 | Irish-trained in Britain | 13/8 | Perth | Scone Palace International Horse Trials National Hunt Flat Race (Conditional … | John C McConnell | |
| 9 Aug 26 | Irish-trained in Britain | 11/4 | Chepstow | Wasdell Supports Chepstow Centenary Celebrations / EBF Restricted Maiden Fill… | John S O'Donoghue | |
| 9 Aug 26 | British-trained in Ireland | 5/4F | Curragh (IRE) | FBD Hotels And Resorts Phoenix Sprint Stakes (Group 3) | Michael Appleby | |
| 8 Aug 26 | Irish-trained in Britain | 11/2 | Ayr | Festive Day Dancing At Ayr Racecourse Classified Stakes | Andrew Kinirons | |
| 1 Aug 26 | Irish-trained in Britain | 8/1 | Goodwood | Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (Group 2) | Joseph Patrick O'Brien |
Irish-trained winners in Britain and British-trained winners in Ireland, the 25 richest races, newest first.
Big races in Britain, August 2026
| 1 Aug 26 | Goodwood | Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes (Group 2) | Group 2 | 8/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien | Dylan Browne McMonagle | 6 | £295,110 | |
| 15 Aug 26 | Newbury | Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes (Group 2) | Group 2 | 15/2 | Clive Cox | Hector Crouch | 9 | £162,311 | |
| 19 Aug 26 | York | Juddmonte International Stakes (Group 1) | Group 1 | 10/1 | Andrew Balding | Colin Keane | 8 | £1,475,550 | |
| 19 Aug 26 | York | Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2) | Group 2 | 9/4 | William Haggas | Tom Marquand | 6 | £245,925 | |
| 20 Aug 26 | York | Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks (Group 1) | Group 1 | 10/11F | Andrew Balding | Colin Keane | 9 | £590,220 | |
| 20 Aug 26 | York | Harry's Half Million By Goffs | - | 1/1F | Aidan O'Brien | Ryan Moore | 20 | £586,425 | |
| 20 Aug 26 | York | Sky Bet Lowther Stakes (Group 2) | Group 2 | 3/1 | George Boughey | Billy Loughnane | 17 | £245,925 | |
| 21 Aug 26 | York | Coolmore City Of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes (Group 1) | Group 1 | 3/1F | Wesley A Ward | Juan J Hernandez | 18 | £590,220 | |
| 21 Aug 26 | York | Weatherbys Lonsdale Cup Stakes (Group 2) | Group 2 | 9/1 | Tom Clover | William Buick | 8 | £245,925 | |
| 21 Aug 26 | York | Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes (Group 2) | Group 2 | 2/1 | Michael Dods | Connor Beasley | 10 | £245,925 | |
| 22 Aug 26 | York | Sky Bet City Of York Stakes (Group 1) | Group 1 | 9/4F | Charlie Appleby | William Buick | 14 | £590,220 | |
| 29 Aug 26 | Goodwood | Virgin Bet Celebration Mile Stakes (Group 2) | Group 2 | 11/10F | Eve Johnson Houghton | Charles Bishop | 7 | £196,740 |
Group and Grade 1 and 2 races, plus the five richest races of the month in the country. Prize paid = total to all placed horses.
Big races in Ireland, August 2026
| 2 Aug 26 | Galway (IRE) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Ahonoora Handicap | - | 11/1 | Miss Natalia Lupini | Billy Lee | 14 | £109,998 | |
| 3 Aug 26 | Naas (IRE) | Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes | - | 4/6F | Ger Lyons | Colin Keane | 11 | £192,999 | |
| 9 Aug 26 | Curragh (IRE) | Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (Group 1) | Group 1 | 5/4F | Aidan O'Brien | Ryan Moore | 8 | £380,000 | |
| 22 Aug 26 | Curragh (IRE) | Coolmore Stud City Of Troy Tom Cooper Irish EBF Futurity Stakes (Group 2) | Group 2 | 2/1F | Aidan O'Brien | Wayne Lordan | 6 | £130,000 | |
| 22 Aug 26 | Curragh (IRE) | Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes (Group 2) | Group 2 | 11/4 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien | Dylan Browne McMonagle | 5 | £127,400 |
Group and Grade 1 and 2 races, plus the five richest races of the month in the country. Prize paid = total to all placed horses.
Records broken or approached, August 2026
| Average field size, British Flat | 8.38 | 9 | 11 | Ranks 9 of 11 since 2016 |
| Average field size, Irish Flat | 11.69 | 7 | 11 | Ranks 7 of 11 since 2016 |
| Average field size, British jumps | 7.38 | 10 | 11 | Ranks 10 of 11 since 2016 |
| Average field size, Irish jumps | 11.03 | 7 | 11 | Ranks 7 of 11 since 2016 |
| Favourites won %, Britain and Ireland | 32.6 | 8 | 11 | Ranks 8 of 11 since 2016 |
| Races run, Britain and Ireland | 1139 | 11 | 11 | Lowest August of the 11 since 2016 |
| Prize money, Britain (£) | £19,841,342 | 4 | 11 | Ranks 4 of 11 since 2016 |
| Prize money, Ireland (€) | €6,603,587 | 2 | 11 | Ranks 2 of 11 since 2016 |
| Winners at 20/1 or longer | 47 | 9 | 11 | Ranks 9 of 11 since 2016 |
Each figure ranked against August in every year from 2016 in RaceWatch results (1 = highest). Prize money is not adjusted for inflation. All-time records come from /data/records.
The same numbers on today's racecards
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How big were fields in August 2026?
British and Irish races averaged 9.09 runners in August 2026, against 9.05 in 2025 and 9.29 across the five previous years. British Flat fields averaged 8.38 and Irish Flat fields 11.69.
Did favourites win more often than usual in August 2026?
Favourites won 32.6% of races against a norm of 32.5% for August. The RaceWatch Favourites Index for British Flat racing read 101.2, where 100 is a normal August.
Who were the leading trainers and jockeys in August 2026?
Andrew Balding led British trainers with 22 winners and Billy Loughnane led British jockeys with 31. In Ireland Willie Mullins trained 22 winners and Darragh O'Keeffe rode 14.
How did Irish and British raiders do in August 2026?
Irish-trained runners won 12 races from 83 runs in Britain, and British-trained runners won 2 from 19 runs in Ireland, earning €176,924 in Irish prize money.
Were any records broken or approached in August 2026?
Ranked against the same period in each of the 11 years from 2016, where 1 is the highest, August 2026 was number 11 for races run and number 4 for British prize money, not adjusted for inflation.
Questions people ask
Where do the RaceWatch monthly figures come from?
Every figure comes from the RaceWatch results database of British and Irish races, with Industry starting prices and prize money as recorded. Pounds and euro are reported separately and never added together.
How is average field size measured?
Average field size is the number of runners divided by the number of races, counting horses that took part. The same measure over the same days of earlier years gives the comparison figures on this page.
Racing records
A figure above 1.00 means favourites won more often than their prices suggested.
Can journalists quote this report?
Any figure may be quoted with the attribution Source: RaceWatch monthly data report, August 2026, and a link to this page. Bulk reproduction of the tables needs permission, and the RaceWatch press page sets out the terms.
When is the next monthly report published?
The report for the current month is live on the RaceWatch reports page and updates after every racing day until that month ends. A new monthly report is added early each month, and the month before then shows final figures.
More free data
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