# Epsom Derby 2026 Tracker — Thursday 4 June (48-Hour Declarations Day) _Thursday 4 June 2026 status update on Epsom Derby week (Saturday 6 June). 48-hour declarations landed, 14 declared. Benvenuto Cellini shortened to 2/1 from 7/4, Item steady at 7/2. Going Good, Good-to-Soft in places after 20mm overnight rain. Coolmore four-handed, Wathnan / Appleby declarations watch._ *Source: [https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-tracker-thursday-4-june/](https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-tracker-thursday-4-june/) · last updated 2026-06-04* > **This has been run.** See the [Epsom Derby 2026 result](/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-result/) for the finishing order and starting prices. What follows is kept as it was written beforehand. **Epsom Downs, Saturday 6 June 2026, 16:00 BST.** **Two days out.** The 247th running of the Betfred Derby (G1, 1m4f6y, 3yo colts) is now inside 48 hours, **48-hour declarations have closed at midday** and the field is locked at **14 declared runners** [Racing Post, 4 June; Epsom-Races.com]. The Tuesday market shape has firmed rather than fractured: Benvenuto Cellini has tightened, Item has held, and the Coolmore-vs-Item two-horse narrative is now the cleanest Derby market shape into 48-hour stage since Desert Crown / Westover in 2022. > **Status check — Thursday 4 June.** **Benvenuto Cellini (Aidan O'Brien / Ryan Moore, stall 12)** has shortened from Tuesday's 7/4 to **2/1**, holding favouritism through Wednesday's final declarations and the draw. **Item (Andrew Balding / Oisin Murphy via Colin Keane, stall 3) is unchanged at 7/2.** Pierre Bonnard drifted to 8/1 with Paddy Power overnight before recovering to **6/1** as the 2/1-favourite inflation pushed the second tier out a notch. **No significant defections** — the 14-declared field is broadly the same shortlist the market has been pricing all week [Racing Post, 4 June; consolidated Oddschecker, verified 4 June]. ### Where the Thursday market sits | Position | Horse | Trainer / Jockey | Stall | Best price (4 June) | Tuesday price | |---------:|-------|------------------|------:|----:|----:| | 1 | **Benvenuto Cellini** | A O'Brien / R Moore | 12 | **2/1** (shortened from 7/4) | 7/4 | | 2 | **Item** | A Balding / O Murphy | 3 | **7/2** (unchanged) | 7/2 | | 3 | Pierre Bonnard | A O'Brien / C Soumillon | 8 | 6/1 (drifted to 8/1 PP, recovered) | 7/1-8/1 | | 4 | Ancient Egypt | Amo Racing | 10 | not confirmed | n/a (new declaration) | [Consolidated market via Oddschecker / bet365 / William Hill / Unibet / Paddy Power / Betfred / Spreadex / 888sport, verified 4 June. NRNB live at all named UK firms.] **Coolmore go four-handed.** Aidan O'Brien has declared **Benvenuto Cellini, Pierre Bonnard, Ancient Egypt (in Amo Racing colours, stall 10) and Balzac** — the deepest Ballydoyle Derby hand since 2024 and confirmation that the Tuesday TBC on Pierre Bonnard has resolved into a confirmed runner. Christophe Soumillon picks up the Pierre Bonnard ride [Racing Post, 4 June; TDN]. ### What is locked in vs still to come 1. **Locked Thursday:** the 14 declared runners, Coolmore's four-strong team, jockey bookings on the two market leaders, **stalls draw** (released Wednesday afternoon). 2. **Still to come Friday:** 24-hour declarations (10am Friday), final non-runner check, supporting Friday card (Coronation Cup + Oaks) as the **first live read on Saturday's ground**. 3. **Still to come Saturday:** race-morning going-stick reading and any race-day non-runners after the 8am Cooper update. For the Tuesday baseline see our [Tuesday 2 June tracker](/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-tracker-tuesday-2-june/). For the full Derby read see our [Epsom Derby 2026 tips](/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-tips/), the [Epsom Derby 2026 Saturday preview](/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-saturday-preview/) and the [Benvenuto Cellini vs Item head-to-head](/racing-news/benvenuto-cellini-vs-item-epsom-derby-2026/). The Friday morning declarations stage update follows this piece. ## Coolmore and Wathnan / Appleby — 48-hour declarations confirmed ### Coolmore (Aidan O'Brien) — four declared, going for four-in-a-row Aidan O'Brien is **bidding for a fourth consecutive Epsom Derby** after Auguste Rodin (2023), City Of Troy (2024) and Lambourn (2025). The Tuesday TBC has resolved into a confirmed four-strong Ballydoyle hand at the 48-hour declarations, the deepest Coolmore Derby team since 2024 [Racing Post, 4 June; TDN]. **Confirmed declared runners (Thursday 4 June, 48-hour stage):** - **Benvenuto Cellini (2/1F)** — stall 12, **Ryan Moore retains the ride**. The Moore booking is the strongest single confidence signal Coolmore can give. Stall 12 is squarely inside the historically productive 7-14 band. The Chester Vase winner by 4¼L is the Coolmore-stated Derby lead and the market has tightened in line with that ranking. See our [Chester Vase 2026 result](/racing-news/chester-vase-2026-result/) for the trial form line. - **Pierre Bonnard (6/1)** — stall 8, **Christophe Soumillon booked**. The Frankel colt was the original 6/1 winter favourite, drifted to 33/1 after two beaten reappearances, and tightened back to a single-figure price this week as the Coolmore commitment firmed up. The Soumillon booking — a Group 1 specialist with three Derby rides on his record — confirms the colt is a serious second-string rather than a paceman. **The Tuesday not confirmed at declaration tag has resolved: Coolmore go four-handed.** - **Ancient Egypt** — stall 10, **runs in Amo Racing colours**. The Amo Racing tie-up with Coolmore-trained horses is a recent development; Ancient Egypt is the Amo-coloured Ballydoyle contender at Epsom. not confirmed - **Balzac** — Coolmore's fourth declaration. not confirmed **Trainer signal — what the four-handed declaration tells us.** A four-strong Coolmore Derby team is **not unusual** in deep years (2024 ran three, 2025 ran two) but the **Pierre Bonnard plus Soumillon plus single-figure price** combination is the strongest indication yet that Ballydoyle rate the colt as a live winner rather than a pacemaker. Moore on Benvenuto Cellini, Soumillon on Pierre Bonnard, with Lordan and a TBC stable jockey covering Ancient Egypt and Balzac, is the cleanest possible jockey allocation hierarchy. ### Wathnan Racing / Godolphin (Charlie Appleby) — confirmed at 48-hour stage The 2026 Charlie Appleby Derby team is **moderate by Godolphin's modern standards** — the post-Adayar / Masar Derby depth is not on the same scale this year, and Appleby's strongest 3yo profile is being routed toward Royal Ascot [Racing Post, 4 June; Irish Field]. **Confirmed declared at 48-hour stage:** - **Al Zanati (16/1-20/1)** — **Sandown Classic Trial 2nd** behind Raaheeb on 18 April. The Cracksman colt is Appleby's clearest Derby-route entry; Wathnan colours have appeared on his board at major firms since the Sandown run. not confirmed - **King's Trail (20/1-25/1)** — **Dante 4th** at York, in the slipstream of the Coolmore quartet plus Item. The Frankel half-brother carries the Charlie Appleby ground-flexibility but the trial form line is third-class. not confirmed **Not declared at Epsom this year:** - **Distant Storm (Appleby / Buick)** — the Newmarket 2000G 3rd is being prepared for the **Royal Ascot St James's Palace Stakes** on Tuesday 16 June, with Appleby keeping Distant Storm on the 1m route per the Irish Field. - **Precise (Coolmore Oaks #1 trial winner at Curragh)** — **scratched** by Aidan O'Brien on ground concerns, with soft-ground risk over the weekend cited as the deciding factor [Racing Post, 4 June]. A material removal from the Oaks but not the Derby. - **Hawk Mountain (Coolmore reserve)** — confirmed out after his beaten 8th in the Prix du Jockey Club on Sunday 31 May. For the head-to-head between the two market leaders see our [Benvenuto Cellini vs Item Derby 2026 head-to-head](/racing-news/benvenuto-cellini-vs-item-epsom-derby-2026/). For the broader trial form lines see our [Dante to Derby 2026 trends piece](/racing-news/dante-to-derby-2026-trends/). ## Epsom going report and weekend weather — Thursday 4 June ### Thursday morning baseline **Epsom Downs Thursday 4 June official going report: Good, Good-to-Soft in places** [Epsom-Races.com going updates, verified 4 June]. **Going-stick reading at the Tuesday 2 June walk: 6.6** — a notable drop from the late-May baseline after **approximately 20mm of overnight rain** through Monday into Tuesday materially changed the surface profile. Clerk of the Course **Andrew Cooper** updated on Tuesday 2 June: 'the predominant feel I'm getting while I've walked so far is good to soft, but I wouldn't call it any worse than that. A lot of it seems to me on the better side of good to soft.' Cooper has **paused all watering** — there has been **no irrigation since Saturday 30 May** — and is now managing moisture out of the surface rather than adding to it. Cooper's pre-rain comment on Tuesday morning was that the course was 'ready for something'; the something arrived overnight [Racing Post, 4 June; Epsom-Races.com going report 2 June]. ### Surrey weather outlook — Thursday through Saturday | Day | Forecast | Likely impact on going | |-----|----------|------------------------| | Thu 4 June | Unsettled, showery PM | No watering, monitoring drying rate | | Fri 5 June (Oaks day) | **Fine and dry, light winds** | Surface dries back; Oaks-day going firms slightly | | **Sat 6 June (Derby day)** | **Rain may return AM, mixed PM** | **Forecast Derby-day going: Good, Good to Soft in places — Soft in places not yet ruled out** | [Forecast sources: Met Office Surrey 5-day outlook + BBC Weather Epsom KT18, both verified 4 June. Watering plans per Cooper's Tuesday 2 June statement.] ### What the going profile means for the named runners **The 20mm of overnight rain has shifted the going profile** from the Tuesday Good baseline to a Good / Good-to-Soft mix, with Soft in places not yet ruled out for Saturday if the forecast Saturday-AM rain band arrives. **Ground-line summary at Thursday lunchtime:** - **Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel, stall 12)** — Good or Good-Soft both fit; Chester Vase win was on Good-Soft. Soft would not be a positive. - **Item (Frankel, stall 3)** — Good or Good-Soft both fit; Dante win was on Good-Soft. Soft would not be a positive. - **Pierre Bonnard (Frankel, stall 8)** — Good-to-firm preferred; Good-Soft is acceptable but Soft would be a clear negative on form line. - **Ancient Egypt (stall 10)** — not confirmed. ### Soft-ground risk and the Precise scratch The clearest editorial line from the going profile this week is the **Precise scratch from Friday's Oaks**: Aidan O'Brien removed the Curragh Pretty Polly Trial winner on ground concerns, citing soft-ground risk over the weekend [Racing Post, 4 June]. The same risk has not yet triggered a Derby scratch but it is the single most-watched variable into Friday morning. Cooper marked **30 years as Epsom Clerk of the Course in June 2025** and his watering philosophy has been consistent: maintain Good rather than soften, water in the evening rather than during the day, and **respond to forecast rain by pausing irrigation rather than chasing the going** [Epsom-Races.com archive]. The 2026 pattern is now a textbook Cooper response to a wet build-up. **Good to Soft is the most likely Saturday going by a clear margin**, with Soft the second-most-likely outcome if Saturday-AM rain materialises. This tracker will refresh the going report and the watering update **on Friday morning after the 24-hour declarations**. The Friday Oaks card itself is the cleanest single read on Saturday's conditions. ## What to watch — Friday and Saturday The 48-hour declarations have landed, the field is 14, the stalls draw is out and the market has tightened on Benvenuto Cellini. The Friday-and-Saturday agenda is now the **final-stage agenda** — the supporting Friday card, the 24-hour declarations, and the Saturday race-morning reads [Racing Post, 4 June]. ### Friday 5 June — 24-hour declarations, Oaks day and Coronation Cup **Friday is the day everything locks in.** 24-hour declarations close around 10am, the supporting Friday card runs the **Coronation Cup (G1, 1m4f) and the Epsom Oaks (G1, 1m4f6y, 3yo fillies)** — both run on essentially the same configuration as the Derby and both provide a **first live read on the Saturday going**. **Friday morning agenda:** 1. **24-hour declarations (10am):** final non-runner check. Any late ground-related scratches land here. The Precise removal from the Oaks on Thursday is the precedent — soft-ground concerns may produce one or two further weekend scratches. 2. **Cooper going report (early Friday):** the cleanest single line on race-day conditions. A morning of fine, dry weather should firm the surface back from Thursday's wetter reading. 3. **Oaks at 16:00 BST:** the [Oaks 2026 preview](/racing-news/epsom-oaks-2026-preview/) and the [Oaks tips](/racing-news/epsom-oaks-2026-tips/) cover the fillies' classic; the winning time and run style are the most-watched form line of the day. 4. **Coronation Cup:** the older-horse 1m4f read on Epsom configuration — pace and finishing time map straight onto the Derby. ### Saturday 6 June — race-morning agenda **Off-time 16:00 BST. ITV1 / ITVX live, Racing TV Player paid, bookmaker streams free with a placed bet.** Race-morning going-stick reading and any race-day non-runners land at approximately 8am [Epsom-Races.com]. **Stalls draw — what is already locked:** - **Benvenuto Cellini stall 12** — squarely inside the historically productive 7-14 band. A clean tactical draw. - **Item stall 3** — outside the most-barren stalls (1, 2, 11, 16) but a low draw at Epsom is a meaningful tactical complication around the camber turn. - **Pierre Bonnard stall 8** — central, ground-flexible. - **Ancient Egypt stall 10** — mid-pack, identical to Lambourn's winning 2025 draw. For the race-day verdict and tips see our [Epsom Derby 2026 tips](/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-tips/), the [Epsom Derby 2026 Saturday preview](/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-saturday-preview/), the [Epsom Derby 2026 trends and stats](/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-trends-and-stats/), the [Benvenuto Cellini vs Item head-to-head](/racing-news/benvenuto-cellini-vs-item-epsom-derby-2026/) and the [Epsom Derby 2026 dress code](/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-dress-code/) guide. ### Where to bet for Derby week Compare welcome offers, place terms and Best Odds Guaranteed coverage across the operators worth using for the Derby: - **[Best free bet offers for horse racing](/bookmakers/best-free-bet-offers/)** - **[Best Odds Guaranteed bookmakers](/bookmakers/best-bog-bookmakers/)** - **[Best cash-out bookmakers](/bookmakers/best-bookmakers-cash-out/)** - **[Best ante-post betting sites](/bookmakers/best-antepost-bookmakers-uk/)** **Specialist racing operator — Star Sports.** Star Sports has racecourse pitches at Epsom for both days of the Derby Festival. Best Odds Guaranteed was withdrawn in December 2024; value at the firm now comes through curated **Star Boosts**, selective race-day money-back specials and the on-course presence. > **Responsible note.** This tracker is a live build-up piece — prices and going move daily. No model or trend system reliably beats efficient bookmaker prices; see our [in-house AI horse racing model write-up](/betting/strategies/ai-prediction-models/). Each-way bets are the smarter choice in a 14-runner Derby field. Bet only money you can afford to lose, set limits, [BeGambleAware.org](https://www.begambleaware.org).