It’s Derby weekend at Epsom & we have 10 facts for you about the Derby, that may interest you about the Group 1 race for 3yo’s run over 1m 4f….
These 10 FACTS about the Derby are brought to you by Gerry C – @Epsom1780, who is an amateur flat racing historian with a passion for the Derby….
1 – The Derby at Epsom has been “copied” more than 200 times around the World.
2 – For its first 3 years, 1780-1783 the Derby was run over a mile.
3 – 1788 was the year of the first Royal win. Sir Thomas won for the Prince of Wales, later King George IV. The last Royal win was 1909, Minoru winning for King Edward VII. Of course Aureole ran 2nd for Our current Queen in 1953, and Carlton House was 3rd for her in 2011.
4 – Queen Victoria attended the Derby just once in 1840. After a lack of enthusiasm and respect for her, she never returned!
5 – The demand for news of the Derby winner was so keenly sort, that just 3 minutes after Captain Cuttle won in 1922 the result was known in Australia Such were the technological advances at Epsom.
6 – The BBC first provided coverage of the Derby in 1927 on the wireless radio and for the first time on TV in 1946.
7 – The latest in the year a Derby has been run was 31st July in 1917.
8 – Prime Minister Lord Rosebery won the Derby in consecutive years, 1894 and 1895. On congratulating him Queen Victoria assumed his victories were with the same horse!
9 – The 1797 Derby was won by a colt with no name. He was by Fidget out of Sister to Pharamond and simply known as Fidget Colt.
10 – Horses have been winning the Derby in quicker times as years progress. Workforce’s record time of 2 mins31.33 was over 10 seconds faster than any horse ran in the 19th century and over 2 seconds faster than any horse up to 1960.
Article by Gerry C
Pictures – File
AOLR Production – Published May 2022
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