Bunyola Bay is set to give Richard Hannon a live British-trained contender in Sunday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.
The three-year-old has moved from promising handicap-type prospect into Classic company after a sharp start to his season, with Hannon now preparing to aim higher after the colt’s valuable Gowran Park success earlier this month.
According to Sporting Life, Bunyola Bay is set to join the British raiding party for the Curragh showpiece, having earned his route into the race by landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Gowran Classic.
Hannon Colt Earns His Classic Chance
Bunyola Bay, owned by Michael Geoghegan, won over seven furlongs at Doncaster in April before stepping up in trip and making a serious impression at Gowran. That performance did more than bank a valuable prize; it also opened the door to a free entry for Ireland’s premier Classic.
Hannon has described the colt as “upwardly mobile”, and the Irish Derby now offers a serious test of how far that progress can carry him. The race is already taking shape around a powerful Ballydoyle challenge, with ReadHorseRacing recently covering Aidan O’Brien’s confirmed Irish Derby clash between Christmas Day and Benvenuto Cellini.
The wider market has been moving quickly since Epsom, with the latest Irish Derby betting picture reflecting how competitive the Curragh field could become. Bunyola Bay is not yet proven at the same level as the Classic principals, but his Gowran win marked him down as a colt whose ceiling is still being tested.
There is also recent precedent for connections looking beyond the most obvious domestic path, with Maltese Cross holding Irish Derby and Grand Prix de Paris options earlier in the month. Bunyola Bay now adds another intriguing layer to that cross-channel picture.
For Hannon, this is a bold but understandable swing. A colt who has already travelled, improved for distance and handled the Irish test at Gowran has earned the right to find out whether he belongs in deeper water at the Curragh.
The Irish Derby should tell us quickly whether Bunyola Bay is simply a progressive improver, or something rather more dangerous.
Irish Derby Betting Odds 2026
- Benvenuto Cellini 11/10
- Christmas Day 4/1
- Raaheeb 4/1
- James J Braddock 8/1
- A Boy Names Susie 10/1
- 12/1 Bar
Note: Betting odds are subject to change
