Pierre Bonnard

But something has gone wrong since. The horse has not won in his last six races, most recently finishing unplaced at Leopardstown just a day ago. His form reads 6-2-3-7-2-7 across those runs, a sequence that shows occasional glimpses — he placed second twice — but nothing approaching a win. Over his full career, Pierre Bonnard has won 2 of his 9 races, a win rate of roughly 1 in every 5 outings. That is respectable but hardly sparkling for a horse of his pedigree and the yard.

O'Brien's recent comments suggest he still believes in the horse. After the Saint-Cloud win, he praised Pierre Bonnard's "beautiful mind" and his ability to stay over distance, qualities that ought to suit Epsom's demands. The trainer has indicated he wants 1m4f and will return for the Derby Trial at Leopardstown, suggesting he is not yet ready to move on. Yet the gap between October 2025 and now — eleven months without a win — is hard to ignore. Whether Pierre Bonnard can rediscover the form that made him a Derby candidate, or whether last year was simply a false dawn, will become clear soon enough.