Aidan O’Brien turns up at Epsom in 2026 with four strong Derby runners that look, on paper, capable of locking out a big chunk of the frame.
Benvenuto Cellini, Christmas Day, Pierre Bonnard and Action arrive via different routes, but together they give Ballydoyle tactical control and serious depth in a race the yard has dominated for over two decades.
Benvenuto Cellini – The Clear Number One
Benvenuto Cellini is the headline act and rightly so. The Frankel colt became clear Derby favourite when running away with the Group 3 Boodles Chester Vase, a traditional Ballydoyle stepping‑stone to Epsom.
Sent off 2/9 at Chester, he tracked the pace before Ryan Moore eased him out turning in, and once asked, he powered four and a quarter lengths clear of stablemate Proposition, with Mr Colonel back in third.
That win gave O’Brien a record‑extending 12th Chester Vase and tightened Benvenuto Cellini into as short as 9/4 for the Derby in places.
He was already a dual winner at two and finished third in the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster as part of an Aidan‑trained 1‑2‑3, so this is a colt who has been near the top of the Classic lists for a while.
Now he bids to become the third horse to complete the Chester Vase–Derby double for O’Brien and Coolmore.
Christmas Day – Ballysax Winner With More To Give
If Benvenuto Cellini is the proven Group‑3‑over‑the‑trip colt, Christmas Day is the improver who has quietly built a strong profile.
He announced himself as a Derby player when winning the Group 3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on 12 April, beating Endorsement and A Boy Named Susie, with short‑priced stablemate Pierre Bonnard only seventh.
Sent off 11/1 in a nine‑runner field, Christmas Day travelled nicely and stayed on strongly to land the €42,000 first prize over 1m2f on yielding ground.
That performance prompted Irish commentators to suggest he needed to “prove his Derby credentials”, and O’Brien duly looked to do that by pointing him at the Dante at York, a race he went into as 3/1 favourite.
The Dante did not produce the headline result the yard wanted thanks to Item’s dominant win, but the fact Christmas Day was sent there at all is instructive.
O’Brien already had the first four in the Derby betting at that point and still felt this colt could strengthen his hand; that tells you how highly they rate him at home.
Pierre Bonnard – Classy Juvenile Trying To Rebound
Few horses have had a more up‑and‑down Derby prep than Pierre Bonnard. At the end of his two‑year‑old season he was seen as one of Ballydoyle’s most exciting middle‑distance prospects, having won the Zetland Stakes at Newmarket and then the Group 1 Critérium de Saint‑Cloud over 1m2f on very soft ground in France.
Those back‑end wins cemented his status as a major Classic contender for 2026.
Things have been more complicated at three. O’Brien aimed him at the Ballysax for his seasonal debut, but he disappointed badly behind Christmas Day, trailing home only seventh as the evens favourite.
Connections then looked to get him back on track in the Cashel Palace Leopardstown Derby Trial, in which he was expected to reassert himself, only to be chinned late by James J Braddock in a thriller.
Despite those defeats, Pierre Bonnard remains very much in the Derby conversation. He is still the same horse who won a Group 1 at two, and O’Brien has plenty of history in bringing one back to peak form at Epsom after a slightly messy spring.
In markets framed after the Chester Vase, he was trading shorter than most non‑Ballydoyle contenders, sitting behind Benvenuto Cellini in some lists, which tells you punters have not written him off.
Action – Honest Yardstick Who Ties The Form Together
Action may not have the flashy headlines of his stablemates, but he is an important piece of the Epsom puzzle.
He has been a near‑constant presence in the major trials, providing a line through several key contenders. He chased home Item in the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York, finishing a clear second as the Ballydoyle representative in a race many regard as the best Derby guide.
Earlier in the spring, his form was used as a measuring stick for the yard’s other three‑year‑olds, and bookmakers currently price him around the mid‑range of the Derby betting – shorter than the rank outsiders, but at a much more backable price than Benvenuto Cellini.
That in‑between status actually makes him quite interesting for each‑way players. He has run solid races without everything dropping perfectly, and Epsom can be the day when a reliable, tough colt nabs a place because others do not handle the occasion.
Action’s role may also be tactical. O’Brien has never been shy about using multiple runners to ensure an honest pace and to give his main hope the race shape he wants.
A straightforward, genuine galloper like Action can help guarantee a true test at 1m4f – something Benvenuto Cellini, Christmas Day and Pierre Bonnard are all bred to relish.
How The Quartet Might Operate Together
O’Brien sending four to Epsom is not just about numbers; it is about control. With Benvenuto Cellini, Christmas Day, Pierre Bonnard and Action, Ballydoyle can dictate pace, test stamina and cover most tactical scenarios.
If they want a genuine gallop, Action can press on. If they want to sit and pounce, Moore can park Benvenuto Cellini in the perfect stalking spot, with Christmas Day and Pierre Bonnard slotting into handy positions to strike if the favourite underperforms.
From a betting point of view, the team splits neatly. Benvenuto Cellini is the obvious win bet for those happy to side with the market leader.
Christmas Day looks like the solid, still‑improving trial winner who could be a strong each‑way play. Pierre Bonnard is the risky but high‑upside Group‑1 juvenile trying to bounce back, and Action is the honest form‑line horse who might be underestimated if the race turns into a true test and a couple of the big names fail to fire.
However you slice it, Aidan O’Brien’s four Derby runners ensure the road to glory still runs firmly through Ballydoyle in 2026, and it will take a very good colt from another yard to break their hold on the Classic once again.
BETFRED
