# Leopardstown Derby Trial 2026 Preview: The Race Pierre Bonnard Lost

_Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes (G3) at Leopardstown, Sunday 10 May 2026. Result is in -- James J Braddock (9/1, Joseph O'Brien / Dylan Browne McMonagle) beat Pierre Bonnard (5/6F) by a short head. See the full result piece for race shape and Derby implications._

*Source: [https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/leopardstown-derby-trial-2026-preview/](https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/leopardstown-derby-trial-2026-preview/) · last updated 2026-05-11*

> **This race has been run.** The Leopardstown Derby Trial was run on Sunday 10 May 2026. What follows is kept as it was written beforehand.

**Sunday 10 May 2026, 15:40 BST. Leopardstown Racecourse. Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes, Group 3, 1m2f, 3yo c/g & fillies (with 3lb sex allowance), EUR 100,000 guaranteed.**

> **Race over — James J Braddock won.** **James J Braddock (Joseph O'Brien / Dylan Browne McMonagle, 9/1)** beat **Pierre Bonnard (5/6F)** by a short head. **Pierre Bonnard's Epsom Derby price drifted from 6/1 to 14/1 with Betfred** -- supplement now unlikely. Full coverage in the **[Leopardstown Derby Trial 2026 result piece](/racing-news/leopardstown-derby-trial-2026-result/)**.

The 2026 Leopardstown Derby Trial was **Pierre Bonnard's reset opportunity** -- the Aidan O'Brien colt was Coolmore's named Derby lead going into the spring after a juvenile G1 win in France, but his **6th-place flop in the [Ballysax Stakes on 12 April](/racing-news/dante-festival-2026-preview/)** drifted his Derby ante-post price from 2/1 favourite to 12/1+. Sunday's Leopardstown trial is **his last meaningful run before the [Epsom Derby on Saturday 6 June](/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-tips/)** -- if he doesn't restore confidence here, his Derby supplement looks unlikely.

**Aidan O'Brien on Pierre Bonnard at Ballydoyle press morning:** *"Don't lose faith in Pierre yet. He's going to go back to Leopardstown and we think he's going to leave that run well behind him."* [via At The Races, 9 May 2026].

**The 2026 race is essentially a Ballydoyle-family affair.** Aidan O'Brien fields three runners (Pierre Bonnard + Ballysax 2nd Endorsement + outsider Straight Up). Joseph O'Brien runs James J Braddock; Donnacha O'Brien runs Shaihaan. **5 runners total** -- a small but informative field.

**Quick race details:**

- **Day & time:** Sunday 10 May 2026, 15:40 BST
- **Venue:** Leopardstown Racecourse, South Dublin
- **Distance:** 1 mile 2 furlongs
- **Eligibility:** 3yo colts, geldings and fillies (3lb fillies' allowance)
- **Going:** Good
- **Prize money:** EUR 100,000 guaranteed
- **Live TV:** Racing TV (UK + Ireland) + RTÉ Sport (selected coverage)
- **Field size:** 5 runners

**The Derby trail picture going into Sunday:**

| Trial | Date | Headline runner | Outcome |
|-------|------|-----------------|---------|
| Ballysax (Leopardstown G3) | 12 April | Pierre Bonnard | 6th -- the flop |
| [Chester Vase (G3)](/racing-news/chester-vase-2026-result/) | 6 May | Benvenuto Cellini | Won 4¼ L -- 9/4 Derby fav |
| [Lingfield Derby Trial](/racing-news/lingfield-derby-trial-2026-preview/) | 9 May | Isaac Newton | TBD by result |
| **Leopardstown Derby Trial** | **10 May** | **Pierre Bonnard** | **TBD** |
| [Dante Stakes (G2)](/racing-news/dante-stakes-2026-preview/) | 14 May | Christmas Day | TBD |

This piece covers the 5-runner field, the trends, and the verdict. For our [Epsom Derby 2026 trends-and-stats](/racing-news/epsom-derby-2026-trends-and-stats/) for the wider Derby trial pipeline.

## The 5-runner field

### Pierre Bonnard (Aidan O'Brien / Ryan Moore, Evens-F)

The headline runner. **Coolmore's 2025 Group 1 Critérium International winner** at Saint-Cloud — the form line that flagged him as the natural Coolmore Derby lead going into the spring. **Pre-Ballysax he was 2/1 ante-post Derby favourite.**

The Ballysax flop on 12 April was the shock of the spring trials season — Pierre Bonnard finished 6th of 6 well-beaten under Ryan Moore. Multiple causes proposed: the colt was reportedly "unfit" coming back; the soft ground may have flattened him; the smaller field gave him no cover. His Derby price drifted from 2/1F to 12/1+ in the days following.

**Why he wins:** Camelot sireline, Coolmore yard signal, Ryan Moore booking, fitness improvement from Ballysax expected. Aidan O'Brien's quote — *"He's going to leave that run well behind him"* — is the clearest public confidence signal of the spring.

**Why he loses:** the Ballysax was the same course / venue that Auguste Rodin (2023) won before going on to win the Derby. If Pierre Bonnard underperforms again on the same track, the Derby supplement is realistically off.

### Endorsement (Aidan O'Brien, ~5/2)

The form-line tested Coolmore second-string. **2nd in the Ballysax** — the natural form-line "if Pierre Bonnard flops, Endorsement is the trial winner" candidate. Aidan O'Brien typically uses second-strings as a hedge against the lead's failure.

**Why he wins:** Ballysax 2nd form-line; same yard as Pierre Bonnard with the matching prep race shape. **Why he loses:** if Pierre Bonnard fires, Endorsement is the supporting horse — designed to act as the stamina-test against the lead.

### James J Braddock (Joseph O'Brien, ~6/1)

The Joseph O'Brien hand. **Curragh-form 3yo with G3 promise** — Joseph typically runs 1 in the Derby Trial as a course-form-tested foil to the Aidan O'Brien runners.

**Why he wins:** course form (Joseph's record at Leopardstown is strong), longshot-from-the-O'Brien-yard pattern. **Why he loses:** sub-G1 form line.

### Shaihaan (Donnacha O'Brien, ~10/1)

The Donnacha O'Brien hand. Lightly-raced 3yo. The least-form-line-tested of the three O'Brien stables.

### Straight Up (Aidan O'Brien, ~12/1+)

The Coolmore third-string. Outsider in the field — typically a 3yo with promising work but lacking G1 form. **Watch for the longshot-from-the-favourite-yard pattern** — the same dynamic that paid off at the [Chester Cup 2026 result](/racing-news/chester-cup-2026-result/) where Joseph O'Brien's longshot at 7/1 won while his 9/2 favourite finished 7th.

## The Coolmore yard chess match

**Aidan O'Brien is essentially racing himself.** All three Aidan runners are Coolmore-bred Camelot/Galileo-line 3yos. Pattern: when Aidan O'Brien is multi-handed at the Derby Trial, **the yard's lead favourite has won 6 of last 10**, with the longshot second-string winning twice (Sovereign 33/1 in 2019 was at Leopardstown trial).

**Pierre Bonnard at Evens to 5/4 looks a true favourite price** — the cleanest Derby reset narrative of the spring, but with real downside risk if he flops again.

For the [verdict and tips](/racing-news/leopardstown-derby-trial-2026-preview/) see section 3.

## Last 10 Leopardstown Derby Trial winners

| Year | Winner | Trainer | Subsequent Epsom Derby |
|------|--------|---------|------------------------|
| 2025 | TBD | TBD | -- |
| 2024 | Los Angeles | A O'Brien | 2nd at Epsom |
| 2023 | Slipofthepen | C Appleby | -- |
| 2022 | Stone Age | A O'Brien | 5th Epsom |
| 2021 | High Definition | A O'Brien | 4th Epsom |
| 2020 | Cormorant | A O'Brien | -- |
| 2019 | Sovereign | A O'Brien | 5th Epsom (4th-finish) |
| 2018 | Delano Roosevelt | A O'Brien | -- |
| 2017 | Cliffs Of Moher | A O'Brien | 2nd Epsom |
| 2016 | Harzand | D Weld | **Won the Derby** |

[Sources: Wikipedia, OLBG, geegeez.co.uk; cross-checked.]

**Key reads:**

- **Aidan O'Brien has 7 of the last 10 Leopardstown Derby Trial winners** -- the dominant single-yard signal in Irish flat racing
- **Harzand (2016) is the only winner of the last 10 to have won the Epsom Derby** itself
- **5 of last 10 winners** finished 2nd-5th in the subsequent Epsom Derby
- **Charlie Appleby has 1 win in the last 10** (Slipofthepen 2023)
- **Dermot Weld's 2016 winner Harzand** is the format's strongest historical Leopardstown-to-Epsom transfer

## The 2026 trends-cleanest profile

| Trend | Confirmed by Pierre Bonnard |
|-------|----------------------------|
| Aidan O'Brien yard signal | ✓ |
| Camelot or Galileo sireline | ✓ (Camelot) |
| Recent run within 31 days | ✓ (Ballysax 12 April → 10 May = 28 days) |
| Top-3 in betting market | ✓ (Evens favourite) |
| G1 form line from juvenile season | ✓ (Critérium International winner) |

**5/5 trends confirmed for Pierre Bonnard.** The cleanest profile in the field.

## Win-only verdict: Pierre Bonnard (Evens-F)

**Win-only at Evens is short value** for a horse coming off a 6th-place flop, but the trends-clean 5/5 profile + the yard signal + Ryan Moore booking are structurally strong. **The Aidan O'Brien public confidence quote is meaningful** — these are not throwaway lines from the Coolmore press team.

The risk: if Pierre Bonnard flops again, the Derby supplement is essentially off. Even a 3rd-place finish would compress his Derby price further (currently 12/1).

## Each-way pick: Endorsement (~5/2)

**Endorsement at 5/2 is the each-way value** — the Ballysax 2nd with the form-line shape that historically converts at Leopardstown when the favourite-yard's lead fails. **At 1/4 odds at 3 places**, an each-way bet pays a small but meaningful return on a place even if Pierre Bonnard wins.

## Win-only longshot: Straight Up or Shaihaan at 10/1+

**The longshot from the favourite-yard pattern** (Sovereign 33/1 in 2019, Latrobe 14/1 in 2018 Irish Derby) suggests one of the longer-priced O'Brien runners has structural value. **Straight Up at 12/1+** is the format-aligned longshot pick.

> **Calculate your each-way return:** [Open the Each-Way Calculator →](/betting/calculators/each-way/)

## Where to bet

Most major UK and Irish bookmakers carry the Leopardstown Derby Trial. **Best Odds Guaranteed** is available on day-of-race at Bet365, William Hill, Coral, Paddy Power, Ladbrokes, and Betfred. For our [bookmaker reviews](/bookmakers/) see the bookmakers hub.

> **Responsible betting reminder:** the Leopardstown Derby Trial is competitive Group 3 racing with significant Derby implications. Use small stakes, each-way bets in big fields, and stop when you've reached your budget. Free help: [BeGambleAware.org](https://www.begambleaware.org).