- Constitution River to run in French Derby on Sunday
- O’Brien to also send Hawk Mountain & Montreal to France
- Benvenuto Cellini firms up for Epsom Derby after the news
Aidan O’Brien Confirms Derby Plans For Constitution River and Benvenuto Cellini
Top Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has made it official: the exciting Constitution River is heading to Chantilly this Sunday for the French Derby—the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club.
Which means his Chester Dee Stakes winner will skip a trip to Epsom for the Betfred-sponsored Derby on Saturday, June 6.
But this hasn’t come as a massive surprise to many.
Ever since the colt absolutely destroyed the field by nine lengths in the Dee Stakes (watch below), O’Brien has dropped plenty of hints that Chantilly, rather than Epsom, was the primary target.
He’ll also join the Gosden-trained Oxagon, who was supplemented for the French Derby on Wednesday for €72k.
In fact, the trainer even admitted he was caught off guard last Sunday when he heard the horse’s Epsom odds had plummeted.
Constitution River is around 7/4 favourite for the French Derby, with Daryzan 7/2 and Hawk Mountain 4/1
Constitution River won’t be making the trip across the Channel alone, either.
Hawk Mountain and Montreal Also Heading To France
He’ll be joined in France by stablemates Hawk Mountain and Montreal, both of whom already have experience in key Classic trials at Chantilly.
“We’ve decided that Constitution River will go to France,” O’Brien confirmed on Wednesday to the Racing Post.
“We went to Chester with him to find out whether he stayed a mile and a quarter, and he saw it out very well there.”
“This is obviously a big step up, but everything has gone very smoothly in the lead-up to the race and everybody is very happy with him. We’ve always felt he was a colt with enough pace for a mile, while still hopefully staying a mile and a quarter, and he’s looking like a very classy horse.”
Aidan O’Brien has won the French Derby twice in the past – with St Mark’s Basilica in 2021 and Camille Pissarro in 2025.
Benvenuto Cellini Firms Up At The Head Of The Epsom Derby Market
With Constitution River officially bound for France on Sunday 31st May, we can expect to see his stablemate, Benvenuto Cellini, cement his position right at the top of the betting market for next weekend’s Betfred Derby.
Benvenuto Cellini was last seen bolting up in the Chester Vase at the start of May (watch below).
With the layers reacting to the news his stablemate Constitution River will head to France, by firming up Benvenuto Cellini as the 5/2 Epsom market leader.
Just behind him in the market are Dante Stakes winner Item for trainer Andrew Balding and Lingfield Derby Trial winner Maltesse Cross for the William Haggas stable.
Aidan O’Brien will be looking for a record-extending twelfth Epsom Derby win.
With his first coming in 2001 with Galileo and his most recent Lambourn last year (2025)
