James Maxwell
Founder & Editor · Last reviewed 2026-05-11
Sunday 10 May 2026, 15:40 BST. Leopardstown Racecourse. Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes, Group 3, 1m2f. Going: Good.
James J Braddock (9/1, Joseph O'Brien / Dylan Browne McMonagle) wins the 2026 Leopardstown Derby Trial -- a short-head defeat of the 5/6F Pierre Bonnard (Aidan O'Brien / Wayne Lordan), with stablemate Endorsement (7/2) third. Pierre Bonnard's Epsom Derby ante-post price drifted from 6/1 to 14/1 with Betfred after a second consecutive defeat as odds-on favourite -- the Critérium International winner's Derby supplement now looks unlikely.
Result:
- 1st James J Braddock (9/1) -- J P O'Brien / Dylan Browne McMonagle
- 2nd Pierre Bonnard (5/6F) -- A P O'Brien / Wayne Lordan -- short head
- 3rd Endorsement (7/2) -- A P O'Brien / R Moore (or Coolmore senior jockey, confirm)
- 4th-5th: Straight Up (A O'Brien) + Shaihaan (Donnacha O'Brien)
Joseph O'Brien post-race [Racing Post]:
"The Derby looks a relatively open race. This guy is one of the contenders now, having won a trial."
Race shape: Endorsement led for much of the race, tracked by Pierre Bonnard in 2nd. Wayne Lordan asked for maximum effort inside the 2-furlong pole; Pierre Bonnard began to make gains on the leader. But James J Braddock, ridden patiently by Dylan Browne McMonagle, came with a strong late run to nab the odds-on favourite on the line.
Editorial reset. Our Leopardstown Derby Trial 2026 preview had Pierre Bonnard at 5/5 trends as the format-cleanest pick at Evens-F, with a structural longshot warning ("the longshot from the favourite-yard pattern"). The longshot pattern fired -- but from Joseph O'Brien's stable, not Aidan O'Brien's. James J Braddock at 9/1 was the each-way value play we should have flagged but missed.
This piece covers the full result + race shape, and the Derby ladder implications -- specifically the Coolmore reshuffle now that Pierre Bonnard is effectively out of the Epsom picture.
For the Epsom Derby 2026 trends-and-stats and the Dante Festival 2026 preview for the next stage of the Derby trail (Christmas Day in the Dante Thu 14 May).
For the Chester Vase 2026 result where Benvenuto Cellini's 4¼ L Derby-favourite-establishing win set the spring's lead form line.
Full result
| Pos | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | SP | Beaten |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James J Braddock (IRE) | J P O'Brien | Dylan Browne McMonagle | 9/1 | -- |
| 2 | Pierre Bonnard (IRE) (Camelot) | A P O'Brien | Wayne Lordan | 5/6F | sh |
| 3 | Endorsement (IRE) | A P O'Brien | (per Racing Post) | 7/2 | (per Racing Post) |
| 4 | Straight Up (IRE) | A P O'Brien | (per Racing Post) | -- | -- |
| 5 | Shaihaan (IRE) | Donnacha O'Brien | (per Racing Post) | -- | -- |
[Sources: Racing Post results 10 May 2026; Sporting Life race report; Irish Field race report; At The Races.]
Race details:
- Going: Good
- Distance: 1 mile 2 furlongs
- Field size: 5 runners
- Race grade: Group 3
- Prize money: EUR 100,000 guaranteed
- Stewards' enquiry: none reported
Race shape and how the winner won
This was a classic Coolmore-family chess match -- Aidan O'Brien with three runners + Joseph O'Brien + Donnacha O'Brien making it five members of the same training family. The narrative played out as the longshot-from-the-favourite-yard pattern fired, but from the JOSEPH O'Brien stable rather than Aidan's.
The race shape:
- Endorsement (Aidan O'Brien) set the pace through the early stages, with Pierre Bonnard tracking in 2nd
- Wayne Lordan asked Pierre Bonnard for maximum effort inside the 2-furlong pole -- the colt began making gains on the leader, and at the furlong pole looked the likely winner
- James J Braddock came with a sustained late run under Dylan Browne McMonagle, picking up momentum from the 3-furlong pole onwards
- The duo went head-to-head inside the final 50 yards -- Pierre Bonnard had taken the lead from Endorsement, but James J Braddock kept finding more
- Short-head verdict on the line.
Pierre Bonnard's race [Irish Field]: "Pierre Bonnard sat in second, tracking his stablemate Endorsement, before Wayne Lordan asked for maximum effort inside the two-furlong marker. Slowly but surely the son of Camelot began to make gains on the leader. But in behind James J Braddock was responding well to Dylan Browne McMonagle's urgings."
The 5/6F price -- Pierre Bonnard went off heavy odds-on favourite based on the reset-from-Ballysax narrative + the Aidan O'Brien public confidence quote. He ran the better race than at Ballysax but found one too good.
Endorsement's third place is a meaningful Coolmore consolation -- the Ballysax 2nd ran with credit and is now a legitimate Derby second-string at 12/1 to 16/1 ante-post.
Market and SP trajectory
| Time | Pierre Bonnard | James J Braddock | Endorsement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antepost (early May) | 4/5 ante-post | 14/1 | 9/2 |
| Race-day morning | 4/6 to evens | 10/1 | 7/2 |
| SP | 5/6F | 9/1 | 7/2 |
Epsom Derby market response (Betfred, Sunday close):
- Pre-race: Pierre Bonnard 6/1 for the Derby
- Post-race: 14/1 -- Pierre Bonnard's Derby supplement looks unlikely now
- Benvenuto Cellini (Chester Vase winner) holds at 9/4F for the Derby
- Christmas Day (Dante runner Thu 14 May) holds at 10/1
- James J Braddock entered at 33/1 for the Derby -- supplement likely if Joseph O'Brien decides to step him up to 1m4f
The Coolmore Derby ladder is now:
- Benvenuto Cellini (A O'Brien) -- 9/4F Derby, the firmly-established lead
- Christmas Day (A O'Brien, Dante Thu 14 May) -- 10/1, the next test
- Hawk Mountain (A O'Brien, Dante) -- 14/1
- Pierre Bonnard (A O'Brien) -- 14/1, supplement unlikely
- James J Braddock (J O'Brien) -- 33/1, supplement-decision pending Joseph's call
For our Epsom Derby 2026 tips and Epsom Derby 2026 trends-and-stats for the broader Derby picture.
Implications for the Epsom Derby (Saturday 6 June)
Coolmore's Derby ladder simplifies (and tightens around Benvenuto Cellini)
The 2026 Coolmore Derby ladder is now cleaner than it was on Sunday morning:
| Position | Horse | Source race | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (lead) | Benvenuto Cellini | Chester Vase 4¼ L winner | 9/4F Derby -- firmly established lead |
| 2 | Christmas Day | Dante Stakes Thu 14 May | 10/1 -- the next test |
| 3 | Hawk Mountain | Dante Stakes (likely) | 14/1 |
| 4 | Pierre Bonnard | Beaten twice at Leopardstown | 14/1 -- supplement unlikely |
| 5 | Endorsement | Ballysax 2nd + Derby Trial 3rd | 16/1 -- second-string |
| Wild-card | James J Braddock | Leopardstown Derby Trial winner today | 33/1 -- supplement TBD by Joseph O'Brien |
Aidan O'Brien's 4-in-a-row Derby bid (Auguste Rodin 2023 → City Of Troy 2024 → Lambourn 2025 → Benvenuto Cellini 2026?) is now firmer than ever. With Pierre Bonnard effectively out of the picture, Coolmore's named lead is Benvenuto Cellini at 9/4F -- the most market-faithful Coolmore Derby pick since City Of Troy in 2024.
The Pierre Bonnard story is essentially over
The colt was 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. Two defeats as odds-on favourite in consecutive runs (Ballysax 6th, Derby Trial 2nd) is a structural drop in stock that the bookmakers have correctly priced:
- Pre-Ballysax (early April): 2/1 ante-post Derby favourite
- Post-Ballysax (mid-April): drifted to 6/1 to 12/1
- Post-Derby Trial (today): 14/1+ with most major firms; realistically no longer a Derby contender unless Coolmore supplements at the last minute
Aidan O'Brien's pre-race quote -- "Don't lose faith in Pierre yet" -- was the textbook public-confidence boost from a yard preserving optionality. The second defeat has now eliminated that optionality.
The James J Braddock angle
Joseph O'Brien's 9/1 winner is the year's most interesting Derby longshot. Pattern-match: Joseph won the Chester Cup 2026 at Chester from a longshot-from-the-favourite-yard angle (A Piece Of Heaven at 7/1) just last week. He's now winning at the Derby-trial level too.
The Derby supplement decision is the open question. Joseph O'Brien on the Derby [post-race]: "The Derby looks a relatively open race. This guy is one of the contenders now, having won a trial." That's a strong signal he'll consider it.
At 33/1 Derby ante-post, James J Braddock is the value pick of the morning -- short head over Pierre Bonnard on his trial doesn't tell you he wins the Derby, but it doesn't disqualify him either. Each-way at 33/1 (1/4 odds at 4 places at Bet365 / Coral) is the structural longshot play.
Dante Stakes (Thursday 14 May) implications
The Dante just got bigger. With Pierre Bonnard out of the Derby picture, the Dante is now the only remaining Derby trial that can produce a Derby winner before Epsom on 6 June. The named Coolmore lead is Christmas Day at 3/1 -- and the 5/5 trends profile from our 5-day pre-Dante read.
If Christmas Day wins the Dante on Thursday, his Derby price compresses to 5/1 to 13/2, and the 2026 Derby market has just two horses with credible win-only cases: Benvenuto Cellini and Christmas Day.
What to watch this week
- Tuesday 12 May: 48-hour declarations for Wednesday Dante Festival Day 1 (Musidora + Minster)
- Wednesday 13 May: Musidora Day -- the year's most-anticipated Oaks trial
- Thursday 14 May: Dante Stakes Day -- the year's biggest Derby trial
- Friday 15 May: Yorkshire Cup Day -- Royal Ascot Gold Cup pipeline
- Saturday 16 May: Lockinge Stakes at Newbury -- first British G1 of the older horses' campaign
For our Dante Festival 2026 tips and the Dante Festival 2026 TV guide see the dedicated previews.
Responsible note
This piece is a transparent application of the trends-scorecard format to the Leopardstown Derby Trial result. Our pre-race scorecard had Pierre Bonnard at 5/5 trends as the format-cleanest pick at Evens. The race won. The format identified the right yard but priced the wrong stable companion -- a pattern we've now seen at Chester Cup (A Piece Of Heaven longshot won) and Leopardstown Derby Trial (James J Braddock longshot won) within seven days. The format reads will be refined accordingly. Bet only money you can afford to lose, set limits, BeGambleAware.org.
Where to bet on UK racing: see our bookmaker reviews and offers for the current welcome offers, Best Odds Guaranteed coverage, and each-way terms ahead of the Dante Festival + the Lockinge Stakes.
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