Epsom Derby 2026 – Saturday, June 6, 16:00
The Epsom Derby is still the race that most racing professionals want to win above all other flat races. There is also a good deal of satisfaction for punters in identifying the winner of a race that has been won by some of the greats of the sport.
Sea Bird II, Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Roberto, Shergar, Nashwan, Generous, Lammtarra, Sinndar, Galileo, New Approach, Sea The Stars, Camelot, Auguste Rodin and City Of Troy have all galloped to victory on Epsom Downs and, as a consequence, secured a special place in the history books.
Victory confers huge status on the winner and can also open up to the door to a lucrative stallion career.
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Epsom Derby 2026 Race Details & Records
This year’s race is worth £2,000,000. It is due off at 4pm. The Derby-day card, which begins at 1.30pm, will carry £3,595,000 in prize-money.
The Derby was first run in 1780 and the leading trainer in its history is Aidan O’Brien with 12 wins. He is the only trainer to have won the race three years in a row, a hat-trick that was completed last year by Lambourn so he is in position to make it four in a row, which would be another remarkable record for the master of Ballydoyle.
The leading jockey with nine wins is the great Lester Piggott, one of the greatest jockeys to ever get up onto a saddle. The most successful jockey still riding is Ryan Moore, with four wins. Jockeys still riding to have won it once are William Buick, Wayne Lordan, Seamus Heffernan and Mickael Barzalona.
Trainers still holding a licence to have won the race more than once are John Gosden (2), who now operates in partnership with his son Thady, Charlie Appleby (2), and Peter Chapple-Hyam (2).
Derby Betting Dominated by Ballydoyle
The betting for this year’s race is dominated by Aidan O’Brien. Three of the first four in the market are trained by Aidan. More on these in a moment. The exception is Item, a good winner of one of the main Derby trials, the Dante Stakes, last time out (on May 14th).
Item is owned by Juddmonte Farms, will be ridden by Ireland’s six-time champion flat jockey, Colin Keane, and is trained by Andrew Balding. Juddmonte have won the Derby three times, with Quest For Fame (1990), Commander In Chief (1993), and Workforce (2010).
The Historic Park House Connection
Andrew Balding trains at the famous Park House Stables in Kingsclere, Hampshire, which is only a few miles from Newbury Racecourse. Park House was founded in the nineteenth century by John Porter, who sent out seven Derby winners from the impressive and historic establishment between 1868 and 1899. Three of the winners – Ormonde (1886), Common (1891) and Flying Fox (1899) – went on to complete the Triple Crown, while La Fleche (1892) landed the fillies’ Triple Crown.
Also winning the Derby from Park House were Fred Butters, who won with Mid-day Sun in 1937, and Andrew’s father, Ian, who sadly recently passed away, with the great Mill Reef in 1971. Andrew has already won the Epsom Oaks and English 2,000 Guineas in his relatively short training career, but the Derby would be the most deeply craved of the Classics.
Other Leading Connections
Fifth-best in the Derby betting is Maltese Cross, trained by William Haggas, who won the Derby in 1996 with Shaamit, and sixth in the betting is James J Braddock trained by Aidan’s son, Joseph O’Brien, followed by the Ralph Beckett-trained Bay Of Brilliance.
Joseph won the Derby as a jockey on Camelot in 2012 and Australia in 2014.
Epsom Derby 2026 Key Contenders
No.7 – Bienvenuto Cellini – Aidan O’Brien
A Group 2 winner as a two-year-old, he looked very good when winning the Group 3 Boodles Chester Vase, a race that is strongly established as a key Derby trial, on May 6th. It wasn’t the best Vase we have seen but he won emphatically, looks a well-balanced horse, and proved that the Derby distance of 12 furlongs should present him with no problems. Lambourn won the Vase in 2025 before going on to Epsom glory.
No.9 – Item – Andrew Balding
Following his good win in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Dante Stakes at York on May 14th, jockey Colin Keane described him as a well-balanced horse that should stay further. Those words have Juddmonte Farms dreaming of a fourth Epsom Derby success and his trainer a first. Andrew’s father won the Mill Reef in 1971 (see above).
No.12 – Pierre Bonnard – Aidan O’Brien
The winter favourite for the Derby following his win in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud, he ran as though the race was needed when seventh of the nine runners in the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on April 12th. He improved on that run, but was still beaten, when failing to over James J Braddock, who had finished fifth in the Ballysax Stakes, in the Cashel Palace Derby Trial over 10 furlongs at Leopardstown on May 10th. The winning distance was a short head. Both horses look like they will appreciate the extra two furlongs of the Derby.
No.11 – Maltese Cross – William Haggas
He toughed it out in admirable style when beating the tenacious Bay Of Brilliance by a neck in the Lingfield Derby Trial on May 9th and is progressing nicely. The last horse to win that race and then go on to land the Epsom Derby was Anthony Van Dyck in 2019. They ran the final two furlongs at Lingfield in 23.35 seconds, which is quick.
No.10 – James J Braddock – Joseph O’Brien
He is by Zarak, a son of exceptional sire Dubawi and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner, Zarkava. His dam’s mother, who is by Lope de Vega, has produced five winners from five foals to see the racetrack, among them a Group 2 and 3 winner and a Listed winner.
As mentioned above, his trainer won the Derby as a jockey on Camelot in 2012 and Australia in 2014. The last jockey to complete the Derby double as a jockey and trainer was Harry Wragg, who won the Classic on Felstead (1928), Blenheim (1930) and Watling Street (1942), and as a trainer with Psidium (1961).
James J Braddock is part-owned by well-known journalist and broadcaster, Kevin Blake, who is a good boxer and, no doubt, was involved in the naming of this colt. James J Braddock, who was nicknamed ‘The Cinderella Man’, was world heavyweight boxing champion between 1935 and 1937.
No.6 – Bay Of Brilliance – Ralph Beckett
He is by Sea The Stars out of a Camelot mare so will stay 12 furlongs and and more so should comfortably handle the Derby trip.
No.3 – Ancient Egypt – Charlie Johnston
Charlie trains last year’s Derby runner-up, Lazy Griff. Ancient Egypt will travel to Epsom on the back of a two-length win in the 10-furlong JCB Newmarket Stakes (Listed Race) at Newmarket on May 1st. That race has produced three Group/Grade 1 winners since 2016 in Hawkbill, Mishriff and Nations Pride.
The runner-up at Newmarket, My Love Is King, had finished second (beaten a neck) to Maltese Cross in a 10-furlong novice stakes race at Newbury on April 17th. Ancient Egypt is a half-brother to a Grade 2 winner in the USA and has a lovely pedigree, being by Kingman out of a Galileo mare, Fallen In Love, that has also produced a Group 3 winner from six foals to have seen the racecourse (four of them have won races).
Ancient Egypt’s granddam has produced a Group 1 winner in Fallen For You, who won the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2012. It is certainly a productive pedigree, one that hails from Juddmonte Farms bloodlines.
Epsom Derby 2026 1-2-3-4 Verdict
Bienvenuto Cellini to beat Ancient Egypt, with Item and Maltese Cross fighting it out for third place.
