'The Ultimate Test In Every Way': Aidan O'Brien Runs Through Epsom Contenders

With just a few pieces of the jigsaw still to be slotted into place this week at York, the Epsom picture has emerged a little more clearly over the past week or so through some key Derby and Oaks trials at Chester, Lingfield and Leopardstown. Most have been dominated by Aidan O'Brien, including a clean sweep of the five stakes races on the Roodee. So where better to start than at Ballydoyle on a fresh Monday morning with a trainer in a jovial mood after bagging his second Classic of the season with Diamond Necklace in Sunday's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches?

That filly – an important first-crop Classic winner for her sire St Mark's Basilica – is enjoying a stroll in hand after her exertions, and exciting though Diamond Necklace is, she is not why we're here. The annual invasion of this hallowed turf is ostensibly to try to learn which of the Ballydoyle battalions will be winging in to the Epsom Downs for the first weekend of June. 

Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel), the winner of last week's Chester Vase, shot to the head of the market for the Betfred Derby and O'Brien is unequivocal when it comes to his next outing. The Derby, of course, but he may not be joined by fellow Chester trial winner and second-favourite Constitution River (Wootton Bassett), who could instead be sent to Chantilly for the Prix du Jockey Club. 

O'Brien has in his stable 16 of the 41 remaining entries for the Derby, which this year is run for prize-money of £2m. Despite Sunday's narrow defeat for Pierre Bonnard in the Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial at Leopardstown, the trainer is insistent that the son of Camelot should not be overlooked when it comes to the race for which he was favourite throughout the winter after his back-to-back Group wins at Newmarket and Saint-Cloud.

“At the moment, we are looking at the horse that won the Chester Vase, Benvenuto Cellini, for Epsom. We are also looking at the horse that ran yesterday, Pierre Bonnard, for Epsom,” he says. 

“Constitution River could possibly go to France – it's not written in stone. The two horses that went to France for their trials [Montreal and Hawk Mountain], the plan with both of them was definitely to go to France. Those two went to Chantilly around the track and everything.

“Constitution River went to Chester knowing that he could be an Epsom or a French horse. And we were happy that it was a mile and a quarter, just in case he was going to go to France. The only thing is, if he goes to France, he's only gone left-handed so far – he hasn't gone right-handed yet.”

Derby favourite Benvenuto Cellini | Megan Ridgwell/The Jockey Club

He continues, “We think the horse that ran yesterday [Pierre Bonnard] is going to step up again. He's going to get a mile and a half and could get further.

“The horse that won the Vase, Benvenuto Cellini, we think he's a mile-and-a-half horse that wouldn't be going any further and he could come back to a mile and a quarter. Pierre Bonnard would have no problem going up to a mile and six [furlongs].

“Constitution River is one of those mile-and-a-quarter horses that could get a mile and a half, but you couldn't be sure. If you were riding him over a mile and a half, you'd be riding him a bit patiently. But he's a lot of speed and a lot of class.

“Benvenuto Cellini has speed and class as well. He has a big open stride and looks like a horse that you would be surprised if he didn't get a mile and a half, but at the same time, you would be surprised if he gets much further.”

The trainer adds, “I think Ryan would find it very hard to get off Benvenuto Cellini but I would imagine if Constitution River went [for the Derby], he would probably get off Benvenuto Cellini. But it wouldn't be written in stone.”

Sorting through his wealth of horses for their respective Classic tests can be no easy feat but it is clear that for O'Brien and the ownership team behind the mighty Coolmore operation, the Derby remains uppermost in considerations.

“Epsom is the ultimate test in every way. It tests them mentally, physically, left, right. There's no second Epsom anywhere in the world, the test it is,” he says.

“They have to get the trip – they have to go down on the track and then come back on the track. It's a very tough, unique place and that is why the Derby is what it is. It engages the whole thoroughbred breed and tests them in every way.

“There is nowhere to hide in the Derby. You have to have pace, ability, you have to stay and you have to be like concrete mentally. All the things are tested.”

He continues, “What was the best Derby winner we ever had? I would say it was Galileo. And he proved to be probably one of the greatest stallions ever. That's what Epsom does. It's very tough, but you will get the blood that you really want going forward.

“You have to remember, the lads, they run a big business, and all the races have to be supported. And they're close to each other, so you can't do both. So there has to be a dividing up of the races, and the French Derby is a seriously important race to win, and they would want to win it, like we would as well.”

Also in the equation for Epsom is this week's Dante contender Christmas Day (Camelot), who already has one Derby trial win to his credit, having beaten James J Braddock (Zarak) and Pierre Bonnard among others when landing last month's Ballysax Stakes. He is likely to be joined on the Knavesmire by Action, the Frankel half-brother to last year's Derby winner Lambourn (Australia).

“Christmas Day was always a very legitimate horse. We were going to France to the Group 1 with him last year that Pierre Bonnard won and he got a temperature and he had to stop,” says O'Brien. “I'd say he's probably stepped up from the Ballysax.

“In my wisdom, I decided to put a tongue tie on Action in Sandown and he didn't face it. It would be good if he does go to York, because then it would be an evenly run race.”

Amelia Earhart in flying form for the Oaks

True Love (No Nay Never) and Diamond Necklace have already added to the Ballydoyle Classic haul in 2026, and in his pursuit of a twelfth Betfred Oaks win O'Brien has 15 of the 53 entries at this stage. 

With Diamond Necklace pencilled in for a return to France for the Prix de Diane, Cheshire Oaks winner Amelia Earhart appears to be top of the Epsom pecking order. The daughter of Camelot, who is ridden daily by Dean Gallagher, wears both a hood and blinkers at home on the gallops and in her races in a bid to quell her sometimes quirky nature.

Amelia Earhart and Dean Gallagher | Emma Berry

“Amelia Earhart has a kink in her,” O'Brien says. “So that's why she had the headgear on her at Chester. We tried everything through the winter with her and this is what we landed on. This is what she behaves the best in, and it doesn't make any sense, because one is to slow her down [hood] and the other is to drive her forward [blinkers]. But sometimes things don't make sense.”

Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Cameo (Wootton Bassett) is also on course for the Oaks, as is last year's Fillies' Mile winner Precise (Starspangledbanner), who was seventh on her comeback in the 1,000 Guineas. 

“We always had in our head that Precise could get the Oaks trip,” O'Brien says. “And we always had it in our head she could go to the Irish Guineas and come back two weeks after to the Oaks. This year there's two weeks [in between] again. When there's one week you can't do it, but you can do it with two weeks, because Minding and all those have done it. So, it's possible.”

Justify filly Moments Of Joy will have her Epsom credentials put to the test  in Wednesday's Tattersalls Musidora Stakes at York.

He adds, “We always thought she was a filly who was going to step up big time going a mile and a quarter. She would love a flat track, the distance and nice ground.”

Relishing Calandagan Clash in the Coronation

Last year, Jan Brueghel (Galileo) brought O'Brien's record in the Coronation Cup to ten victories, and he has extra reason to want to claim another one this year as it is for the first time sponsored by Coolmore and worth a total of £1m.

He won't be short of chances and the trainer is looking forward to a rematch with Calandagan (Gleneagles), who was second last year before going on to win four Group 1s in a row. 

“We hope that Calandagan will run in the Coolmore Coronation Cup and hopefully it'll be a good race,” says O'Brien, who is also planning to field last year's Derby winner Lambourn (Australia) after his successful return in last week's G2 Huxley Stakes.

“Hopefully he will be okay for it, and he'll come out of his last race well, and hopefully Jan Brueghel will be okay for it too.

“And then if Calandagan comes over, that will make it a proper race. And it'll be exciting then for everyone to see what's going to happen, won't it? We want all the big horses to turn up on all those big days and then everyone can have an opinion.”

He adds, “Chester was perfect for both Lambourn and Jan Brueghel. We were very happy with Jan Brueghel [in the Ormonde Stakes], I thought it was a lovely run.

“Ryan [Moore] did well on Lambourn because he never got to sit for one stride. When you see it, it's unusual that a horse could do that and still win. Like, he rooted him out, and he was going all the way and kept digging.

“He probably didn't stay in the Leger. In all fairness, he had a very tough season going into the Leger, so he was entitled to hold up the white flag at that stage. But I tell you, he'd be a fair horse to go off in front there now. It'd be a brave man to let him go, wouldn't it? I wouldn't like to be giving him too much rope around Epsom.”