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1 James J Braddock 9/1
2 Pierre Bonnard 5/6F
3 Endorsement 7/2
5 ran Distances shd; nk; 5
Time: 2m 8.20s (slow by 2.60s)
🗣️ "He deserves a sectional upgrade."
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 11, 2026
🗣️ "I think Pierre Bonnard might end up being a St. Leger horse."
James J Braddock chinned Pierre Bonnard in the Derby Trial. Angus McNae & Josh Kerr discuss the former's Derby credentials@Race_iQ | #TheVerdict | @WorldPool pic.twitter.com/DDJ3BFhxtQ
James J Braddock thrust himself into the Derby conversation after emerging best from a thrilling finish.
Only five runners went to post for the 10-furlong Group Three contest, with Endorsement setting the pace under Ronan Whelan for much of the journey.
The leader was closely tracked by his odds-on stablemate Pierre Bonnard, who edged into a narrow lead inside the final 150 yards and looked set to justify favouritism.
However, James J Braddock responded strongly under Dylan Browne McMonagle, rallying all the way to the line to prevail by a short head at odds of 9-1. Endorsement was just a neck away in third in a tightly fought finish.
Winning trainer Joseph O’Brien said: “He was tough. He ran a nice race here the first time and we thought he would improve from it.
“We were slightly concerned about the fast ground because his maiden win last season came on quite soft going, but you’d have to say he handled it very well.
“Before today we thought he might be a horse for the King Edward at Ascot and that was the race we had in mind, but now we probably have to consider other options too.
“We’ll see how he comes out of the race and discuss things with Aziz Kheir. This is the first horse we’ve had for him and he obviously has a lot of horses in Australia.
“Hopefully this is a horse who can compete in top international races throughout his career and today represented a major step forward.”
O’Brien added: “We’ve always felt he would enjoy a mile and a half.
“It’s probably fair to say the Derby looks fairly open this year. Some of the Chester horses looked good, but it does seem quite an open race and having won a trial, this horse has put himself into contention.
“If we decide to go to Epsom, he’s earned the right to be there. We’ll just see how he comes through the next week and make a plan from there.”
Asked whether he would handle Epsom, O’Brien said: “I think so. He’s a good traveller and moved through the race very well today, so I think he potentially could.”
Paddy Power reacted by cutting James J Braddock to 25-1 from 100-1 for the Derby, while Benvenuto Cellini remains the 11-4 favourite.
Derby Trial Stakes
1m 2f , €100,000 guaranteed
5 ran
Going: Good
