Legendary Mystery Tipster Adds 2026 Epsom Derby Winner To Local Pub Wishing Well

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Epsom Derby Tips 2026 - Amato Pub Wishing Well Tipster

A mystery racing tipster who annually reveals their Derby selection in an Epsom pub has unveiled their pick for this year’s £2million contest.

And if they get it right, plenty of horse racing punters could feel they owe the anonymous insider a drink or two.

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Each year at The Amato pub in Surrey, a nameless racing fan writes down the horse they believe will win the world-famous race. This time, they are convinced the Derby belongs to ITEM.

The Juddmonte-owned colt is the 4-1 Derby second favourite and will line-up for trainer Andrew Balding – the brother of well-known TV presenter Clare Balding – who is still chasing a first Derby success.

The Kingsclere handler has saddled 13 runners in the Derby to date and gone close twice, finishing second with Khalifa Sat in 2020 and Hoo Ya Mal in 2022.

While his dad Ian Balding won the Epsom Derby in 1971 with Mill Reef.

This year, the pressure is even greater, with the winner’s prize boosted to £1million, making the Derby one of the joint-richest races in Britain.

The unbeaten three-year-old chestnut has already earned £118,818 in prize money from victories at Kempton, Bath and York, where he landed the key Derby trial, the Dante Stakes, last month (watch below).

WATCH: Item Winning The Dante Stake at York

Item also impeccably bred, being a homebred son of champion sire Frankel out of the Grade 1-winning Lope de Vega mare Capla Temptress.

To date, Frankel has sired one Epsom Derby winner – Adayar in 2021 – and is also the father of hot Derby favourite Benvenuto Cellini.

Top Irish jockey Colin Keane will be aboard Item for the mile-and-a-half test.

The jockey’s previous Derby rides resulted in a third-place finish on White Birch in 2023 and 14th aboard The Lion In Winter last year.

Amato Pub Wishing Well Epsom Derby Tip – A Long Tradition

Amato Pub – Wishing Well Epsom Derby Betting Tip

The Amato pub – named after the 1838 Derby winner – has long maintained the tradition of chalking the chosen horse’s name above its wishing well.

Amato himself never raced before or after his famous victory at Epsom Downs, but locals treat the anonymous tipster’s annual prediction almost as gospel, with many taking the chalked-up selection straight to the bookmakers.

The tradition, often described as a shot-in-the-dark prediction and said to have originated from a Gypsy forecast, has paid off for punters on several occasions over the years.

As a result, followers eagerly await the latest tip every season.

Thousands of racegoers will descend on Epsom Racecourse – little more than a mile from the pub, which is also known as The Grumpy Mole – for Derby Day (6th June, 2026).

Aidan O’Brien Eyes a Record-Extending Twelfth Epsom Derby Win

Aidan O’Brien – 11-Time Epsom Derby Winning Trainer

Elsewhere, bookmakers have Aidan O’Brien’s Benvenuto Cellini at the head of the market after the colt recorded top-three finishes in all five of his starts.

Like Item, he is by Frankel and bred on the same cross, being out of another Lope de Vega mare.

O’Brien arrives looking for a fourth consecutive Derby victory, having trained the winners of the last three runnings with Lambourn, City Of Troy and Auguste Rodin.

While Aidan O’Brien is also the winning-most Derby trainer with 11 wins – which is an amazing feat considering the race was first run in 1780.

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