Lingfield Park Racecourse Oaks & Derby Trials 2026: Date, Race Times, TV Channel, Runners & Betting Tips
The road to the Epsom Classics continues this Saturday as Lingfield stages its traditional Oaks and Derby Trials card, with several exciting three-year-old’s hoping to book their place at The Derby and the The Oaks next month.
Held on Lingfield’s unique undulating track, the meeting is often viewed as one of the best guides to the challenges horses will face at Epsom, thanks to its sweeping bends and downhill run into the straight.
When Are The Lingfield Oaks & Derby Trials?
The 2026 Lingfield Oaks and Derby Trials take place on Saturday, May 9 at Lingfield Park Racecourse.
The feature races on the will take place at:
- 1:28 – The Lingfield Oaks Trial Fillies’ Stakes
- 1:58 – The Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes
What TV Channel Is Showing The Lingfield Trials?
The Lingfield Trials card is to be shown live on:
- ITV4
- Racing TV
Both races can also be streamed live on the BAR 1 Betting website & app.
Lingfield Oaks Trial Runner-by-runner Guide
1.28pm – The Oaks Trial, Listed Race, 3yo fillies, 1m3f133y
There have been four winning favourites in this race in the last ten years, with seven of the ten winners being returned at 5/1 or shorter. Aidan O’Brien‘s two winners (from eight runners) during that time are Giselle (last year) and Seventh Heaven (2016). He has also had the runner-up on three occasions during that time. Charlie Appleby‘s sole win during the same period (from three runners) was Eternal Hope (2023).
In recent years, this race has produced the 2019 Epsom Oaks winner, Anapurna, the 2020 German Oaks winner, Miss Yoda, and the 2016 Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks winner, Seventh Heaven, who all won the Lingfield Oaks Trial.
1 – Amora Queen – Charlie Johnston / Silvestre de Sousa – She won her first two races last year but then finished last of ten in the Group 1 Fillies Mile when upped in class. Her stable is in good form with eight winners since April 23rd going into Thursday’s racing. On her seasonal return, she finished second in a fillies’ handicap when rated 90, but she is surely better than that. Today’s trip should present no problems for her.
2 – Bloom – Aidan O’Brien / Tom Marquand – She won a fillies’ maiden at Cork last September and returned to action on April 25th at Navan where she finished third to the impressive Thundering On in the Group 3 Salsabil Stakes. She should be sharper for that. She is by Wootton Bassett out of a Galileo mare that won a Listed race at Gowran Park over 9.5f and finished second in the 10f Oaks Trial at Naas. As at midday on Thursday May 7th, she was 50/1 with us for the Epsom Oaks on June 5th.
3 – Cameo – Aidan O’Brien / Ryan Moore – She won a 7f fillies’ maiden at the Curragh last September and then finished third in a Group 3 race over 8f at the Curragh 17 days later (on soft to heavy going), albeit beaten 10.5 lengths. The winner was Sugar Island. She returned this season on April 3rd when fifth, beaten 4.5 lengths, in a Group 3 race over one mile on soft to heavy going at the Curragh, where she took a while to warm to her task. However, it was still a reasonable effort. She is by Wootton Bassett out of a Galileo mare that won over 8f, but Cameo’s half-brother (by Dubawi) stayed 13f. As at midday on Thursday May 7th, she was 33/1 with us for the Epsom Oaks on June 5th. Stable jockey Ryan Moore has chosen to ride her over Bloom.
4 – Prizeland – Andrew Balding / David Probert – She bolted up at Lingfield over 12f in a novice stakes race on April 14th, which proved that both track and trip will be no problem for her today. The question she has to answer is how will she handle the step up in class? It is certainly worth a try for a filly that is entered for the Epsom Oaks. She is a full-sister to Hoo Ya Mal, who finished second in the 2022 Epsom Derby to Desert Crown. She has an interesting profile and looks a very well-balanced filly, which will serve her well once again here.
5 – Romantic Symphony – Charlie Appleby / William Buick – She is unbeaten in two starts (one on turf, one on the all-weather) and arrives here as a promising filly. She’s a well-bred one, too, being by Dubawi, which makes her a full-sister to Yibir (a Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner) and Wild Illusion (a three-time Group 1-winner). Her stable’s form is a bit of a concern – one winner from their last 26 runners going into Thursday’s racing – but, aside from that, she has a very interesting profile. She does not hold an Epsom Oaks entry but could be supplemented at a later stage.
Verdict– In a small, but fascinating, line-up, you can build a case for just about all the field. Bloom finished third behind what looked to be a very good filly at Navan, but Ryan Moore has opted for Cameo, who still looked a little green at the Curragh last time. Stable form is a concern but, with an eye-catching pedigree, Romantic Symphony can’t be discounted, and Prizeland‘s ability to smoothly handle this idiosyncratic track will serve her well and she can outrun her odds.
Lingfield Derby Trial Runner-by-runner Guide
1.58pm – The Lingfield Derby Trial, Listed Race, 1m3f133y, 3yo
In the last seven years, Aidan O’Brien has won this race three times, and had the runner-up twice (from seven runners during that time). Subsequent champion stayer Kyprios finished fourth for Aidan in 2021.
Aidan’s 2019 winner, Anthony Van Dyck, went on to win the Epsom Derby, and his 2024 runner-up, Illinois, was subsequenty beaten a neck in the English St Leger.
The 2024 Derby Trial winner, Ambiente Friendly, found only City Of Troy too good for him in the Epsom Derby on his next start.
The Charlie Appleby-trainer Adayar, who finished second at Lingfield in 2021, went on to win the Epsom Derby and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Charlie’s last runner in the race, Military Order (2023) was a winner, and he sent out the second and third in 2022 in what was, admittedly, a four-runner race.
He also had the runner-up, Adayar, in 2021 (as mentioned in the previous parargraph), who then won the Epsom Derby. His only other runner (apart from those listed in the previous paragraph) in the race since 2016 was Zamfir (2017), who was pulled up in a race that Godophin, for whom Charlie trains, won with Best Solution, who won three Group 1 races the following season.
It’s probably an obvious thing to write, but whatever Charlie or Aidan run have to be respected.
In the last seven years, there have been three winning favourites, and one joint-favourite, with five of the seven winners being returned at 9/4 or shorter.
1 – A Taste Of Glory – Andrew Balding / Danny Muscutt – He comes into this on the back of a 10f handicap win here from a rating of 80. This is a big step up from that.
2 – Balzac – Jane Chapple-Hyam / Silvestre de Sousa – A son of Japan, he won a novice stakes race over a mile at Kempton on April 1st and then finished third in the Derby Trial at Epsom on April 28th. His run will provide a chance to assess the value of the form of that race, which was won by Saxon Street. The extra distance of today’s race will probably suit him.
3 – Bay Of Brilliance – Ralph Beckett / Hector Crouch – A half-brother to the Willie Mullins-trained Absurde, who won the 2023 Ebor Handicap, the 2024 County Hurdle (at the Cheltenham Festival), and a Listed race on the flat (at Chester in 2024), he has won his last two races, most recently by 8.5 lengths in a 9f novice stakes race at Redcar last October. He rates as progressive and very interesting.
4 – Isaac Newton – Aidan O’Brien / Ryan Moore – He won a Goodwood maiden over 7f on good to soft last August and, even though he didn’t win in three subsequent runs, he was only beaten 2.5 lengths into fourth behind Derby hopeful Pierre Bonnard in the 10f Group 1 Criterium de Saint Cloud last October. He finished fourth of the seven runners on his return at Newmarket in the Feilden Stakes on April 15th, which was a touch disappointing but that will have cleared out any fitness cobwebs. He ran like he needed it.
5 – Maho Bay – Charlie Appleby / William Buick – He is unbeaten in two runs, most recently by 3.5 lengths in a five-runner novice stakes race over 10f at Newmarket (on April 16th). He is by Dubawi out of a Dandy Man mare. Dandy Man is generally an influence for speed and, indeed, the first two generations of Maho Bay‘s dam’s side suggest speed, although strong stamina influence Darshaan appears in the third. What we do know is that he stays 10f well and that he is clearly a promising colt.
6 – Maltese Cross – William Haggas / Tom Marquand – He has won his last two races, most recently on April 17th in a novice stakes race at Newbury (by a neck from Ancient Egypt, who subsequently finished second in a Listed race at Newmarket on May 1st). The form has a solid look to it but this has the look of a good trial so further improvement will be required. For example, he is officially rated 96 while Isaac Newton is rated 106, Maho Bay, 104, and both Balzac and Bay Of Brilliance, 97.
Verdict: This is a very interesting renewal of a race that can produce some high-class performers. He’ll be sharper for his Newmarket run and, given his trainer’s good record in the race, Isaac Newton gets the call.
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