Christmas Day delivered Aidan O’Brien another Epsom Derby success, producing a decisive late surge under Ronan Whelan to land the Classic and extend the trainer’s record to 12 wins in the race.

Race development

Christmas Day, a 7-1 chance by Camelot, settled just behind the early pace set by Action before gradually working into contention. When the race began to unfold in the straight, he responded strongly and drew away in the closing stages to win comfortably.Ronan Whelan was clear about how straightforward the ride felt, telling ITV Racing: “It was just so easy. Aidan just told me to keep it simple.” His post-race assessment underlined how efficiently the colt handled the assignment, adding: “The horse has done it so easy. He loves the ground and it just felt so effortless for him.” Behind the winner, Maltese Cross, ridden by Tom Marquand, stayed on for second, with James J Braddock under Dylan Browne McMonagle taking third after finishing his race from off the pace.

O’Brien’s Classic milestone

The victory also marked a significant statistical landmark for O’Brien, registering his 50th British Classic win alongside a 12th Derby success.O’Brien pointed to the horse’s ongoing progression when assessing the performance: “He's done nothing but improve this horse, he's so genuine and he stays and handles soft ground.” His appreciation of the ride was equally direct, noting: “Ronan gave him a beautiful ride, he was so confident on him.” He also referenced the wider Ballydoyle operation, adding: “Everyone knows I'm a small part of a big team at Ballydoyle, there's a lot of people doing lots of jobs, in the offices, on the ground, people I don't mention.” On pedigree, O’Brien highlighted the significance of the sire line, saying: “It's unbelievable that he's by Camelot, who won the Derby for us as well when Joseph rode him and Joseph's horse ran well.”

Key race notes

O’Brien saddled four runners, including Action, Pierre Bonnard, and favourite Benvenuto Cellini.The favourite never featured after being declared a non-runner at the start, with O’Brien noting he “still had a leg on the side of the stalls as they opened,” effectively removing him from the contest before it properly began. From there, Action helped shape the early tempo before Christmas Day asserted control late, finishing with authority to settle the outcome.

Closing line

With another Derby added to his record, O’Brien’s grip on the Classic once again underlined the depth of Ballydoyle’s operation, while Christmas Day’s performance pointed to a colt continuing to progress on the biggest stage.

 All Aidan O'Brien Derby winners 

🏆 Galileo (2001)
🏆 High Chaparral (2002)
🏆 Camelot (2012)
🏆 Ruler of the World (2013)
🏆 Australia (2014)
🏆 Wings of Eagles (2017)
🏆 Anthony Van Dyck (2019)
🏆 Serpentine (2020)
🏆 Auguste Rodin (2023)
🏆 City Of Troy (2024)
🏆 Lambourn (2025)
🏆 Christmas Day (2026)

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