2026 Curragh Irish Derby Day Tips

Heathcliff nicked fourth for us on Saturday and we also landed a place with Synergism, but that was as good as it got. Pricewise cursed Witch Hunter, Boxing Great ran well but not well enough and Hanney Girl was far too keen early. Hopefully we do better on Irish Derby Day, my Curragh fancies are below.

1.40 – Rockingham Handicap (Premier)

Aidan O’Brien will likely win the opener so we’ll start with the Rockingham. There’s quite a few in here that I am a fan of. Gazelle d’Or is a cracking filly and should run a big race but is she well handicapped enough to win off 97? I’m not sure.

One that is certainly capable of winning off her current mark is Back Down Under. Trained by Padraig Roche, this daughter of Australia rarely runs a bad race at this venue, once the ground is on the quick side. I had prepared a big write up for her thinking she’d be double figure odds but she’s opened up at 8s and is already into 6s so I had to start over.

At around 33/1, Buddy Batt might run well. He’s done most of his winning on the AW but some of his best turf runs have come at this venue. It admittedly wasn’t his finest effort when he last ran over C&D in April but to be fair, soft ground probably wasn’t ideal.

Last October he ran a nice race to finish a 3l fifth of 16 in a C&D handicap on yielding but the run that suggests he might go well here came back in June 2024 in a 3yo premier handicap, the sole occasion he got good ground over C&D. He ran a fine race to finish a 3l fourth behind Kendall Roy off 76 and he’s just 1lb higher here.

Last time out at Dundalk he was sent off the 7-2 fav and he never really got a clear run. A 3lb drop for that seems generous and he’s running off the same mark as when he won at Dundalk three starts ago. Winning is probably beyond him in this company but hopefully, he can sneak a bit of place money at odds of 33/1.

2026 Curragh Irish Derby Day Tip: Buddy Batt e/w @ 33/1 (5 places)

2.10 – Dash Stakes (Listed)

I have previewed five races on this card for the Racing Post spotlights and this is one of them. I tipped up the legend that is Big Gossey and if he repeats the level of form he showed in the Greenlands here last time out, he may well be hard to beat. He’s accordingly priced, though, so I am going to go put one up e/w at bigger odds.

The one that appeals most at a price is a filly we backed in the Greenlands last time out, Fregada. I remain convinced that this daughter of Kodiac is capable of earning black type and while her form figures this year are not great, she hasn’t been a million miles away the last twice.

In the Greenlands, she showed up well for a long way before fading late. In the end, she was beaten 4.5l for the win but she was only 2.5l behind Big Gossey and close up behind the 107 rated Montassib and 110 rated Bucanero Fuerte. Last time out in a listed race at Cork over 5f she was beaten 3.5l for the win, keeping on, and she should be much more comfortable stepped back up to 6f here.

Hopefully Ronnie Whelan takes his time on her here and comes with a late run. If he does, Fregada can hopefully snaffle some black type at odds of 25/1.

2026 Curragh Irish Derby Day Tip: Fregada e/w @ 25/1 (NB)

2.45 – Derby Festival Handicap (Premier)

This is another race I did for the RP and I sided with the veteran Coeur d’Or, who was runner up in this last year off 11lb higher. He has run well on his last two starts and the drop back to 1m on quick ground is a plus for him.

The most interesting one at much bigger odds is Lord Massusus. This son of Markaz seems to have been around forever but he is still only a 6yo. He is usually campaigned at Listed/G3 level and he now has his sights lowered and returns to handicap company for the first time since May 20233.

Lord Massusus is actually undefeated in handicaps, his last win coming off 97. He is now rated 98 after a couple of middling runs in stakes’ company and with Paddy Harnett claiming 5lb, he is effectively 4lb lower than for his last win. He’s won over C&D, he handles quick ground and at odds of 18/1, he is worth chancing e/w.

2026 Curragh Irish Derby Day Tip: Lord Massusus e/w @ 18/1 (4 places)

3.20 – International Stakes (Group 3)

It is hard to see beyond Purview in this G3. He looked a proper horse when dotting up over 1m4f in a listed race here last time and he previously scored at this trip at Cork so the drop back in distance shouldn’t stop him from completing the hat-trick.

None of the bigger priced horses make much appeal here so we’ll move swiftly on. No bet.

2026 Curragh Irish Derby Day Tip: No bet

3.55 – Celebration Stakes (Listed)

Tokenomics is my RP selection for this race. I am not sure Alcantor will be effective on this quick ground and the Marnane horse beat him last time out at Leopardstown. I’m surprised he’s as big as 9/2 and if Luke McAteer times his challenge right, I think he’s the one to beat. With just two places on offer this race makes limited appeal as an e/w betting heat so we’ll leave it alone. No bet.

2026 Curragh Irish Derby Day Tip: No bet

4.35 – Irish Derby (Group 1)

The big one. The O’Brien family supply six of the eight runners and Epsom flop Benvenuto Cellini is the market leader at 6/4. Moore keeps the faith in this son of Frankel and he’ll likely be a different horse on this quicker ground.

Ronnie Whelan keeps the ride on the Derby winner Christmas Day but whether he’ll be as good on this faster ground remains to be seen. The totally unexposed Raaheeb could prove to be the biggest threat to the fav. He’s 2-2 and Owen Burrows’ charge, who is a full brother to the top class performers Baaeed and Hukum, is an intriguing British raider.

Action was no match for Raaheeb when they met at Sandown in April but he ran a much better race when chasing home Item in the Dante and he had Christmas Day 1.75l behind that day. It was good ground at York and while Christmas Day reversed the form in emphatic fashion at Epsom, that was on much softer ground.

Back on a sounder surface, perhaps Action can turn the tables on Christmas Day. Last season, on his sole start on good to firm, he got to within 1.5l of Bow Echo at Newmarket so he clearly likes fast conditions and it has been a hot, mostly dry week in Ireland. Action looks well down the Ballydoyle pecking order on jockey arrangements but he wouldn’t be the first third or fourth string to run well from that stable so at 25/1, a small e/w interest is advised.

2026 Curragh Irish Derby Day Tip: Action e/w @ 25/1

5.45 – Ragusa Handicap (Premier)

The preceding 3yo handicap didn’t float my boat so we’ll finish up with this ultra-competitive race. This is another one I covered for the RP and I took a chance on Railwayview Lady, who I thought might represent each way value at in and around 25/1.

She opened up at that price (and even bigger with Sky at 33s) but she’s been backed already and is now a best price of 14s. Is she still value? Yes, probably. I thought she stayed on really nicely in a quality 1m2f handicap here last time out, she’s been generously eased 2lb and the step up in trip looks sure to suit.

I’m going to stick to my guns with her, hopefully Wayne Lordan can sneak her into the places at the very least.

2026 Curragh Irish Derby Day Tip: Railwayview Lady e/w @ 14/1 (4 places) NAP

-DaveStevos

2026 Oaks & Derby Ante-Post Preview

If the French Derby is anything to go by, we may as well hand the Oaks and Derby trophies to Coolmore now. We were out of luck with both our Chantilly bets but I thought both Temapica and Campacite ran better than the bare results and I’d like to see them running on a more galloping track. Hopefully we see them in the UK at some stage.

We’ll have a go at a 2026 Oaks & Derby e/w double (and two small singles) this weekend, hopefully we can get a couple of decent runs for our money.

2026 Oaks (Friday)

Five of the twelve remaining entries in the 2026 Oaks are trained by Aidan O’Brien. At the top of the Ballydoyle pecking order (according to the bookies) is Amelia Earhart, who is the 2/1 fav. By Camelot, this represents a big step up in class for the Chesire Oaks winner and if it comes up soft (which is a real possibility looking at the weather forecast) she might be worth taking on.

When the weather is unsettled, as it is supposed to be this week, it makes even short range ante-post betting treacherous. Back a good ground horse and it is almost certain to rain heavily, back a soft ground horse and the sun will probably split the stones all week.

In order to try and find some value, I am going to presume that there will be an ease in the ground at Epsom this weekend. The one that I came down on is the twice raced Wathnan filly, A La Prochaine.

Trained by Ralph Beckett, a man who knows how to train an Oaks winner, this daughter of Lope De Vega raced just once as a 2yo. That run came over 1m at Newbury in October on soft ground and she kept on nicely to score by 1.5l. It wasn’t the deepest maiden but three of those behind her have won since, so it wasn’t the worst race either.

Seasonal Return

Beckett pitched his charge into Listed company on her return in the Cheshire Oaks and she shaped encouragingly to finish a 3.25l third behind Ameila Earhart. A shade slowly away, she seemed to handle the tight turns of Chester well and while she was soundly beaten by Amelia Earhart, I’d imagine she’s the type of filly that will come on hugely for that run. It is also important to remember that was just the second run of her life, whereas the winner was having her sixth start.

A 550k purchase as a yearling, A La Prochaine has a decent pedigree. She’s by a top tier sire and she’s a half-sister to a heavy ground Listed & G3 winner and her dam, who is by Hurricane Run, was Listed placed and she is related to another couple of stakes’ placed performers.

Obviously, A La Prochaine will have to take a big step forward from her Chester run, but as I mentioned earlier that was just her second start so huge improvement could be forthcoming. At odds of 16/1, she is the each way selection.

2026 Oaks Tip: A La Prochaine e/w @ 16/1

2026 Derby (Saturday)

We should have a bigger field for the 2026 Epsom Derby. 17 horse have stood their ground and though seven are trained by O’Brien, only two are single figure odds. The hype horse is Benvenuto Cellini, a Frankel colt who hosed up in the Chester Vase. He has won a maiden on yielding to soft but he could only manage third on heavy in the Futurity at Donny last season so if there’s lots of rain, it could be a concern for him.

Just like I did in the Oaks, I am going to bank on it being a wet week on the Epsom Downs. And just like in the Oaks, the one that makes most appeal at a half-decent price is another Ralph Beckett horse, Bay of Brilliance.

By New Bay, a sire that I am a massive fan of, this colt has won two of his four starts. After a mildly promising debut at Newbury (7f, gd-fm) he got off the mark upped to 1m2f on soft ground in a decent Goodwood maiden in September.

Beckett kept him in novice company at Redcar on his next outing a month later and dropped him back to 1m1f, this time on good to soft ground. Bay Of Brilliance was giving 7lb away to his six rivals and he made mincemeat of them, bolting up by 8.5l.

Up In Grade

Beckett stepped his son of New Bay up in grade on his seasonal return in the Derby Trial at Lingfield (11.5f, gd-fm). He ran a cracker to finish a neck second behind Maltese Cross, who had a race fitness edge, and on easier ground with that run under his belt, I’d strongly fancy Bay of Brilliance to turn the tables on that rival.

This lad isn’t lacking in the pedigree department either. He’s a half-brother to the classy dual-purpose performer Absurde, who ran a huge race in the Melbourne Cup a couple of years ago. His Singspiel dam was a useful performer on easy ground in France and was placed at Listed level and his grand-dam is a half-sister to the 1998 G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Juvenia.  

The more rain that falls the better it will suit this colt, in my opinion, and while there are better jockeys out there than Hector Crouch, he has been on board for all four of his previous runs so it is understandable that he keeps the ride. Even if it doesn’t rain, this colt proved he handled faster conditions at Lingfield and at odds of 16/1, he is worth backing e/w. 

All aboard the Beckett Express for Epsom!

2026 Epsom Derby Ante-Post Tip: Bay Of Brilliance e/w @ 16/1

-DaveStevos