AIDAN O’Brien has a stranglehold on the Epsom Derby 2026 and potentially all the middle-distance contests next season. Pierre Bonnard backed up his Zetland Stakes success at Newmarket with Group 1 glory in the Criterium De Saint-Cloud last Sunday and Hawk Mountain advertised his Derby claims with a tough win in the Group 1 William Hill Futurity Stakes.

These two are at the head of the Derby market with stable companions Benvenuto Cellini, Action, Constitution River and Albert Einstein making up the chasing pack. Pierre Bonnard showed plenty of speed to win a steadily run Zetland Stakes as analysed here two weeks ago but showed that he can handle softer conditions and a stronger gallop when staying on too strongly for his rivals in France, and it was staying power that took Hawk Mountain to success at Doncaster.