The 2027 Betfred Derby Festival Contenders

Darkness Falls (Aidan O’Brien)

Next year it will be 57 years since Nijinsky became the 15th and most recent winner of the Triple Crown, but trainer Aidan O’Brien believes the prospect of Darkness Falls attempting to win the Betfred 2000 Guineas, Betfred Derby and Betfred St Leger in 2027 is not out of the question. What is certainly very interesting about the son of 2012 Derby hero Camelot is that he has already proved his versatility at the very highest level with Group One wins in the nine-furlong Golden Fleece Stakes at Leopardstown and over two furlongs less in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

Giant Sequoia (Aidan O’Brien)

Three of Aidan O’Brien’s record 12 Derby winners (High Chaparral (2002), Camelot (2012) & Auguste Rodin (2023)) had won the final Group One race of the British Flat season, the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster, as two-year-olds. Frankel colt Giant Sequoia became O’Brien’s 13th winner of the Doncaster contest in October with an impressive three-length success. He has won on ground ranging from Good to Firm through to Heavy and is an exciting prospect

Drumbeat (Aidan O’Brien)

Along with Darkness Falls, Drumbeat was also a winner on Dubai Future Champions Day at Newmarket when landing the 10-furlong Group Three Zetland Stakes by an impressive five and a half lengths. A son of the late, great sire Wootton Bassett he made the transition to Group One company in fine style when recording a two-length success in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud. His stamina looks assured for a Derby challenge in 2027.

Abraham Lincoln (Aidan O’Brien)

Another Wootton Bassett colt, Abraham Lincoln made a striking debut at the Curragh in June. Although beaten a short-head on his only start in the Group Two Boodles Superlative Stakes at Newmarket in July, he remains an exciting prospect.

Haffner (Aidan O’Brien)

Runner-up to stable companion Abraham Lincoln on debut, Haffner went on to prove himself a tough and versatile campaigner throughout 2026 with his successes including the Group Two Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket in September and, on the biggest stage of all, when he captured the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland, USA, at the end of October.

Wall Street (Aidan O’Brien)

Sired by 2009 Derby winner and leading sire Sea The Stars, Wall Street won both his starts in 2026. The second of those was in the nine-furlong Group Three Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown in October, suggesting stamina will not be a problem going forward.

Entrust (John & Thady Gosden)

The third offspring of the outstanding racemare Enable and the first to reach the racecourse, there was a lot to like about the striking debut of Entrust at Doncaster in October when he won over a mile on heavy ground. Sired by Britain’s best stallion in Dubawi, his dam’s 11 Group One wins included the 2017 Oaks at Epsom Downs.

Bin Jahwar (Charlie Appleby)

Bin Jahwar was unbeaten in 2026 with two wins in as many starts. The second of those was in the Hayes, Hanson & Clark Stakes at Newbury, often a good guide to future success, when the son of Ghaiyyath defeated subsequent Listed winner King High.

Noble Exhibit (Aidan O’Brien)

Noble Exhibit started favourite when third behind stablemate Giant Sequoia in the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster. Perhaps unsuited by the Heavy ground that day, he had previously won the Group Two Beresford Stakes at the Curragh. The Frankel colt remains an interesting Classic contender.

Monogram (Joseph O’Brien)

Juddmonte’s homebred son of Kingman won on debut before finding stablemate Folsom Blues six lengths too good in the Group One Vincent O'Brien National Stakes. However, he still looks very much a horse to improve with more experience, and he stayed on well when second in the Curragh contest.

EXCEPTIONAL CLASSICS IN PROSPECT FOR 2027

As the Flat turf season draws to a close and with autumn not far off metamorphosing into winter, thoughts turn to the Classics of 2027 and the likely contenders we have seen on the track in 2026.

Next year it will be 57 years since the great Nijinsky became the 15th and most recent horse to win the English Triple Crown with victories under Lester Piggott in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, Derby at Epsom Downs and St Leger at Doncaster.

The son of Northern Dancer was trained by Vincent O’Brien and the legendary trainer’s successor at Ballydoyle Stables in County Tipperary, the unrelated Aidan O’Brien, was full of talk for a Triple Crown challenge in 2027 with Darkness Falls after that colt handed him a record ninth victory in Britain’s premier two-year-old race, the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Dubai Future Champions Day in October.

Nijinsky won the 1969 Dewhurst Stakes prior to his Triple Crown achievement the following year. Interestingly, Darkness Falls is a son of Camelot. Camelot, who was also trained by Aidan O’Brien, is the only horse since Nijinsky to attempt the Triple Crown, winning at Newmarket and Epsom Downs before finishing second at Doncaster.

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