Betfred Derby
Group 1, Epsom Downs 15:30 £2,000,000 guaranteed 3yo only, 1m, 4f, 10y
Tweet Saturday 6th June 2026

Aidan O’Brien has urged patience with Pierre Bonnard as plans begin to crystallise for his Derby team, insisting the colt’s reputation should not be judged too harshly on a single below-par effort.

The son of Camelot had been a leading player in the ante-post market throughout the winter following his Group One success in France, but his claims took a dent when he could finish only seventh as a well-backed favourite in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on his seasonal return.

That reversal saw stablemate Benvenuto Cellini assume favouritism in places, although O’Brien remains confident Pierre Bonnard can yet reassert himself with a return to the same venue for another Derby trial next month.

“Don’t lose faith in Pierre yet,” O’Brien said during a press event at Ballydoyle on Monday morning.

“Benvenuto was always very close to Pierre in the Derby market anyway in our mind, but for Pierre things just went wrong and it was just a start off (in the Ballysax Stakes).

“He had to have two runs. If we were being very cautious we wouldn’t have run him and just given him a racecourse gallop, but you’re always better to run if you can.

“He’s going to go back to Leopardstown and we think he’s going to leave that run well behind him.

“He’s a big, powerful horse and we think he’ll come back.”

Benvenuto Cellini, who now heads some Derby markets, is set to make his reappearance in the coming weeks, with options including trials at Epsom or Chester as connections seek to build on his current standing.

Elsewhere among Ballydoyle’s Classic hopefuls, Hawk Mountain and Action remain firmly in the mix, having filled the first two places ahead of Benvenuto Cellini in last season’s Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.

Hawk Mountain, withdrawn from the Craven Stakes due to quick ground, may instead be directed towards a French trial, while Action is pencilled in for the bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown.

CHRISTMAS DAY (Camelot) gana el Ballysax Stakes (G3) en @LeopardstownRC, prueba en la que el favorito Pierre Bonnard fracasó ruidosamente al llegar séptimo sin fuerzas y con ello pierde su temprano favoritismo al Epsom Derby. pic.twitter.com/g19D5ebqp2

— Javier I. Farache (@jfarache) April 12, 2026

Another colt to emerge from the shadows is Christmas Day, whose surprise Ballysax victory has earned him a shot at further enhancing his credentials, with the Dante Stakes at York under consideration.

O’Brien added: “Christmas Day might go to the Dante, so we’ll see what he’ll do then.

“He was always a very solid horse and the plan last year was to run in a Group One in France, but he got a temperature and couldn’t go.

“We always liked him and we think that (York) will work well for him.”

With multiple strands to Ballydoyle’s Derby challenge, the coming weeks promise greater clarity, but for now, O’Brien’s message is one of restraint as much as expectation.

Betfred Derby (Group 1)
£2,000,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 4f 10y, Class 1
84 remaining entries
Going:

(Form as of April 20)