'The world is our oyster' - how might the season play out for the big names who ran at Epsom?

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The 2026 Derby festival is done and dusted but the meeting's big races threw up a host of fascinating contenders for the summer and beyond. From Classic winners to high-profile losers, let's take a look at where this weekend's Epsom heavy-hitters might show up next.

Christmas Day

It may have been another Derby victory for Aidan O'Brien but it was not with the horse most had predicted when Christmas Day powered through the rain to strike under Ronan Whelan. 

He was arguably the third string of O'Brien's Derby team but nevertheless showed an aptitude for this longer trip and had no issue with the going, having won his maiden in heavy ground last year. 

Christmas Day: could be a St Leger horse this autumnCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

The Camelot colt has just two future entries but the Irish Derby looks an attractive prospect and he has been cut to 3-1 favourite to complete the Classic double just as Lambourn and his sire Camelot did before him. 

Beyond that, he is down the Ballydoyle pecking order for the Coral-Eclipse but he could take another page out of the Lambourn/Camelot playbook and head to Doncaster in September. The St Leger would be tempting considering how well he saw out Epsom on Saturday, and he is currently the 4-1 favourite.

Current entries
Irish Derby (June 28) 3-1f
Coral-Eclipse (July 4) 25-1

Thundering On

The Joseph O'Brien-trained filly could not have been more impressive when swaggering to a first Group 1 success in the Oaks, seeing off a solid benchmark in Legacy Link by a cool three and three-quarter lengths. 

She earned the same Racing Post Rating as Christmas Day (121) for her win and could be a formidable force this season, with her range of entries suggesting connections think highly of her indeed. 

She has options back down in trip in the Coronation Stakes and Pretty Polly, but O'Brien may opt to stick to what she clearly does best and head to the Irish Oaks next month, for which she was slashed to 4-5 favourite. 

Thundering On: a stylish winner of the OaksCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

The trainer said: "Her dam won the Pretty Polly, so she can go back to that or the Irish Oaks. The world is our oyster, but we'll enjoy today and then we can make a plan for the season."

Once the summer is over, Thundering On could be a perfect fit for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at the start of October. Enable was the last filly to follow up her Oaks win at Longchamp in 2017, but fillies have a fine record in the race and soft ground is likely.

Current entries:
Coronation Stakes (June 19) 16-1
Pretty Polly Stakes (June 27)
Irish Oaks (July 18) 4-5f
Irish Champion Stakes (September 12)
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe  (October 4) 10-1

Bay City Roller

This four-year-old provided George Scott with his first Group 1 win in Britain in the Coronation Cup and there was no doubt in anyone's mind where the colt would end up this season. 

"The Arc is his race," Scott said immediately after Saturday's success, and Bay City Roller was introduced at 16-1 for the Longchamp Group 1 contest by Coral. 

Bay City Roller: will work back from the ArcCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

The soft ground expected in the Arc should play perfectly to his strengths and he has clearly taken a step forward since his series of placed efforts in France last year. 

The Arc is the big target but Scott stressed Bay City Roller is not one for sitting idly, and the trainer will be keen to get him out on the track before too long. Ascot's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 25 looks to be the perfect next step, although the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (July 5) would be another option if conditions proved more fitting. 

Current entries:
Prince of Wales's Stakes (June 17) 20-1
Coral-Eclipse (July 4) 16-1
Irish Champion Stakes (September 12)
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (October 4) 16-1

Calandagan

It was not Calandagan's day at Epsom on Saturday and trainer Francis Graffard rued his decision to run the world's highest-rated racehorse in such rain-soaked conditions.

The leading French gelding ended a five-race winning streak with a distant fourth in the Coronation Cup, which must have seemed a world away from the sunny climate of Dubai in which he won the Sheema Classic in March. 

Calandagan: will go back to France after disappointment at EpsomCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Lessons have clearly been learned and Graffard's eagerness to avoid any more awful weather will heavily dictate Calandagan's upcoming targets. 

"I think he'll go for the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and then back for the King George," Graffard said after the race, which would put him potentially on a collision course with Bay City Roller once more. 

Calandgan has also made an appearance at the past two British Champions day fixtures at Ascot, so a chance to defend his crown in the Champion Stakes could be on the cards for October 17.

Current entries:
Prince of Wales's Stakes (June 17) 16-1
Coral-Eclipse (July 4) 14-1
Irish Champion Stakes (September 12)

Benvenuto Cellini

He may have never officially taken part in Saturday's Derby but Benvenuto Cellini still managed to outshine his winning stablemate with the stalls drama that resulted in the favourite being declared a non-runner.

The Frankel colt got his hind leg caught at the start and was deemed to have not been given a fair chance at success by the stewards, with the 3-1 shot only able to pass the post in tenth under Ryan Moore.

Disaster for Benvenuto Cellini in the DerbyCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Epsom may not count on his record but he still had a race on Saturday and it will be fascinating to see if he can return to his best when given a clean go of things. The Irish Derby could be that opportunity and he is only marginally bigger odds (4-1) than Christmas Day to strike at the Curragh in three weeks' time.

We have yet to see him properly tried at Group 1 level this year, so his next outing will shape the rest of his season. He has options over shorter in the Irish Champion Stakes and the Coral-Eclipse but interestingly has also been entered in the Irish St Leger, suggesting a step up in trip has already been considered.

Current entries:
Irish Derby (June 28) 4-1
Coral-Eclipse (July 4) 16-1
Irish Champion Stakes (September 12)
Irish St Leger (September 13)
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (October 4) 25-1

Constitution River 

The will-they, won't-they speculation about whether Constitution River would head to Epsom eventually saw him turn up in France, and it looked to be an inspired choice in hindsight considering how conditions turned last weekend. 

Both he and Hawk Mountain looked top-class operators in the Prix du Jockey Club last month and his RPR of 122 rates him above the Oaks and the Derby winner. 

Constitution River: could he head to Sandown next?Credit: © APRH / QUENTIN BERTRAND

He could be the star colt from Ballydoyle's Classic crop and the Coral-Eclipse over a similar ten furlongs to Chantilly would be right up his street. Only Ombudsman is priced shorter than him for the Sandown Group 1 and St Mark's Basilica completed the same double for Aidan O'Brien in 2021.  

With the likes of Gstaad for the St James's Palace Stakes and Benvenuto Cellini for the Irish Derby, the Coral-Eclipse would be the perfect next step for one of the season's most promising talents, particularly as O'Brien stressed his desire to "give him a bit of time" before his next outing.

Current entries:
St James's Palace Stakes (June 16) 40-1
Irish Derby (June 28) 3-1f
Coral-Eclipse (July 4) 3-1
Irish Champion Stakes (September 12)
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (October 4) 10-1

Read more:

Benvenuto Cellini non-runner Derby call blasted as 'extraordinary act of self-sabotage' by bookie chief - but BHA backs its stewards  

'We'll be hoping for an Alpinista-type Arc' - George Scott eyeing ultimate prizes after Bay City Roller fulfils 'lifetime's work' at Epsom 

From the Derby winner to Constitution River - a weekend in the life of 'guilty and lucky' Ronan Whelan 

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