The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby is the crown jewel of Ireland’s flat racing season, a Group 1 Classic for three-year-old colts and fillies run over 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres) at the historic Curragh in County Kildare. First run in 1866, it carries more than 160 years of history and is the richest race in the Irish Triple Crown. It is closely tied to the Epsom Derby too, with twenty horses having completed the English-Irish Derby double, most recently Lambourn in 2025.
The 2026 running goes this Sunday, June 28th, with the Curragh five hours ahead of Eastern time, so the off is set for 4:35pm local, which works out to 11:35am ET for Canadians. The race headlines a three-day festival that opens on Friday, June 26th. This page is a simple guide for Canadians who want to bet the Irish Derby online, including where to bet, a look at the 2026 antepost odds, the leading contenders, and a step-by-step guide to placing your wager.
Bet365 is our top-rated sportsbook for Canadians looking to bet on the Irish Derby. As the long-time home of British and Irish racing coverage and the official online betting partner of Woodbine Entertainment, it is built for exactly this kind of meeting.
For bettors outside Ontario, Bet365.com offers fixed-odds and antepost markets on the Irish Derby, plus each-way betting that really comes into its own in a big Curragh field. Antepost simply means you can back a horse days or weeks out at a fixed price, locking in your value before the market shortens. Fixed odds mean you keep the price you took at the moment you placed your bet, with no fluctuation from the pari-mutuel pool.
Ontario players bet a little differently. Bet365.ca is the only regulated Ontario sportsbook that lets you wager on the Irish Derby, through its partnership with Woodbine Entertainment. Ontario bets are routed into Woodbine’s pari-mutuel tote (the same international race pools offered through HPIbet) and processed under Woodbine’s federal pari-mutuel licence, so instead of a fixed price you take the final tote odds. You’ll see an “Operated by Woodbine Entertainment Group” note in the horse racing section confirming everything is fully legal and regulated.
Wherever you are in the country, Bet365 covers the full range of Irish Derby bet types, from win, place and each-way through to exacta, trifecta and the multi-race pools, and you can stream the race live in the app.
2026 Irish Derby Antepost Odds
The 2026 Irish Derby goes Sunday, June 28th at the Curragh, with the off set for 4:35pm local (11:35am ET). Here’s a screenshot of the latest 2026 Irish Derby antepost odds from Bet365. These odds will move right up until the race is run, so head to Bet365 and select Horse Racing for the live lines.
**Antepost (or futures) odds for the Irish Derby are found under the ‘Futures’ tab on the Horse Racing page at Bet365. Select the Irish Derby to see the fixed prices for each horse. Screenshot below shows the antepost market ahead of the race (odds taken on June 24th).
On race day, the regular win, place and show prices, along with every other Irish Derby betting market, are found under the ‘UK & Ireland’ heading on the Horse Racing page. Select the Curragh card and then the Irish Derby race # to pull up the full racecard and all available bet types.
Benvenuto Cellini is the 2026 favourite at 2.37. The Aidan O’Brien-trained son of Frankel won the Chester Vase and went off favourite for the Epsom Derby, only to be controversially declared a non-runner after getting a hind leg caught on the shelf of the starting stalls. O’Brien has said he has been 100 per cent since and expects a much stronger showing at the Curragh. Stablemate Christmas Day is next at 4.50, and he arrives with the strongest form line of all, having won the Epsom Derby to give O’Brien his twelfth blue riband. He is a relentless galloper and the Curragh is expected to suit.
The value angle sits just behind the two market leaders. Raaheeb, at 5.00, is the unbeaten Owen Burrows-trained winner of the Sandown Classic Trial and a full brother to the outstanding miler Baaeed. His connections deliberately swerved Epsom and waited for the Irish version, so he arrives fresh and with upside. James J Braddock, at 8.00, is the Joseph O’Brien-trained colt who finished third in the Epsom Derby and is proven at the trip, making him a sensible each-way play in a race where the favourites are short. A Boy Named Susie is also 8.00, with Causeway and Pierre Bonnard at 13.00, Bay Of Brilliance at 15.00, Action and Bunyola Bay at 34.00, and Shaihaan the outsider at 67.00.
One number frames the whole race: Aidan O’Brien has won the Irish Derby 17 times and lands it three years running, so the Ballydoyle runners dominate the market once again. The trends back that up, with most recent winners coming from the top of the betting and arriving out of the Epsom Derby.
When one stable saddles half the field, the smart move is watching the jockey bookings. The mount Ryan Moore chooses for Ballydoyle is often a quiet tell on which one they fancy most. And with several live contenders going to post, each-way betting earns its keep here, paying out even if your horse only places.
How to Bet on the Irish Derby From Canada – 3 Step Guide
Follow these three steps to place your Irish Derby bets online in minutes.
Head to Bet365 via the link above, click ‘Join’ and complete the short registration form. The process takes just a few minutes.
Step 2. Deposit
Bet365 accepts Interac (recommended for Canadians), Visa, Mastercard, and several other deposit methods. Select ‘Deposit’ after logging in, choose your method, enter your amount, and follow the prompts to fund your account.
Step 3. Place Your Irish Derby Bets
From the Horse Racing page, use the ‘Futures’ tab to back a horse antepost, or on race day find the Curragh under the ‘UK & Ireland’ heading for the full win, place and show markets.
Select the type of bet you want to place (Win/Each Way, Position, Top Finishes, etc.). Then select the odds of the horse you want to bet on, enter your risk amount on the Bet Slip and click ‘Place Bet’ to lock in your wager.
