2026 BOYLE Sports Irish Derby Plate Final Preview, Favourites & Expert Tips

In this post, you can find our preview of the 2026 BOYLE Sports Irish Derby Plate Final.

Can anyone stop the Ballymac Kennels? Ahead of the Plate Final, both Ballymac Setanta and Ballymac Deniro look likely to dominate the betting market come Saturday night following their surprising Derby exits last month.

However, each finalist is there on merit and all have claims to success come Saturday if things can fall their way!

Betting Odds

BOYLE Sports Irish Derby Plate 2026 Odds

Preview

2026 BOYLE Sports Irish Derby Plate Final Preview

Trap 1

Trap 1 | Grouchos Frank – 10/1

Odds

Grouchos Frank is seen as having a 9.1% chance of victory on Saturday.

Pedigree

Sire: Grouchos Duke

Dam: Glengar Queen

Career Record

Form

The October 2024 White and Black dog is trained by Pat Buckley for owner Shane O’Connell and will likely be one of the fastest finishers come Saturday night.

Grouchos Frank started his racing career amongst a red-hot field in the Champion Unraced Stake in Kilkenny last April, running up the stake before finishing last in the final. After being knocked out of the Produce Stakes, he became a regular fixture in Shelbourne, with a success in 29.39 for the 550 the standout showing.

In the Derby, he qualified through a round, but was knocked out in the second, but he has been consistent in qualifying through three rounds of the Plate due to his strong-running style.

Verdict

Likely to find himself in the frame for one of the money positions come the final few yards, but a win in this race remains a tall, albeit not impossible, task.

Bet On: Grouchos Frank

Trap 2

Trap 2 | Coolemount Fame – 33/1

Odds

Coolemount Fame's price of 33/1 makes him the outsider ahead of this final, with a 2.9% chance of success.

Pedigree

Sire: Orchestrate

Dam: Highview Moment

Career Record

Form

The April 2024 black dog is owned and trained by the duo Anthony Rooney and Owen Sweetman.

After starting his career in Dundalk last November on the sprinting scene amongst graded company, which included a couple of victories from four runs. He then went on to Shelbourne, progressing from A3 to AAO. After being entered in the Derby and finishing fourth, he qualified for this final last week, finishing third at a big price.

Verdict

Here in the final on merit but will need plenty of luck along with a career-best effort to figure in this final.

Bet On: Coolemount Fame

Trap 3

Trap 3 | Ballymac Setanta – 4/7

Odds

Ballymac Setanta is priced at 4/7, favourite to win the Plate on Saturday, suggesting a 63.6% chance of success.

Pedigree

Sire: Ballymac Kingdom

Dam: Ballymac Art

Career Record

Form

Ballymac Setanta is owned and trained by Liam Dowling, and the January 2024 Blue Dog is one of the fastest dogs in the country.

After starting his career in Dundalk in July 2025, he exploded to life the following month with an 18.51 sprint success in Limerick after racing around in graded company and some open sprints. It was the Laurels where his sensational ability was shown, reaching the final unbeaten in 27.94, 28.09, 27.81 and 27.99; he finished fifth in the final. He then reached the Con and Annie Kirby Memorial 2026 Final, coming runner-up behind Bouncing Monarch .

Arriving at the Derby as one of the ante-post favourites, he finished last in the opening round, but hasn’t put a foot wrong since, winning in 29.19, 29.30 and 29.41.

Verdict

Setanta will go off favourite on Saturday and justifiably so; if on song, few can live with his pure pace even at this level.

Bet On: Ballymac Setanta

Trap 4

Trap 4 | Oriental King – 12/1

Odds

Oriental King at 12/1 has a 7.7% chance of crossing the winning line.

Pedigree

Sire: Coolavanny Hoffa

Dam: Newinn Willow

Career Record

Form

The May 2024 Black Dog is trained by Denise Ryan for the superbly named Organised-Chaos Syndicate.

After a successful debut on track last January at Clonmel, winning in an impressive 28.65. A second win didn’t come until after a few disappointing runs, but what followed was a 28.36 success in Cork in his fifth race last April. He then reached the final of the Tipperary Cup before finishing last.

An impressive 29.39 winner in the opening round of the Derby , he was unlucky not to qualify the following week in fourth. But he’s quietly gone about his business since qualifying in 1st, 2nd and most recently 3rd.

Verdict

Will need a performance akin to his first-round showing and maybe even a few more spots, but age, like many in this final, is on his side.

Bet On: Oriental King

Trap 5

Trap 5 | Ballymac Deniro – 2/1

Odds

Ballymac Deniro is 2/1 to land the spoils on Saturday, implying the dog has a 33.3% chance of success.

Pedigree

Sire: Ballymac Finn

Dam: Ballymac Arminta

Career Record

Form

The second of the two owned and trained dogs for Liam Dowling is a Black dog born in May 2024.

Deniro debuted on the racing scene at Tralee last February, winning the Juvenile Classic after coming second in the opening round, clocking 28.32; he improved to win the next rounds in 28.13 and 27.97. After being knocked out of the Con and Annie Kirby Memorial in the first round, he took the English Derby, where he displayed breathtaking gears again, reaching the final after winning in 29.08, second in 28.57 and 28.73, winning in 28.21 and 28.15 before finishing second in the final, clocking 28.25.

Arriving at the Derby as one of the ante-post favourites, a 29.23 first-round victory was followed by a surprise exit in the second round when finishing fourth. In the Plate he won in 29.42 and 29.45 before finishing second in 29.74 last week.

Verdict

One of the best in the game, even if he’s taken a step back on the clocks in recent weeks, if he can emulate anything close to what he’s capable of, he is the value play in the betting ring.

Bet On: Ballymac Deniro

Trap 6

Trap 6 | Ballyhooly Cliff – 14/1

Odds

Ballyhooly Cliff can be backed at 8/1, suggesting a 6.7% chance of Irish Plate success.

Pedigree

Sire: Orchestrate

Dam: Lemon Tilda

Career Record

Form

The November 2024 Black dog is trained by Tom O’Neill Bourke for owners The Ashgrove Trio Syndicate.

Debuting on the racing scene in Kilkenny last April, it took the dog a few races to find his feet before winning his first race in his fourth, clocking 29.21, before winning an A2 stake at the same venue and a win at Shelbourne in 28.25.

After a few missteps, he ran out an impressive 29.46 in round one of the Derby , before being knocked out the following week after finishing fourth. He’s qualified away in recent weeks and then won his semi-final last week in 29.74.

Verdict

Another with potential, but hasn’t shown what he’s likely capable of enough, so a career-best run will be needed to win this too.

Bet On: Ballyhooly Cliff

*Prices are subject to fluctuation.

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