James J Braddock edges Pierre Bonnard in Leopardstown Derby Trial Stakes

James J Braddock did more than nick a Group 3 at Leopardstown. He answered the toughest Derby question a colt can face in May: what can he do when the pace is honest, the ground is fair, and the favourite is the horse to beat? In a five-runner Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes, he delivered the strongest late move, got to Pierre Bonnard on the line and made a loud case for Epsom.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained colt, ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle for Aziz Kheir, Kevin Blake and Aust Partners, was sent off at 9/1 and covered the 1 mile 2 furlongs in 2:08.20 on good ground. Endorsement helped ensure there was enough pressure up front, Pierre Bonnard was kept in the firing line and James J Braddock had to be precise. He was, and that mattered. This was not a leader who was allowed to crawl home; it was a colt who had to find a proper finish against the race’s market standard.

That is why the result reads as a genuine Derby audition rather than just another spring trial win. Joseph O’Brien said James J Braddock was “tough” and had improved from his first run of the season, adding that he had been worried about the fast ground because the colt’s maiden win last year came on soft. He had originally been thinking of the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, but now must discuss the next step with Aziz Kheir. O’Brien also said James J Braddock had always looked like a horse who would enjoy 1 mile 4 furlongs, and that if the Derby route is chosen, the colt has earned his place.

Leopardstown’s Derby Trial has history behind that argument. First run in 1971 as the Nijinsky Stakes, it became the Derby Trial Stakes in 1984 and has long been used as a guide to Epsom ability. High Chaparral was the last horse to win both Leopardstown and the Epsom Derby, doing it in 2002, while Aidan O’Brien remains the race’s leading trainer with 17 wins, including Delacroix in 2025. James J Braddock does not need to match that legacy yet, but he has now done enough to belong in the same conversation.

The market noticed immediately. Paddy Power cut him to 25/1 from 100/1 for the Betfred Derby on June 6, while Pierre Bonnard was pushed out to 12/1 by Betfred and even further with some firms after failing to land the blow many expected. That shift says plenty about perception, but the bigger business story belongs to Aziz Kheir. This was the first horse Joseph O’Brien has trained for the Australian owner, and the partnership now has a colt whose profile changed in 2:08.20 and one sharp Leopardstown finish.

The verdict is straightforward: James J Braddock has moved into the top Derby tier, not as the obvious favourite, but as a credible live contender whose 10-furlong win makes the mile and a half at Epsom look far more believable.