The GAIN The Advantage Series will reach its 2026 conclusion at Listowel Racecourse on Monday, September 21, with the final leg taking place during the Listowel Harvest Festival. Richard Donohoe and Peter Lawlor will arrive at the meeting level on 12 points each in the overall Trainers’ standings, setting up a closely contested finish to the six-leg competition.
The series will have begun at Leopardstown in June before continuing through Ballinrobe, Fairyhouse, Down Royal and Navan. The Listowel fixture will provide the final opportunity for trainers to add to their points totals, with several contenders still within reach of the overall title. The outcome will be decided after a campaign that will have taken the competition to some of Ireland’s leading racecourses.
Donohoe will head into the final leg after moving to the top of the standings following his victory with Daboya at Ballinrobe. Lawlor will have drawn level after collecting maximum points with Numidia at Down Royal. Their identical totals of 12 points will leave the leading position open going into Listowel, while the trainers immediately behind them will also have the opportunity to challenge for the series crown.
GAIN The Advantage Series Leaders Prepare for Listowel Decider
The final leg will carry a significant reward for the trainer who finishes at the top of the overall standings. The winning trainer will receive €5,000 worth of GAIN Equine Nutrition products, providing an additional incentive as the leading contenders prepare for the concluding fixture.
The competition will also recognise the contribution of breeders who will have played a part in the success of the series runners. The winning breeders from the first five legs will include Juddmonte Farm, His Late Highness the Aga Khan’s Studs, Whisperview Trading Ltd, Oliver Donlon and JS Bolger. They will be joined by the breeder of the winner at Listowel in a draw for one tonne of GAIN feed.
The breeder recognition will form part of the wider rewards attached to the series, extending beyond the trainers and horses competing across the six legs. The Listowel finale will therefore provide one final opportunity for another breeder to join the group of recognised winners from this year’s competition.
Stable staff will also have a place in the series rewards. The winning grooms from the earlier legs will include Megan Brown, Andrew Donohoe, Akmal Khan, Dorota Kulikowska and Gulab Singh. The winning groom from the Listowel finale will join them in a draw for a €250 voucher for Mount Juliet Estate in County Kilkenny.
The inclusion of grooms and breeders will highlight the contribution of the wider teams behind the runners throughout the series. While the Trainers’ title will provide the main competitive focus at Listowel, the associated awards will also recognise the people involved in preparing and supporting the horses.
A total of 38 entries will be recorded for the final leg, underlining the level of interest surrounding the concluding fixture. The sizeable entry will provide depth to the Listowel contest and will give connections another opportunity to finish the series with a strong performance.
Philip Gilligan, Irish Country Manager for GAIN Equine Nutrition, will welcome the conclusion of the 2026 series and will point to its growth over the past six years. The competition will continue to support owners, trainers, breeders and stable staff while bringing together participants from different stages of the Irish racing calendar.
The Listowel meeting will follow the five previous legs at Leopardstown, Ballinrobe, Fairyhouse, Down Royal and Navan. Each fixture will have contributed points towards the overall standings, with the final leg now set to determine the destination of the Trainers’ title.
Donohoe and Lawlor will enter Listowel on equal points, meaning the final result will have a direct bearing on the championship standings. The trainers behind the leading pair will also remain within reach, ensuring that the battle for the overall title will extend beyond the two current leaders.
With the Listowel Harvest Festival providing the setting, the final leg will bring the 2026 GAIN The Advantage Series to a close. The meeting will determine the overall Trainers’ champion, while the breeder and groom rewards will complete a programme designed to recognise the wider connections behind the horses competing throughout the series.
GAIN The Advantage Series will conclude at Listowel Racecourse on September 21, with Richard Donohoe and Peter Lawlor tied on 12 points and several trainers still within reach of the overall title.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to RaceBuzz.