‘We’re not sure he’ll stay’ — Coach Aidan O’Brien says French Derby, not English Derby, is the better choice for Constitution River after missing the final part of the season due to injury, leaving fans disappointed with the young horse.

In the unpredictable theatre of elite horse racing, few decisions have sparked as much debate this season as Aidan O’Brien’s call to bypass the Betfred Derby at Epsom in favour of Sunday’s Qatar Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly with Constitution River. The Ballydoyle handler was candid when he explained the reasoning behind sending the exciting son of Wootton Bassett to France rather than the mile-and-a-half test at Epsom. “We weren’t sure he’d stay,” O’Brien said, pointing to the colt’s limited experience and the need to safeguard his long-term development after an injury-interrupted juvenile campaign.

Constitution River, a bay colt foaled on 28 March 2023 and bred by SARL LG Bloodstock, is owned by the powerful Coolmore partnership of Michael Tabor, Mrs John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Westerberg. His pedigree carries plenty of promise: by the outstanding Wootton Bassett, whose progeny have already delivered multiple Classic winners, out of the Le Havre mare Chuppy, a full-sister to the high-class Wonderful Tonight.

As a two-year-old he showed flashes of real ability over seven furlongs, but a setback in the latter part of the season ruled him out of the remainder of his juvenile programme and meant he never lined up in the 2,000 Guineas. That absence only heightened anticipation when he returned this spring.

His comeback could not have been more emphatic. In the Listed Dee Stakes at Chester he produced a dominant display, powering clear of his rivals to win by a wide margin and immediately mark himself down as a live Derby contender. Bookmakers reacted swiftly. Some shortened him dramatically in the ante-post lists for Epsom, briefly installing him as favourite or joint-favourite alongside stablemate Benvenuto Cellini.

Racing fans, starved of a genuine superstar after a relatively quiet start to the Classic season, began to dream of another Ballydoyle triumph on the Downs and perhaps an intra-stable battle that would echo the great rivalries of the past.

Yet O’Brien and his team had other ideas. While the Chester victory proved Constitution River could handle a mile and a quarter on a flat, turning track, the trainer was never convinced the extra two furlongs at Epsom would suit. “He always worked like a horse who had enough pace to run over a mile, so we weren’t sure he’d stay,” O’Brien explained. “He looked like he got the mile and a quarter well in Chester, but it’s a very flat, level track and you’re turning all the time.

We felt for his progress going forward this was the right thing to do.” The Prix du Jockey Club, run over 2,100 metres on a more demanding, tactical course at Chantilly, offered a sterner examination without stretching the colt’s stamina to breaking point. It also allowed Coolmore to split their strong three-year-old team, with Benvenuto Cellini and others heading to Epsom while Constitution River, Hawk Mountain and Montreal were aimed at France.

The decision disappointed many supporters who had hoped to see the colt line up at the world’s most famous racecourse. Social media and betting forums buzzed with frustration that a horse who had looked so special at Chester would not get the chance to prove himself on the biggest stage. Some questioned whether connections were being overly cautious with a colt whose true potential might only be revealed over further. O’Brien, however, remained steadfast, stressing that the Jockey Club had always been under consideration and that protecting the horse’s future was paramount.

Complicating matters further was the draw. When declarations were confirmed, Constitution River was handed stall 15 of 16 – a nightmare position from which no horse had won the race since New Bay in 2015. O’Brien acknowledged the difficulty: “I’m not sure if any other Jockey Club winners have come from being drawn that wide. It is what it is. Ryan will have to make a lot of quick decisions.

It’s his first race on a right-handed bend and he’s drawn out, so it will be interesting.” The lack of right-handed experience added another layer of uncertainty for a still relatively inexperienced three-year-old.

Yet on 31 May at Chantilly the doubts were emphatically answered. In a performance that showcased both class and tactical nous, Constitution River overcame the wide draw to lead home a magnificent one-two-three for Aidan O’Brien. Ryan Moore, riding with his usual ice-cool judgement, kept the favourite wide early before tacking across to shadow his stablemates. Montreal and Hawk Mountain controlled the early stages on the fast ground, allowing the Irish raiders to dominate the race.

In the straight Constitution River quickened smartly, hitting the front and staying on strongly to win comfortably from Hawk Mountain, with Montreal a head further back in third. The time was respectable and the manner of victory suggested a horse with plenty more to offer.

O’Brien was visibly delighted afterwards. “We’re delighted and a lot of people put a lot of work in day in day out to make this happen,” he said. “Ryan had a very difficult draw and we thought it would be very difficult for him as he is still a baby and very green. He’s a big horse and he won’t be rushed through summer. I wouldn’t be surprised if we were gentle with him and took our time a little bit with him before his next run.

He might have a little time off in the summer and come back for one of those Arc trials or something else in the autumn.” The trainer added that the Coral Eclipse remained a possibility if the colt came out of the race in good shape, while bookmakers immediately installed him at around 10-1 for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Moore was equally impressed. “We thought a lot of him,” the champion jockey said. “The draw was a slight concern but I knew I had a very good horse and I believed a horse like him would overcome that because he’s so straightforward, has great speed and a good temperament and gets the trip well. I’d say he’s quite a special horse really. He could step up in trip at some stage, but he’d be comfortable coming back in trip and going further – he’s quite a rare horse.”

The victory marked O’Brien’s third success in the French Derby, following St Mark’s Basilica in 2021 and Camille Pissarro last year, and underlined the remarkable depth at Ballydoyle. For Constitution River it represented a coming-of-age moment. The injury that curtailed his two-year-old season had threatened to derail his Classic campaign, yet careful management and astute race planning had brought him to Chantilly in peak condition. The choice of the Prix du Jockey Club over Epsom now looks inspired rather than cautious.

While some fans may still lament the missed opportunity at the English Derby, the colt’s sparkling performance in France has vindicated O’Brien’s judgement and opened up an exciting range of future targets.

Constitution River has announced himself as one of the standout three-year-olds of 2026. With a patient approach planned for the summer and a potential autumn campaign that could include the Arc, the best may still be to come. The young horse who once left supporters disappointed by his absence from Epsom has instead delivered a memorable triumph on French soil, reminding everyone that in racing, the right path is not always the most obvious one. His story is far from finished, and the racing world will watch with keen interest to see just how far this talented colt can go.