The Epsom Derby 2026 results are in, and Christmas Day won with a strong finish.
The race took place amid some inclement weather, with rain through the night on Friday and pouring at times during the day on Saturday and throughout the first races, leaving wet conditions for the horses. The conditions led King Charles to watch from under the safety of an umbrella.
Christmas Day Wins Easily at Epsom Derby
Christmas Day pulled away from the pack during the final stretch, opening up a lead of two lengths and cruising across the finish line.
Maltese Cross and James J Braddock came in second and third place. Bay Of Brilliance finished in fourth place, with Alderman behind in fifth. Rebel Rocker and Pierre Bonnard came in sixth and seventh place.
Ancient Egypt finished in eighth with Item and favorite Benvenuto Cellini finished round out the top 10, though Benvenuto Cellini was later declared a non-runner after replay showed him caught in the gate.
A Taste Of Glory came in eleventh, followed by Balzac, Action, and Poker coming in last.
Benvenuto Cellini Named Favorite Heading Into Epsom Derby
Going into Saturday’s race, the Benvenuto Cellini was the favorite at 2-to-1 odds and landing on 3-to-1 odds just before post time at 4 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET in the United States). Trainer Aidan O’Brien had four horses in the race, headlined by Benvenuto Cellini but also including Christmas Day, Pierre Bonnard, and Action.
O’Brien told the Racing Post that Benvenuto Cellini came into the race with a strong, winning lineage.
“Benvenuto is the most incredible mover, very like his grandad (2001 winner Galileo),” he said.
“He might be a bit quicker than him, too. But he has that beautifully balanced action. His movement is incredible. He moves with so much class.”
Owen McMahon of Betfred Insights added that Benvenuto Cellini was a frontrunner despite drawing a less-than-ideal post position.
“Very useful miler at two, but the son of Frankel looked even better over an extended 1m4f in the Chester Vase last month,” McMahon wrote of the Epsom Derby favorite. “Something to prove if conditions become very testing and stall 12 isn’t ideal, but otherwise he’s got everything going for him. Not at all hard to imagine him providing Aidan O’Brien a record-extending 12th win in the race.”
There were other contenders heading into the Epsom Derby 2026, including Item, a horse coming off a big win at the Dante Stakes at York in May.
“He’s a horse we’ve always liked and it seems to me that the further he goes the better he gets, which has got to give us some hope for Epsom,” said trainer Andrew Balding, who also entered contender A Taste of Glory in the Epsom Derby. “The difficult thing is he is still quite a raw horse and it can be a tricky track for inexperienced horses, that would be my concern.”
Epsom Derby Results & Payouts After Christmas Day Win