Epsom Downs experienced its first
race meeting in 1661 and the tradition continued until 1779 when the
one of today’s greatest racing events was established. Edward Smith
Stanley, the 12th Earl of Derby, organised a race for himself and
his friends to race their three-year-old fillies over one and a half
miles. He named it the Oaks. The Epsom Derby was created as an
equivalent to the Oaks, whose field is made up only of fillies, and
while the Derby is almost exclusively contested by colts, fillies
are not excluded. The inaugural running of the ‘Derby’ was won by
Sir Charles Bunbury’s horse Diomed. The contest was held over
a mile with the starting point in a straight line beyond the current
five-furlong marker. Tattenham Corner was not introduced until 1784
when the course was extended to its current distance of a mile-
and-a-half. Even during both world wars the event continued to be
staged. Over the years, the great racehorse owners and the best
jockeys have achieved success and fame at Epsom Downs. An example of
such success is the current Aga Khan who celebrated his fourth
victory in 2000 with his 3-year old colt, Sinndar. The Aga
Khan’s first Derby win goes back to Shergar whose
performance at Epsom Downs was acknowledged by many as the greatest
performance of the 20th century. Lester Piggott dominated The Derby
whilst he was riding (nine victories to his name; his first Epsom
Derby success came aboard Never Say Die in 1954 and the last
29 years later, on Teenoso) but there have been many great
jockeys who found victory at Epsom Downs hard to come by. Sir Gordon
Richards, champion jockey 26 times between 1920 and 1954, had to
wait until 1953 and the twilight of his career before he won on
Pinza. Today’s generation of jockeys; Kevin Darley, George
Duffield, Richard Hills, Richard Quinn, and Michael Roberts join
Frankie Dettori in seeking that elusive Derby win. The Vodafone
Derby remains the race that not only top jockeys, but also owners,
trainers and breeders most want to win. The Vodafone Epsom Derby
offers a unique challenge to those trainers and jockeys and creates
true champions. This is why it is regarded
as The Blue Riband of the Turf.
THE BEST SIX AT
EPSOM
Sea Bird II
(1965) Bred and trained in France,
raced only once in Britain. The winning margin was a mere two
lengths but the manner in which he demolished the best of the home
team stamped him as an exceptional horse. His reputation was further
enhanced when he trounced a vintage line-up for the Prix de l'Arc de
Triomphe later in the year. After that he retired to stud in America
as the winner of seven races out of eight - and as one of the
greatest racehorses in history.
Nijinsky (1970) Trained by Vincent O'Brien, he
won all five of his races as a two-year-old and did not let his
supporters down in the Derby, recording a stylish victory under the
famous Lester Piggott. He landed the Irish Derby and King George VI
and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and went on to complete the Triple Crown
(2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger). He ended his career with two
defeats but they could not disguise the glory of his achievements
earlier in the year. Piggott paid him this tribute: "Nijinsky
possessed more natural ability than any horse I ever rode".
Mill Reef (1971)
Mill Reef and the equally-brilliant
Brigadier Gerard made 1971 a golden year for racing. Both were
outstanding champions in their own right and they remain two of the
all-time greats. The "Brigadier" came out on top in the 2000 Guineas
but he did not run at Epsom, leaving Mill Reef to make his own
indelible mark in the history books. The better of the pair over the
Derby distance of a mile-and-a-half, Mill Reef later added the King
George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and the Prix de l'Arc
de Triomphe in Paris to his impressive portfolio.
Shergar (1981)
Shergar is perhaps even better known
these days for his unsolved disappearance than he is for his
breathtaking display at Epsom, where he scored by an unprecedented
10 lengths. After going on to land the Irish Derby and King George
VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, he was sensationally beaten
in the St Leger and subsequently retired. After spending just one
season at the Aga Khan's stud in Ireland, he vanished during the
night in February 1983 and was never seen again.
Reference Point
(1987) A tough, no-nonsense type, this
horse is often overlooked in lists of the best recent Derby winners.
But his record undoubtedly exceeds most of them. He was ridden to
victory at Epsom by a talented American, Steve Cauthen. Known as the
"Kentucky Kid", Cauthen made an immense impact on the racing scene
during his successful spell in Britain. Reference Point himself went
on to win the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and
the St Leger. His style of racing was more workmanlike than
spectacular but during the course of his career he repeatedly proved
to be a very tough nut to crack.
Nashwan (1989)
One of jockey Willie Carson's four Derby winners, Nashwan was the
last horse to complete the 2000 Guineas-Derby double. It is a feat
that Golan attempt to duplicate but with no luck in 2001. Many
others have tried and failed. A magnificent athlete, Nashwan
deserves a place among the elite for his versatility. He possessed
enough speed to win over a mile in the Newmarket Classic and the
stamina to cope with an extra four furlongs at Epsom.
References:
www.epsomderby.co.uk/website/derby/history.htm
www.bbc.co.uk
www.epsomderby.com
(Yahia
Nazroo)
