Last week saw the most spectacular sporting month of 2026 kick off in style with the latest editions of the Epsom Classics. Neither the Oaks nor the Derby went entirely to script, with the Aidan O’Brien-trained market leader disappointing in each race. However, that wasn’t enough to keep the O’Brien name out of the headlines, with Aidan claiming one event and his son Joseph the other.
While many struggled to zero in on this year’s Derby hero, a discovery in a London park revealed that tipping the winner of the 2026 Classic may have been a little easier back in 1964.
Christmas in June as O’Brien Makes it a Round Dozen
| Pos | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Christmas Day | 7/1 | A P O’Brien | Ronan Whelan |
| 2nd | Maltese Cross | 12/1 | William Haggas | Tom Marquand |
| 3rd | James J Braddock | 9/1 | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | Dylan Browne McMonagle |
fourteen talented colts lined up for Saturday afternoon’s showpiece of the Epsom Derby. Of those 14, four runners hailed from the yard of the race’s most successful trainer, Aidan O’Brien. Ryan Moore’s decision and the betting market suggested that Chester Vase winner Benvenuto Cellini was the chosen one from the O’Brien quartet. Favourite throughout the week, he maintained that status despite a late drift following a deluge of rain in the area.
In the end, Benvenuto Cellini trailed home in 10th, although favourite backers were spared when the market leader was unusually declared a non-runner following a problem at the start.
While Benvenuto Cellini disappointed, Aidan O’Brien was not to be denied. While only the yard’s fourth string on jockey bookings, Christmas Day had form on soft ground and was one of very few runners who relished the testing conditions. Well placed throughout, the son of Camelot kicked on in the straight and stayed on remorselessly to score by 2¾l from the William Haggas-trained Maltese Cross.
Successful in the 2023, 2024, and 2025 editions, O’Brien became the first trainer in history to win four consecutive editions of Britain’s most famous flat race. The records didn’t end there. In winning the Epsom Derby for a 12th time, O’Brien reached the magical half-century of British Classics.
Reflecting on his latest achievement, O’Brien was in typically modest mood, saying:
“To win one Classic is so difficult, let alone 50. But it’s not me, it’s everybody else. Everybody knows I’m a very small part of a big team, with Coolmore, Ballydoyle and all the farms around, and all the people who do all the different jobs.”
Delighted jockey Ronan Whelan claimed a first Classic success at the age of 33, whilst this also represented a first British Classic winner for sire Camelot, who came so close to winning the Triple Crown for O’Brien in 2012.
Looking ahead, Christmas Day may follow a similar route through the season as 2025 Derby champ Lambourn, with the Irish Derby and St Leger possible targets. He is currently vying for favouritism with Benvenuto Cellini for the Curragh contest and is a general 4/1 chance for the Doncaster Classic.
Joseph Thunders to First Epsom Classic
| Pos | Horse | SP | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Thundering On | 5/1 | Joseph Patrick O’Brien | Dylan Browne McMonagle |
| 2nd | Legacy Link | 3/1 | John & Thady Gosden | Colin Keane |
| 3rd | Sugar Island | 25/1 | A P O’Brien | Ronan Whelan |
Twenty-four hours before Christmas Day delivered for Aidan O’Brien, his son Joseph hit the target in the Epsom Oaks. Aidan sent three to post in the fillies’ Classic, as did two-time Oaks winner Ralph Beckett. Joseph O’Brien needed only one, as Thundering On produced one of the most visually impressive Oaks’ performances in recent memory.
Sent off as the third choice in the market, behind Aidan O’Brien’s number one, Amelia Earhart, and the impeccably bred Legacy Link, Thundering On was in a different league on the day. Looking as though she had just joined in with 2f to go, the mount of Irish champion Dylan Browne McMonagle cantered as her rivals strained every sinew. Quickening up smartly once asked by her rider, the daughter of Frankel surged clear for a stunning 3¾l triumph.
Reacting to his first Epsom Classic success as a trainer, Joseph O’Brien summed up the thoughts of most who had witnessed this performance when stating:
“You never expect to win a Classic like that, and she looks like she could potentially be a special filly.”
On this evidence, the season’s major 1m4f events are legitimate targets for Thundering On, including the biggest one of all at Longchamp in October. As big as 66/1 before her Oaks success, Thundering On is now the general 10/1 second favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
62-year-old Tip Comes Good
One of the strangest stories in the aftermath of this year’s Epsom Derby related to a note found in a time capsule in a South London park. Discovered on 15 April during works to move a statue of Sir Joseph Paxton, the capsule contained 4 silver coins and a note which read, “These coins were planted in the year that Santa Claus won the Derby. When unearthed, the monetary value should be laid on a horse in the Derby whose name can in some way be associated with Santa Claus (and the best of British luck).”
Scanning the list of Derby entries, site manager John Smalls discovered that there was indeed a horse with an eerily clear link to Santa Claus. Following the advice to stake the value of the silver coins in today’s money, Smalls placed a £20 win bet on Christmas Day who duly romped to success.
An additional layer to this strange tale emerged when it was revealed that the capsule had been discovered by a Romanian contractor named Craciun Marius Dorin. Translated into English, Craciun means Christmas. Spooky!
