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Star Names Kept Apart as O’Brien Confirms Derby Plans

With a little over a week to go until Epsom rolls out the Classic carpet, this week saw the Derby picture become a little clearer. On the back of sizzling trial wins at the Chester May Meeting, many punters had narrowed the Derby winner down to a choice between Benvenuto Cellini and Constitution River. But which of the two Aidan O’Brien-trained colts to support?

On Wednesday 27 May, O’Brien helped to answer that question by announcing his running plans for both the Epsom Derby and the Prix du Jockey Club. While a titanic Benvenuto Cellini vs Constitution River clash at Epsom would have created a spectacle to savour, Coolmore have unsurprisingly opted to keep their big guns apart.

River Sets Sail for Chantilly Showpiece


Having waited until 2021 to win the Prix du Jockey Club for the first time with St. Mark’s Basilica, O’Brien bagged a second success with Camille Pissarro in 2025. The Ballydoyle maestro sends a trio of stars in pursuit of a third victory on Sunday, 31 May.

Of that trio, Constitution River is the clear standout. By Wootton Bassett, who achieved his finest hour at the track on French soil, this giant colt has barely put a foot wrong in four career starts. Winning two of his three juvenile outings, his only defeat came on debut, when finishing a close second to Charlie Appleby’s Distant Storm.

Considering O’Brien’s runners almost always improve for the run, and Distant Storm has since been placed in the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas, that rates a solid debut performance. Breaking his duck second time out at Galway, he rounded off his season with a comfortable win in the Group 2 Futurity Stakes at the Curragh.

Making his seasonal return in the Dee Stakes over 1m2½f, Constitution River faced a straightforward task following the withdrawal of his main market rival. Nevertheless, it was hard not to be impressed by a seven-length rout which came in a new course record time. Oath and Kris Kin won that Chester contest ahead of their Epsom victories, and a significant market move suggested that the British blue riband may be the target for Constitution River.

Instead, he heads to France. On pedigree, it’s easy to see why O’Brien favours the greater speed test of the 1m2f Prix du Jockey Club. Sire Wootton Bassett won his Group 1 over 7f, while damsire Le Havre was at his best at 1m2f. Classy as he looked at Chester, the 1m4f Epsom Derby trip would represent a gamble.

Following the news, Constitution River was cut to a general 6/4 favourite for the French showpiece. As a half-brother to Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Daryz, Daryzan looks like the pick of the home team. However, two of the biggest threats to Constitution River may come from within his own yard. The impeccably bred Hawk Mountain ended 2025 with a win in the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster and returned with a Group 3 victory at Chantilly in the Prix de Guiche. The Sea The Stars colt Montreal was less highly tried as a juvenile but made a satisfactory return with a Listed second at this track in April and could take a step forward.

Cellini Captains Epsom Team


In addition to announcing his Chantilly plans, O’Brien also confirmed the runners likely to line up at Epsom on Saturday, 6 June. Already the most successful trainer in the history of the British Classic, O’Brien may send four into battle in pursuit of a 12th Derby triumph.

Having looked set to face another difficult decision, this time between Constitution River and Benvenuto Cellini, Ryan Moore will now surely take the ride on the impressive Chester Vase winner.

Sired by the mighty Frankel and out of the US Grade 1-winning mare Newspaperofrecord, Benvenuto Cellini looks the part on paper, and largely looked the part at the track in his juvenile season. That said, his campaign did end in underwhelming style when only third behind Hawk Mountain in the Futurity Trophy.

Despite that defeat at Doncaster, Benvenuto Cellini was all the rage in the market ahead of the Chester Vase and gave those who took the 2/9 odds few moments of concern. Showing admirable balance for one of his size – he towered over stablemate Proposition in the preliminaries – he swung around the final turn before lengthening right away for a 4½l success. Proven over the trip, and by a sire who has already given us the 2021 Derby winner Adayar, there is a lot to like about his claims. Following the news regarding Constitution River, this striking chestnut has hardened into a general 5/2 at the head of the Epsom Derby market.

Also on course for Epsom is the horse who headed into the winter months as the ante-post Derby favourite. A Group 1 winner in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud, Pierre Bonnard is zero from two in 2026. On a more positive note, he took a step back in the right direction when going down by a short head in the Leopardstown Derby Trial last time out. Rounding out the quartet are Action, who finished a solid second in the Dante Stakes last time, and Christmas Day, who was one place behind him in that York contest.