It Is 3/1 the Field in an Open Looking 2026 Betfred Epsom Derby

by Roy Brindley, 26 May 2026

Aidan O’Brien doesn’t hold all the aces in the 2026 Epsom Derby, but he certainly has a very strong hand.

Will Benvenuto Cellini give Aidan O’Brien a twelfth Derby success? ©Getty

Key Facts:

• £2 million Derby scheduled for June 6.
• Aidan O’Brien is responsible for 10 of the 22 Derby entries.
• Dante Stakes winner, Item, looks the best of the home defence.
• ITV, Virgin Media and Racing TV will broadcast the race live.

The Derby, the most prestigious of the five British Classics, will take place for the 247th time at Epsom on Saturday, June 6. Often called the greatest flat race in the world, this year’s contest will be worth a record-breaking £2 million, with £1 million going to the winner.

The betting appears to suggest the race is at the mercy of Aidan O’Brien, who is chasing a twelfth success in the famous contest. However, while the Irish trainer is responsible for 10 of the 22 horses currently on the entry list, bookmakers are uncertain which of his contenders are the best and which will take part.

Rumours, sparked by significant price changes, suggest his best two hopes based on form may not go head-to-head. Constitution River, winner of the Dee Stakes at Chester on his most recent outing for O’Brien, could be rerouted to Chantilly Racecourse to contest the French Derby.

Could Item Be the Derby Gift?

At 3/1, Benvenuto Cellini, another O’Brien inmate, is trading one point shorter than Constitution River in the Betfred Derby betting. A dominant display in the Chester Vase saw him top the betting lists and, despite subsequent Derby trials being won impressively, he has remained favourite for the big race.

Form gurus will know that only two Chester Vase winners have gone on to win the Derby since 1981. It is York’s Dante Stakes that has been the best guide to Derby success with five winners since 2004 going on to taste glory at Epsom.

This year’s Dante Stakes went to the Andrew Balding-trained Item, who appears to be the UK’s best hope for home success in the Derby. The only horse in the Derby field that is unbeaten, Item, overcame inexperience to win the York contest impressively for his owners, Juddmonte.

Interestingly, the 2010 Derby winner, Workforce, was also owned by Juddmonte and won the Dante Stakes en route to his Epsom success. Trainer Andrew Balding has never won the Derby, but he fielded Khalifa Sat to come second at 50/1 in 2020 and Hoo Ya Mal (also second) at 150/1 odds in 2022.

Will the Frankels Navigate Epsom’s Unique Contours?

Breeding experts will note that both Benvenuto Cellini and Item are sired by the unbeaten superstar, Frankel. They both have French Derby winner Lope De Vega as the sire of their dam, and both Item’s and Benvenuto Cellini’s dams were Grade-1 winners in North America.

On the big day, the question may simply be which horse handles the switch from flat and galloping York, or sharp, punchy Chester, to the unique contours of Epsom, with its hills and cambered home straight, best.

Epsom should pose no threat to the William Haggas-trained Maltese Cross, who landed the Lingfield Derby trial at the start of May. Currently quoted as the 10/1 fourth favourite in the Derby betting, this three-time winner does have some negatives. Notably, only one horse has won at Lingfield before winning the Derby in 28 years.

Bookies Remain Wary of Pierre Bonnard

Aidan O’Brien’s Pierre Bonnard is another with negatives – primarily two defeats from two starts this season, where excuses appeared to be thin on the ground. A horse with Derby winners sprinkled all over his pedigree, and the former ante-post Derby favourite, cautious bookmakers still only quote him on 10/1 odds.

What Are the Current Epsom Derby Odds?

• 3/1 Benvenuto Cellini
• 4/1 Constitution River
• 4/1 Item
• 10/1 Maltese Cross
• 10/1 Pierre Bonnard
• 14/1 James J Braddock
• 16/1 Bay Of Brilliance
• 20/1 Ancient Egypt
• 25/1 Hawk Mountain
• 33/1 Action
• 40/1 Christmas Day
• 50/1 Causeway
• 50/1 Endorsement

How to Watch the 2026 Derby

The 2026 Betfred Derby’s five-day confirmation and supplementary entry stage is Monday, June 1, and the final field for the 2026 Epsom Derby will be officially known on Wednesday, June 3, when declarations are finalised.

The 2026 Epsom Derby will take place on Saturday, June 6, at 4.00 pm. The meeting will be broadcast on the terrestrial channel ITV1 in the UK, while Irish viewers can tune in to Virgin Media One. Subscription channel Racing TV and UK online betting sites, via their live streaming services, are alternative ways to watch the contest.