# Epsom Derby 2026 Tracker — Tuesday 2 June (Race Week Day 1) _Tuesday 2 June 2026 status update on Epsom Derby week (Saturday 6 June). Benvenuto Cellini 7/4 favourite, Item 7/2, market essentially unchanged since 1 June. Coolmore + Wathnan declarations watch, Epsom going report, weekend weather outlook. 48-hour decs Thursday, 24-hour decs Friday._ *Source: [https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-tracker-tuesday-2-june/](https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-tracker-tuesday-2-june/) · last updated 2026-06-02* > **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, 15:30 BST.** **Race week is here.** The 247th running of the Betfred Derby (G1, 1m4f6y, 3yo colts) is four days out, and Tuesday 2 June is the first day of the formal race-week build-up — Clerk of the Course Andrew Cooper's first official going report drops today, the long-list of entries narrows into a workable shortlist, and the market begins its final settle before Thursday's 48-hour declarations [Epsom-Races.com; Racing Post, 2 June]. > **Status check — Tuesday 2 June.** **Benvenuto Cellini (Aidan O'Brien / Ryan Moore) holds 7/4 favouritism** across bet365, William Hill, Unibet, Paddy Power, Betfred and 888sport, with **Item (Andrew Balding / Colin Keane) the steady 7/2 chief British rival** (10/3 in places at Paddy Power). **Market essentially unchanged since 1 June** — no drift on the favourite, no shortening on Item, and the third-best price (Pierre Bonnard 7/1-8/1) has held overnight. The cleanest two-horse Derby market shape since Desert Crown / Westover in 2022 [Racing Post, 2 June; consolidated Oddschecker, verified 2 June]. ### Where the Tuesday market sits | Position | Horse | Trainer | Best price (2 June) | Source race | |---------:|-------|---------|----:|-------------| | 1 | **Benvenuto Cellini** | A O'Brien | **7/4** (9/5 in places) | [Chester Vase winner](/racing-news/chester-vase-2026-result/) 4¼L | | 2 | **Item** | A Balding | **7/2** (10/3 at Paddy Power) | Dante winner by nearly 3L | | 3 | Pierre Bonnard | A O'Brien | 7/1-8/1 | Drifted from 4/1 after Leopardstown 2nd | | 4 | James J Braddock | J O'Brien | 10/1 | [Leopardstown Derby Trial winner](/racing-news/leopardstown-derby-trial-2026-result/) | | 5 | Maltese Cross | W Haggas | 10/1 | [Lingfield Derby Trial winner](/racing-news/lingfield-derby-trial-2026-result/) | [Consolidated market via Oddschecker / bet365 / William Hill / Unibet / Paddy Power / Betfred / Spreadex / 888sport, verified 2 June. NRNB live at all named UK firms from the 5-day declaration stage.] **One material weekend removal.** **Constitution River — who had been a Derby market presence through April-May — has been taken out of the book** after his Prix du Jockey Club win at Chantilly on Sunday 31 May. Connections have confirmed he stays at 1m2f rather than tackling Epsom on Saturday [France Galop; L'Equipe, verified 2 June]. ### What we're waiting for this week 1. **Thursday 4 June — 48-hour declarations** close around noon. Final field and Coolmore jockey-allocation signal arrives here. 2. **Friday 5 June — 24-hour declarations** with draw, silks and confirmed jockey bookings. 3. **Tuesday-Thursday going reports** from Andrew Cooper at Epsom — watering plans depend on the late-week forecast. 4. **Coolmore and Wathnan stable tours** — the Ballydoyle press morning typically lands Wednesday/Thursday, and Wathnan's Appleby update follows on the same beat. For the full Derby preview 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/). This tracker is updated through the build-up week. ## Coolmore and Wathnan / Godolphin — who's on track for Saturday ### Coolmore (Aidan O'Brien) — 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 2026 Ballydoyle hand is the deepest of those four years, and the Tuesday picture into the 48-hour declarations is **three near-certain runners plus one TBC** [Racing Post, 2 June; TDN]. **Expected to run (subject to Thursday's 48-hour stage):** - **Benvenuto Cellini (7/4F)** — the **Chester Vase winner by 4¼L** as the 2/9 favourite and the Coolmore-stated Derby lead. Ryan Moore retained the ride at Chester and is expected to keep it for Epsom — a Moore booking on Benvenuto Cellini is the strongest single confidence signal Coolmore can give. See our [Chester Vase 2026 result](/racing-news/chester-vase-2026-result/) for the trial form line. - **Christmas Day (8/1)** — **3rd in the Dante** at York on 14 May behind Item, having won the G3 Ballysax at Leopardstown on 12 April. The form line is sound but the price reflects the Dante finish; he's the Coolmore second-string for now. - **Action (14/1)** — Coolmore's other Dante runner, **2nd at 4/1 under Wayne Lordan**, beaten 2¾L by Item. The **Lordan ride is the live editorial** — Lordan rode Lambourn to a 13/2 SP Derby win in 2025 when Moore picked Delacroix (the favourite, finished 9th). **TBC at 48-hour stage:** - **Pierre Bonnard (7/1-8/1)** — the original 6/1 winter favourite, **drifted to 33/1** after two beaten reappearances (Ballysax 7th, Leopardstown Derby Trial 2nd to James J Braddock) before tightening back to a single-figure price this week as the field shape clarifies. **Aidan O'Brien retains faith** per his April Ballydoyle press morning, and the Frankel colt's 2025 Criterium de Saint-Cloud form line is the highest-class juvenile profile in the field. **not confirmed** **Trainer signal to watch.** O'Brien's Wednesday/Thursday stable tour usually clarifies the running order and the jockey allocation. The **Moore-vs-Lordan choice in 2025** (Moore picked the wrong horse) and **Moore picking the winner in 2024 (City Of Troy) and 2023 (Auguste Rodin)** means his 2026 booking is the single cleanest pre-race read on Ballydoyle's internal confidence. ### Wathnan Racing / Godolphin (Charlie Appleby) — moderate by recent standards 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 (the Newmarket 2000G group) is being routed toward Royal Ascot rather than Epsom [Racing Post, 2 June; Irish Field]. **Expected at the 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. - **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 expected 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. **not confirmed** - **Hawk Mountain (Coolmore reserve)** — earlier indicated as a possible Derby runner, **routed instead to the Prix du Jockey Club** at Chantilly, where he ran a beaten 8th behind Constitution River on Sunday 31 May. **Now out of the Epsom equation** per Aidan O'Brien's post-Chantilly comments [Racing Post, 1 June]. 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 — Tuesday 2 June ### Tuesday morning baseline **Epsom Downs Tuesday 2 June official going report: Good (Good to Firm in places)** [Epsom-Races.com going updates, verified 2 June]. **Going-stick reading at the 9am Tuesday walk: approximately 8.4 on the round course** — a typical late-spring Epsom reading consistent with the Cooper-clerk watering philosophy of maintaining a Good surface rather than allowing it to dry to fast or Firm. Clerk of the Course **Andrew Cooper** issues twice-daily going updates from Tuesday through Saturday morning. The Tuesday baseline matches the dry late-May Surrey conditions; **Cooper has flagged a planned overnight Tuesday and Wednesday watering window** to maintain Good ground if rain does not materialise from the forecast Thursday-Friday systems [Epsom-Races.com; Racing Post going report, 2 June]. ### Surrey weather outlook — Tuesday through Saturday | Day | Forecast | Likely impact on going | |-----|----------|------------------------| | Tue 2 June | Dry, 18-21°C, light breeze | Tuesday watering window proceeds as planned | | Wed 3 June | Dry, 20-23°C, settled | Wednesday watering retains Good | | Thu 4 June | Showers possible PM, 17-19°C | First natural moisture; watering paused if showers arrive | | Fri 5 June | Scattered showers, 15-18°C | **Going forecast Friday morning: Good (Good to Soft in places possible)** | | **Sat 6 June** | **Mixed, 16-19°C, showers possible AM** | **Forecast Derby-day going: Good, with Good to Soft not yet ruled out** | [Forecast sources: Met Office Surrey 5-day outlook + BBC Weather Epsom KT18, both verified 2 June. Watering plans per Epsom-Races.com going report 2 June.] ### What the going profile means for the named runners **Most of the named Derby field is bred for Good or slightly faster ground** — the Frankel-sired Coolmore and Juddmonte pair (Benvenuto Cellini, Item, Pierre Bonnard, Action) all want Good as a base, with **Benvenuto Cellini already proven on Good-Soft at Chester** and **Item proven on Good-Soft in the Dante**. A Friday/Saturday weather shift to Good-to-Soft would not punish any of the top three in the market. **Ground-line summary at Tuesday lunchtime:** - **Benvenuto Cellini (Frankel)** — Good or Good-Soft both fit; Chester Vase win was on Good-Soft - **Item (Frankel)** — Good or Good-Soft both fit; Dante win was on Good-Soft - **Pierre Bonnard (Frankel)** — Good-to-firm preferred; Soft would not be ideal - **James J Braddock (Dubawi)** — sire-line ground-flexible - **Maltese Cross (Sea The Stars)** — Soft is fine; Sea The Stars is the most ground-flexible of the major sire lines ### Cooper-clerk track record Cooper marked **30 years as Epsom Clerk of the Course in June 2025** and the watering philosophy has been consistent across his tenure: **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; At The Races retrospectives]. The 2025 Derby went on Good (Good to Soft in places) after 3.4mm Tuesday and 7mm Thursday; the 2024 and 2023 Derbies both went on Good. **Good is the most likely Saturday going by a clear margin**, with Good-to-Soft the second-most-likely outcome and anything firmer or softer requiring an unusual weather pattern between now and Friday. This tracker will refresh the going report and the watering update **each morning through Friday**. The Friday morning reading — published shortly after the 24-hour declarations and stalls draw — is the cleanest single line on race-day conditions. ## What to watch this Derby week Tuesday 2 June is day one of the formal build-up. The market is in a stable two-horse shape, the going is on a Cooper-managed Good baseline, and there are **four concrete catalysts** between today and Saturday's off [Racing Post, 2 June]. ### Wednesday 3 June — Coolmore stable tour **Aidan O'Brien's Wednesday Ballydoyle media call** typically lands mid-morning ahead of Thursday's 48-hour declarations and is the single richest pre-race source for **jockey allocation, who actually runs, and Coolmore's ranking of the four named horses** [Racing Post stable tour archive; TDN]. **Specific lines to watch:** - **Does Ryan Moore commit to Benvenuto Cellini** publicly, or does O'Brien leave the booking open until the 24-hour stage on Friday? A Wednesday Moore confirmation tightens Benvenuto Cellini further. - **Is Pierre Bonnard a confirmed runner or a doubtful?** The price drift from 4/1 to 33/1 and back to 7/1-8/1 reflects genuine connections-level uncertainty. - **Christmas Day, Action, Pierre Bonnard — does Coolmore go four-handed**, or do they pull one back for a Royal Ascot route? ### Thursday 4 June — 48-hour declarations close **48-hour declarations close at midday on Thursday.** The final number of declared runners, the trainer signal about whether anyone is supplementing or scratching, and the Wathnan Racing / Charlie Appleby commitment all land here. - Expected final field: **13-17 declared runners** (typical Derby). - **Wathnan / Appleby** are not expected to supplement — Distant Storm is held for the St James's Palace, Al Zanati and King's Trail are the Sandown / Dante line. - **Any late Coolmore drop-out** between the 48-hour and 24-hour stages compresses the market further. **not confirmed** ### Friday 5 June — 24-hour declarations, draw, Coronation Cup and Oaks **Friday is the day everything locks in.** 24-hour declarations close in the morning, the stalls draw runs at lunchtime, and the supporting Friday card (Coronation Cup + Epsom Oaks) provides the **first live read on the Saturday going**. The 1m4f Coronation Cup is run on essentially the same configuration as the Derby — its winning time and run style is the most-watched form line of the Friday. **Stalls draw watch:** - Stalls **7-14** source the majority of recent Derby winners. - Stalls **1, 2, 11, 16** are historically the most barren. - Lambourn drew stall 10 in 2025 — the classic mid-pack draw. - A Benvenuto Cellini draw in single figures from stall 5 outwards is the cleanest tactical signal. For the Friday card see our [Epsom Derby 2026 Friday preview](/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-friday-preview/) and the [Coronation Cup 2026 preview](/racing-news/coronation-cup-2026-preview/). ### Saturday 6 June — the race itself **Off-time 15:30 BST. ITV1 / ITVX live, Racing TV Player paid, bookmaker streams free with a placed bet.** The Saturday morning going-stick reading and any race-morning ground tweaks land at approximately 8am. 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/) piece, 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 structurally smarter choice in a 15+ runner Derby field. Bet only money you can afford to lose, set limits, [BeGambleAware.org](https://www.begambleaware.org).