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The EPSOM DERBY – Racing’s famous classic
When an owner in Britain buys a yearling colt, the first thought is never can he win, or where can I place him best but of the grandeur and marvel of winning the most treasured Classic of them all being the Epsom Derby.
Run, naturally, over the classic distance of a mile and a half, it inspires great stories and tales of triumph ever since it was borne in fascinating circumstances in 1779 to be initially run a year later.
Given these days of far greater representation of women in racing in such a male bastion of a sport, it is highly ironic that the first Derby was run as a celebration of the running of the first Oaks in 1779 during a period when women would not have had the level of respect they now hold.
If you believe the tale, the host of the party, the Earl of Derby was rejoicing as had won the first running of the Oaks with his horse Bridget. He was there with one of the guests being Sir Charles Bunbury.
The story is said to go that after devising a plan to race their 3yos, not just fillies, they tossed a coin to decide the name of such a race.
Under whatever conditions the decision was arrived at, it was so determined that the race be known as the Derby Stakes. And so from 1780 onwards they ran the ‘Derby’ – interestingly the inaugural winner was Diomed, owned by said Sir Charles Bunbury.
That race was run at a mile but quickly increased to the mile and a half and so bears its name as the classic generation test for all 3yos around the world although some of the famous Derbies (Kentucky/Chantilly) are now run at distances less than Epsom’s.
It is now raced for over $2m AUD and effectively becomes a free ticket to a life at stud. Geldings don’t even run in the Derby.
Following this age group’s test at the mile in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May, they then extend as part of the five “Classics” of the British turf alongside that 1000 Guineas at Newmarket for the fillies together with the Epsom Oaks and also the St Leger at Doncaster.
Epsom is not an easy course to conjure victory on and the long run for home can see jockeys get itchy fingers. But some of the greats have been good enough to take the mantle.
Think of Nijinksy, Mill Reef, Shergar, Nashwan, Lammtarra, Galileo and of course how could you forget the genius of Sea The Stars.
The son of Cape Cross stepped up half a mile after taking the 2000 Guineas with only a month and no runs between the G1s. He was there to pounce when it mattered making it an all Irish finish. But as we learned since, that win with Mick Kinane nearing his 50th birthday, was just the start of a spectacular season which also included the Coral-Eclipse, Juddmonte International, Irish Champion and to top it off a legendary final passage in the Prix De L'arc De Triomphe.
Just a year earlier, the ’08 running had some controversy in that it was expected that the second favourite New Approach was not going to run heading instead for the Irish equivalent (hence affecting the ante post betting on the race) but his trainer Jim Bolger kept paying up and yet he took his place and won a half length.
2010 saw a monstrous win by Workforce. The colt under Sir Michael Stoute’s care was beaten in the Dante but lifted significantly three weeks later. He raced in behind them but once clear there was not much to be said for the rest. He powered away to score by an amazing seven lengths.
Surprisingly he was trounced (like the rest of them) in stable mate Harbinger’s unbelievable King George romp but equally startling was the recovery to win the Arc at Longchamp.
In the last 30 years some of the legends of the training ranks have taken the Derby with John Oxx, Sir Michael Stoute, Aidan O’Brien, Sir Henry Cecil, Luca Cumani and Vincent O’Brien to name but a few.
The King of the Derby from a riding perspective has been Lester Piggott. He rode the winner nine times in about a 30 year period. But also amongst the names to etch their credentials as a victor in this famous race are Murtagh, Fallon, Peslier, Swinburn, Carson, Eddery and of course some of our legends in George Moore, Scobie Breasley and Neville Sellwood.
Perhaps most evident in recent years was Frankie Dettori’s desire to win the Derby. It took him fourteen goes before he piloted Authorized to a massive five length win in 2007.
When you take this illustrious prize, you establish yourself as a stallion to be desired. Many Australian racing followers will know, via the bloodlines of many current heroes, of the Derby winner’s names.
For many years when the name Shirley Heights was part of the pedigree page, you knew this horse could stay and he took the Epsom race in 1978. Quest For Fame became a Woodlands favourite after his 1990 win and is the sire of their star 3yo Viscount.
Aidan O’Brien has won the last two runnings with Ruler Of The World and Camelot as part of his four wins following the success of future champion sires Galileo and High Chaparral – a horse who has had amazing success in Australia through the likes of So You Think, Shoot Out, Monaco Consul, Descarado and most recently It’s A Dundeel.
Ironically, as the trainer for Coolmore, he wasn’t the conditioner of the winner before that when Andre Fabre produced Pour Moi to win for the same connections in 2011. Under a super confident, some say over confident ride, Mickael Barzalona stood high in the irons well before the line. He only just got up but got up he did.
So that is the past but how do we see the 2014 renewal taking shape.
Rare that the racing world would be focussed on Australia during an English Derby but that will be the case this year and rightfully so.
His Guineas third is the standout piece of form in the race and in our opinion at least he wouldn’t have to produce any more than that to leave this field in his wake.
He received the “best I’ve ever trained” tag from his master trainer Aidan O’Brien long before it was justified and that saw him sent off at odds short of what his form warranted in the Guineas.
He was beaten there but his effort to finish as close as he did, in what has already shaped up as a red-hot Guineas, saw him take a positive step towards fulfilling the lofty expectations placed upon him.
Expectation pre-race can cloud the way punters look at a race post-race and that seems to have been the case for many here.
This, along with weather concerns, has seen the price of Australia ease to beyond 6/4 and it’s now heading towards 2/1.
At better than even money Australia is seen as a great gamble given how high that Guineas performance sets the bar for the rest of the field to jump.
Kingston Hill has lengths to find on Australia through the Guineas, the confidence in him getting close no doubt coming through his Racing Post Trophy win on soft ground.
There he beat the very (very) limited Johann Strauss putting up form that would have him nowhere near what is required to be successful in at Epsom in our opinion.
Lines through Johann Strauss’ Irish Guineas effort, which is admittedly a fairly loose way to do the form, would suggest that Kingston Hill’s chances based on his Doncaster performance are very slim.
Geoffrey Chaucer promises to be a good talent but he too has plenty to find on deeds to date and looks too close to his better performed stablemate in current betting.
He can win, sure, and O’Brien’s second-stringers have a history of outperforming the market, but like Kingston Hill he looks to have become the trendy alternative to Australia and any value in his price is long gone.
True Story is perhaps the most interesting runner away from Australia. He was a flop in the Dante but that form looks a whole lot better since The Grey Gatsby stormed Chantilly and the first-up win of True Story promised plenty.
He’s seen as the most credible danger to Australia but in the view of Racing And Sports the best way to pay for that new stereo for the Torana, or get another half-dozen cylinders for the 26-burner BBQ out back, or just put a few more Vegemite sandwiches on the table, is to get patriotic and bet up on Australia.
From the Racing and Sports Team