2017 Epsom Derby
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{, class="collapsible collapsed" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="clear:right; float:right; text-align:center; font-weight:bold;" width="280px" ! colspan="3" style="border:1px solid black; background-color: #77DD77;" , Also Ran The 2017 Epsom Derby was the 238th annual running of the
Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...
horse race and took place at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 3 June 2017. It was televised on ITV for the first time since 1988. The race was worth £1.5million, an increase on the 2016 prize, and was sponsored by
Investec Investec is an Anglo-South African international banking and wealth management group. It provides a range of financial products and services to a client base in Europe, Southern Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Investec is dual-listed on the London S ...
. The race saw the biggest Derby upset for 43 years as Wings of Eagles won at odds of 40/1. His win was the seventh in the race for his owners and the sixth for his trainer
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
. By contrast, it was a first ride in the race for the winning jockey Padraig Beggy, a work-rider at O'Brien's
Ballydoyle Ballydoyle is a racehorse training facility located in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is a sister thoroughbred facility to Coolmore Stud, and both are owned by John Magnier, son in law to the racehorse trainer Vincent O'Brien. The current train ...
stable.


Entries

The initial entry for the 2017 Epsom Derby, announced in December 2015, consisted of 416 yearlings. The number of entries was a decrease of 59 on the initial entry for the 2016 race, and included 54 horses from the
Godolphin Racing Godolphin (Arabic: جودلفين) is the Maktoum family's private Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of ...
organisation and 59 from the
Coolmore Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operat ...
. Another 10 horses were added at the second entry stage in April 2017 at a cost of £9,000 per entry. The second entries included Thunder Snow, winner of the 2017
UAE Derby The UAE Derby is a Group 2 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates for three-year-old thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,900 metres (approximately 9.5 furlongs) on dirt at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. It takes place annually during the ...
; he was subsequently routed to the US to contest the
2017 Kentucky Derby The 2017 Kentucky Derby (in full, the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, due to sponsorship) was the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby, and took place on Saturday, May 6, 2017. The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held each year in Lou ...
. A further entry stage took place on 29 May 2017, and saw two horses, Permian and Khalidi added to the line-up after their owners each paid supplementary fees of £85,000. The two-day declarations on 1 June saw the withdrawal of the outsider Finn McCool leaving a field of nineteen horses. The most controversial entry was Diore Lia, a filly who had shown no racing ability in two starts and who was scheduled to be ridden by the inexperienced apprentice jockey Gina Mangan. After safety concerns were raised the BHA allowed the horse to take part but insisted that Mangan be replaced by a more qualified rider. The filly was withdrawn on the morning of the race after sustaining a muscle injury. Later, the owner of Diore Lia were banned from horse racing actives,
British Horseracing Authority The British Horseracing Authority, also known simply as the BHA, is the regulatory authority for horse racing in Great Britain. It was formed on 31 July 2007, after the merger of the British Horseracing Board (BHB) and the Horseracing Regulato ...
also banned horses rated below 80 in group 1 races except for two years old only races.


Trial races

Ireland staged the first notable trial for the 2017 English Derby when the
Ballysax Stakes The Ballysax Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) at Leopardst ...
was run at Leopardstown Racecourse on 8 April and produced a considerable upset as Joseph O'Brien sent out Rekindling to win at odds of 16/1. Douglas Macarthur, Yucatan and Capri, the next three finishers, were all trained by O'Brien's father Aidan and represented the powerful Coolmore organisation. The first significant British trial races took place at the Craven meeting at
Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of British horserac ...
in April. The Listed Feilden Stakes over nine
furlongs A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in ho ...
on Tuesday 18 saw the
John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse, and over 600 winne ...
trained Khalidi prevail by a neck over the betting favourite Salouen. In the
Group 3 Group 3 may refer to: *Group 3 element, chemical element classification *Group 3 (racing), FIA classification for auto racing * Group 3, the third tier of races in worldwide Thoroughbred horse racing * Group 3 image format, Group 3 & Group 4 are ...
Craven Stakes (primarily a trial for the
2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year ...
) over one mile two days later Eminent (from the first crop of foals sired by
Frankel Frankel is the surname of: * Benjamin Frankel (1906–1973), British composer * Bethenny Frankel (born 1970), American chef and reality television personality * Charles Frankel (1917–1975), American philosopher, known for Charles Frankel Prize ...
) scored an upset victory over
Rivet A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite to the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the rivet is placed in a punched ...
with Godolphins Benbatl in third place. In the following week
Epsom Racecourse Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse on the hills associated with Epsom in Surrey, England which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. The "Downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course, which has a crowd capacity of 13 ...
staged the ten-furlong Investec Derby Trial, and in a very tight finish, Cracksman, from the Gosden stable, caught the Mark Johnston-trained Permian in the final stride to win by a short head. The 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on 6 May was won by
Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...
with Eminent in sixth place. Churchill had been the winter favourite for the Derby but his connections opted not to follow the Epsom route, deciding to keep the horse to shorter distances. On the same day Permian won the ten furlong
Newmarket Stakes The Newmarket Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) on t ...
, beating Speedo Boy by four and a half
lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...
with the favoured Khalidi in third place. On the following day Leopardstown staged the
Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial The Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) ...
which resulted in a clean sweep for the Aidan O'Brien stable as Douglas Macarthur won in a three-way photo-phinish from his stablemates Yucatan and Capri. At Chester Racecourse the following week the O'Brien domination continued with a 1-2-3 in the
Chester Vase The Chester Vase is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 63 yards () at Che ...
as Venice Beach won from Wings of Eagles and The Anvil. Two days later at the same meeting O'Brien sent out Cliffs of Moher to win the Dee Stakes at odds of 4/5. The
Lingfield Derby Trial The Derby Trial Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 3 furlongs and 133 yards () ...
on the 13 May saw a victory for Godolphin as Best Solution, who had spent the early part of 2017 in Dubai, won by three and a quarter lengths from Glencadam Glory. The
Dante Stakes The Dante Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards () at ...
at
York Racecourse York Racecourse is a horse racing venue in York, North Yorkshire, England. It is the third biggest racecourse in Britain in terms of total prize money offered, and second behind Ascot in prize money offered per meeting. It attracts around 350 ...
on 18 May attracted its usual strong field and saw Permian win from Benbatl, Crystal Ocean (a highly regarded colt from the
Michael Stoute Sir Michael Ronald Stoute (born 22 October 1945) is a Barbadian British Thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing. Career Stoute, whose father was the Chief of Police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assis ...
yard) and Rekindling. The last major trial was the Listed
Cocked Hat Stakes The Cocked Hat Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 44 yards (2,253 metr ...
over eleven furlongs at
Goodwood Racecourse Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House. It hosts the annual Glorious Goodwood meeting in la ...
on 26 May which resulted in a five length win for Khalidi.


Race card

The final field of eighteen saw seven Irish-trained challengers matched against eleven British-trained colts. Fourteen of the runners were supplied by three major stables: Aidan O'Brien (six runners), John Gosden (five) and Saeed bin Suroor (three). The only female jockey was Anastasia "Ana" O'Brien who became the third woman to ride in the race after Alex Greaves and
Hayley Turner Hayley Turner (born 3 January 1983) is an English jockey who competes in flat racing. Originally from Nottingham, she is based in Newmarket. In 2008 Turner became the first woman to ride 100 UK flat race winners during a calendar year. She ...
. {, class="wikitable sortable" , - !No !Draw !Horse !Weight ( stlb) !Jockey ! Trainer !Owner , - , 1 , 16 , Benbatl , 9–0 ,
Oisin Murphy Oisin Murphy (born 6 September 1995) is an Irish jockey based in the United Kingdom who competes in flat racing. He has won a British Classic Races, British Classic and a number of Group races, Group 1 races. He was British flat racing Cham ...
,
Saeed bin Suroor Saeed bin Suroor (born 16 November 1968 in Dubai) is a horse racing trainer in Great Britain. He took out his training licence in 1993 and the following year was appointed as the trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation. He has been ...
, Godolphin , - , 2 , 8 ,
Best Solution Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation ...
(IRE) , 9–0 ,
Pat Cosgrave Patrick Cosgrave (born 2 June 1982 in Banbridge) is a Northern Irish flat racing jockey based in England. He won his first race in 1999 and went on to become Irish champion apprentice in 2003, having spent two years in the stable of Aidan O'Bri ...
,
Saeed bin Suroor Saeed bin Suroor (born 16 November 1968 in Dubai) is a horse racing trainer in Great Britain. He took out his training licence in 1993 and the following year was appointed as the trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation. He has been ...
, Godolphin , - , 3 , 10 , Capri (IRE) , 9–0 ,
Seamie Heffernan James Anthony "Seamie" Heffernan (born 17 July 1972) is an Irish flat racing jockey who rides mainly for horse racing trainer Aidan O'Brien. From a family with no racing connections Heffernan was introduced to the sport when he took a summer ...
,
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
(IRE) ,
Tabor Tabor may refer to: Places Czech Republic * Tábor, a town in the South Bohemian Region ** Tábor District, the surrounding district * Tábor, a village and part of Velké Heraltice in the Moravian-Silesian Region Israel * Mount Tabor, Galilee ...
, Smith, Magnier , - , 4 , 13 ,
Cliffs of Moher The Cliffs of Moher (; ) are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They run for about . At their southern end, they rise above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and, to the north, they ...
(IRE) , 9–0 , Ryan Moore ,
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
(IRE) ,
Tabor Tabor may refer to: Places Czech Republic * Tábor, a town in the South Bohemian Region ** Tábor District, the surrounding district * Tábor, a village and part of Velké Heraltice in the Moravian-Silesian Region Israel * Mount Tabor, Galilee ...
, Smith, Magnier , - , 5 , 7 , Cracksman , 9–0 ,
Frankie Dettori Lanfranco Dettori (; born 15 December 1970), better known as Frankie Dettori, is an Italian horse racing jockey based in the United Kingdom. Dettori has been British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and has ...
,
John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse, and over 600 winne ...
,
Anthony Oppenheimer Anthony Ernest Oppenheimer (born June 1937) is a British diamond dealer and racehorse owner. Early life He was born in June 1937, the son of Sir Philip Oppenheimer, and his wife Pamela Fenn Stirling. Career Oppenheimer was president of De Bee ...
, - , 6 , 12 , Crowned Eagle , 9–0 ,
Andrea Atzeni Andrea Atzeni (born 26 March 1991) is a professional Italian jockey based in England. He hails from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia and his family has no history of racing; his father is a farmer and his mother a dentist. Atzeni however exp ...
,
John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse, and over 600 winne ...
, Lady Bamford , - , 7 , 19 , Douglas Macarthur (IRE) , 9–0 , Colm O'Donoghue ,
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
(IRE) , Jooste,
Tabor Tabor may refer to: Places Czech Republic * Tábor, a town in the South Bohemian Region ** Tábor District, the surrounding district * Tábor, a village and part of Velké Heraltice in the Moravian-Silesian Region Israel * Mount Tabor, Galilee ...
, Smith, Magnier , - , 8 , 1 , Dubai Thunder , 9–0 ,
Adam Kirby Adam Kirby (born August 1988) is a Group 1-winning British jockey. He was brought up in Kirtling near Newmarket, on the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border, where he still lives, and started riding out for James Fanshawe aged 12. He served his ...
,
Saeed bin Suroor Saeed bin Suroor (born 16 November 1968 in Dubai) is a horse racing trainer in Great Britain. He took out his training licence in 1993 and the following year was appointed as the trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation. He has been ...
, Godolphin , - , 9 , 4 , Eminent (IRE) , 9–0 ,
Jim Crowley James Harold "Sleepy Jim" Crowley (September 10, 1902 – January 15, 1986) was an American football player and coach. He gained fame as one-fourth of the University of Notre Dame's legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield where he played halfback fr ...
, Martyn Meade , Peter Vela , - , 10 , 18 , Glencadam Glory , 9–0 , James Doyle ,
John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse, and over 600 winne ...
, Angus Dundee Distillers , - , 11 , 6 , Khalidi , 9–0 ,
Pat Smullen Patrick Joseph Smullen (22 May 1977 – 15 September 2020), was an Irish jockey who won the Irish flat racing Champion Jockey title nine times. In a career running from 1992 to 2018 he rode 1,845 winners in Ireland and 47 in Britain. Amongst h ...
,
John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse, and over 600 winne ...
, Nizar Anwar , - , 12 , 5 , Pealer (GER) , 9–0 ,
Silvestre de Sousa Silvestre de Sousa (born 31 December 1980 in São Francisco do Maranhão, Brazil) is a Brazilian flat racing jockey based in Britain. He was champion jockey of Britain in 2015, with 132 winners, and again in 2017 and 2018. Childhood and early ...
,
John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse, and over 600 winne ...
, Capon, Lloyd Webber,
Hood Hood may refer to: Covering Apparel * Hood (headgear), type of head covering ** Article of academic dress ** Bondage hood, sex toy * Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt Anatomy * Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris * Hood, a flap of ...
, - , 13 , 3 , Permian (IRE) , 9–0 ,
William Buick William Buick (born 22 July 1988) is a Norwegian-British flat jockey. He shared the champion apprentice jockey title in 2008 with David Probert and won the Lester Award for Apprentice Jockey of the Year in 2007 and 2008. From 2010 to 2014 h ...
, Mark Johnston , Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum , - , 14 , 15 , Rekindling , 9–0 ,
Wayne Lordan Wayne Lordan is a multiple Group race winning Irish jockey. His first winner was Ethbaat for trainer Gerry Cully at Killarney on 15 July 1998. In his early career he was associated with the stables of David Wachman and Tommy Stack. He also ...
, Joseph O'Brien (IRE) , Lloyd Williams , - , 15 , 11 , Salouen (IRE) , 9–0 , Fran Berry , Sylvester Kirk , H Balasuriya , - , 16 , 2 , The Anvil (IRE) , 9–0 , Ana O'Brien ,
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
(IRE) ,
Tabor Tabor may refer to: Places Czech Republic * Tábor, a town in the South Bohemian Region ** Tábor District, the surrounding district * Tábor, a village and part of Velké Heraltice in the Moravian-Silesian Region Israel * Mount Tabor, Galilee ...
, Smith, Magnier, O'Brien , - , 17 , 9 , Venice Beach (IRE) , 9–0 ,
Donnacha O'Brien Donnacha O'Brien (born 22 July 1998) is an Irish racehorse trainer and former jockey who competed in Flat racing. O'Brien is the son of multiple champion trainer Aidan O'Brien and brother of jockey and trainer Joseph O'Brien. Donnacha O'Brien ...
,
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
(IRE) ,
Tabor Tabor may refer to: Places Czech Republic * Tábor, a town in the South Bohemian Region ** Tábor District, the surrounding district * Tábor, a village and part of Velké Heraltice in the Moravian-Silesian Region Israel * Mount Tabor, Galilee ...
, Smith, Magnier, Flaxman , - , 18 , 14 , Wings of Eagles (FR) , 9–0 , Padraig Beggy ,
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
(IRE) ,
Tabor Tabor may refer to: Places Czech Republic * Tábor, a town in the South Bohemian Region ** Tábor District, the surrounding district * Tábor, a village and part of Velké Heraltice in the Moravian-Silesian Region Israel * Mount Tabor, Galilee ...
, Smith, Magnier Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated. Diore Lia was number 19 on the card, drawn 17, but was a non-runner.


Race

The race took place in fine, sunny weather on a surface officially described as "good". On the morning of the race Cracksman and Cliffs of Moher were disputing favouritism but by race time Cracksman headed the betting on 7/2 with Cliffs of Moher on 5/1 alongside Eminent. The best-supported of the other runners were Permian (8/1) and the inexperienced Dubai Thunder (9/1). When the race began, the Aidan O'Brien-trained Douglas Macarthur went to the front ahead of his stablemate The Anvil, and the pair quickly opened up a lead of several lengths over the rest of the field. As the field turned into the straight, Douglas Macarthur still led from The Anvil, Venice Beach, Best Solution and Cracksman, whilst Cliffs of Moher, Eminent and the 40/1 outsider Wings of Eagles were towards the rear. The Anvil and Venice Beach dropped back but Douglas Macarthur maintained his gallop and briefly went clear of the field before being overtaken by Cracksman approaching the final furlong. The favourite was soon challenged as both Cliffs of Moher and Eminent made strong late challenges and Wings of Eagles made rapid progress from the rear. Cliffs of Moher headed Cracksman in the closing stages but was in turn overtaken by Wings of Eagles who won by three-quarters of a length. Cracksman held on for third ahead of Eminent with a gap of three and a half lengths back to Benbatl in fifth. Wings of Eagles was the longest-priced winner of the race since
Snow Knight Snow Knight (28 February 1971 – 15 September 1992) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who won Britain's most prestigious race in 1974, the Derby, then the following year earned an Eclipse Award as the American Champion Male Turf Horse. Backgrou ...
triumphed at 50/1 in 1974.


Full result

{, class="wikitable sortable" , - style="background:#7d7; text-align:center;" , style="width:35px;", , style="width:45px;", Dist * , style="width:160px;", Horse , style="width:160px;", Jockey , style="width:200px;", Trainer , style="width:80px;", SP , - , 1 , , Wings of Eagles , Padraig Beggy ,
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
, 40/1 , - , 2 , ¾ ,
Cliffs of Moher The Cliffs of Moher (; ) are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They run for about . At their southern end, they rise above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and, to the north, they ...
, Ryan Moore ,
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
, 5/1 , - , 3 , nk , Cracksman ,
Frankie Dettori Lanfranco Dettori (; born 15 December 1970), better known as Frankie Dettori, is an Italian horse racing jockey based in the United Kingdom. Dettori has been British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and has ...
,
John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse, and over 600 winne ...
, 7/2 fav , - , 4 , ¾ , Eminent ,
Jim Crowley James Harold "Sleepy Jim" Crowley (September 10, 1902 – January 15, 1986) was an American football player and coach. He gained fame as one-fourth of the University of Notre Dame's legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield where he played halfback fr ...
, Martyn Meade , 5/1 , - , 5 , 1¾ , Benbatl ,
Oisin Murphy Oisin Murphy (born 6 September 1995) is an Irish jockey based in the United Kingdom who competes in flat racing. He has won a British Classic Races, British Classic and a number of Group races, Group 1 races. He was British flat racing Cham ...
,
Saeed bin Suroor Saeed bin Suroor (born 16 November 1968 in Dubai) is a horse racing trainer in Great Britain. He took out his training licence in 1993 and the following year was appointed as the trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation. He has been ...
, 20/1 , - , 6 , nk , Capri ,
Seamie Heffernan James Anthony "Seamie" Heffernan (born 17 July 1972) is an Irish flat racing jockey who rides mainly for horse racing trainer Aidan O'Brien. From a family with no racing connections Heffernan was introduced to the sport when he took a summer ...
,
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
, 16/1 , - , 7 , 1 , Douglas Macarthur , Colm O'Donoghue ,
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
, 25/1 , - , 8 , 1¾ ,
Best Solution Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation ...
, Pat Cosgrave ,
Saeed bin Suroor Saeed bin Suroor (born 16 November 1968 in Dubai) is a horse racing trainer in Great Britain. He took out his training licence in 1993 and the following year was appointed as the trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation. He has been ...
, 12/1 , - , 9 , 1¼ , Glencadam Glory , James Doyle ,
John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse, and over 600 winne ...
, 33/1 , - , 10 , nk , Permian ,
William Buick William Buick (born 22 July 1988) is a Norwegian-British flat jockey. He shared the champion apprentice jockey title in 2008 with David Probert and won the Lester Award for Apprentice Jockey of the Year in 2007 and 2008. From 2010 to 2014 h ...
, Mark Johnston , 8/1 , - , 11 , nk , Dubai Thunder ,
Adam Kirby Adam Kirby (born August 1988) is a Group 1-winning British jockey. He was brought up in Kirtling near Newmarket, on the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border, where he still lives, and started riding out for James Fanshawe aged 12. He served his ...
,
Saeed bin Suroor Saeed bin Suroor (born 16 November 1968 in Dubai) is a horse racing trainer in Great Britain. He took out his training licence in 1993 and the following year was appointed as the trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation. He has been ...
, 9/1 , - , 12 , 2½ , Venice Beach ,
Donnacha O'Brien Donnacha O'Brien (born 22 July 1998) is an Irish racehorse trainer and former jockey who competed in Flat racing. O'Brien is the son of multiple champion trainer Aidan O'Brien and brother of jockey and trainer Joseph O'Brien. Donnacha O'Brien ...
,
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
, 12/1 , - , 13 , ½ , Salouen , Fran Berry , Sylvester Kirk , 33/1 , - , 14 , 2¼ , Khalidi ,
Pat Smullen Patrick Joseph Smullen (22 May 1977 – 15 September 2020), was an Irish jockey who won the Irish flat racing Champion Jockey title nine times. In a career running from 1992 to 2018 he rode 1,845 winners in Ireland and 47 in Britain. Amongst h ...
,
John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse, and over 600 winne ...
, 20/1 , - , 15 , 2¼ , Crowned Eagle ,
Andrea Atzeni Andrea Atzeni (born 26 March 1991) is a professional Italian jockey based in England. He hails from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia and his family has no history of racing; his father is a farmer and his mother a dentist. Atzeni however exp ...
,
John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse, and over 600 winne ...
, 33/1 , - , 16 , 2¼ , Rekindling ,
Wayne Lordan Wayne Lordan is a multiple Group race winning Irish jockey. His first winner was Ethbaat for trainer Gerry Cully at Killarney on 15 July 1998. In his early career he was associated with the stables of David Wachman and Tommy Stack. He also ...
, Joseph O'Brien , 25/1 , - , 17 , 5 , The Anvil , Ana O'Brien ,
Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...
, 66/1 , - , 18 , 10 , Pealer ,
Silvestre de Sousa Silvestre de Sousa (born 31 December 1980 in São Francisco do Maranhão, Brazil) is a Brazilian flat racing jockey based in Britain. He was champion jockey of Britain in 2015, with 132 winners, and again in 2017 and 2018. Childhood and early ...
,
John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the Arc, the King George, the Eclipse, and over 600 winne ...
, 100/1 * The distances between the horses are shown in
lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...
or shorter; nse = nose; hd = head.
† Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.


Form analysis


Two-year-old races

Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 2016
* Best Solution – ''1st in Autumn Stakes, 2nd in
Critérium de Saint-Cloud The Critérium de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is sche ...
, 4th in Somerville Tattersall Stakes'' * Capri – ''1st in Beresford Stakes, 1st in El Gran Senor Stakes, 3rd in
Critérium de Saint-Cloud The Critérium de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is sche ...
'' * Douglas Macarthur – ''3rd in Juvenile Stakes, 4th in
Critérium de Saint-Cloud The Critérium de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is sche ...
, 5th in
Royal Lodge Stakes The Royal Lodge Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) ...
'' * Permian – ''3rd in
Zetland Stakes The Zetland Stakes is a Group races, Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket Racecourse, Newmarket ...
'' * Rekindling – ''13th in
Critérium de Saint-Cloud The Critérium de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is sche ...
'' * Salouen – ''2nd in
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, formerly the Grand Critérium, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 1, ...
, 2nd in Solario Stakes, 3rd in
Racing Post Trophy The Vertem Futurity Trophy is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), ...
'' * The Anvil – ''2nd in
Royal Lodge Stakes The Royal Lodge Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) ...
, 4th in Autumn Stakes, 10th in
Racing Post Trophy The Vertem Futurity Trophy is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), ...
'' * Wings of Eagles – ''4th in
Zetland Stakes The Zetland Stakes is a Group races, Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket Racecourse, Newmarket ...
, 9th in
Critérium de Saint-Cloud The Critérium de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is sche ...
''


Road to Epsom

Early-season appearances in 2017 and trial races prior to running in the Derby:
* Benbatl – ''2nd in
Dante Stakes The Dante Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards () at ...
, 3rd in
Craven Stakes The Craven Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres ...
'' * Best Solution – ''1st in
Lingfield Derby Trial The Derby Trial Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 3 furlongs and 133 yards () ...
, 8th in UAE 2000 Guineas'' * Capri – ''3rd in
Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial The Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) ...
, 4th in
Ballysax Stakes The Ballysax Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) at Leopardst ...
'' *
Cliffs of Moher The Cliffs of Moher (; ) are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They run for about . At their southern end, they rise above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and, to the north, they ...
– ''1st in Dee Stakes'' * Cracksman – ''1st in Investec Derby Trial'' * Douglas Macarthur – ''1st in
Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial The Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) ...
, 2nd in
Ballysax Stakes The Ballysax Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) at Leopardst ...
'' * Eminent – ''1st Craven Stakes, 6th
2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year ...
'' * Glencadam Glory – ''2nd in
Lingfield Derby Trial The Derby Trial Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 3 furlongs and 133 yards () ...
'' * Khalidi – ''1st in Feilden Stakes, 1st in
Cocked Hat Stakes The Cocked Hat Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 44 yards (2,253 metr ...
, 3rd in
Newmarket Stakes The Newmarket Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) on t ...
'' * Permian – ''1st in
Newmarket Stakes The Newmarket Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) on t ...
, 1st in
Dante Stakes The Dante Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards () at ...
, 2nd in Investec Derby Trial'' * Rekindling – ''1st in
Ballysax Stakes The Ballysax Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) at Leopardst ...
, 4th in
Dante Stakes The Dante Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards () at ...
'' * Salouen – ''2nd in Feilden Stakes'' * The Anvil – ''3rd in
Chester Vase The Chester Vase is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 63 yards () at Che ...
'' * Venice Beach – ''1st in
Chester Vase The Chester Vase is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 63 yards () at Che ...
'' * Wings of Eagles – ''2nd in
Chester Vase The Chester Vase is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 63 yards () at Che ...
''


Subsequent Group 1 wins

Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby:
* Benbatl – ''
Dubai Turf The Dubai Turf, known as Dubai Duty Free 1996 to 2014. is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,800 metres (1 mile 1 furlong) on the turf at Meydan Racecourse in D ...
(2018), Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (2018), Ladbrokes Stakes (2018)'' * Best Solution – ''
Grosser Preis von Berlin The Großer Preis von Berlin, formerly known as the Deutschland-Preis, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Hoppegarten over a distance of 2,400 metres (a ...
(2018),
Grosser Preis von Baden The Grosser Preis von Baden is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Baden-Baden over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is schedu ...
(2018),
Caulfield Cup The Caulfield Cup is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under handicap conditions, although the Melbourne Racing Club is in the process of turning the race into weight for age (WFA) conditions. This is for all horses ...
(2018)'' * Capri – ''
Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance ...
(2017),
St Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a ...
(2017)'' * Cracksman – '' Champion Stakes (2017, 2018),
Prix Ganay The Prix Ganay is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 2,100 metres (about 1 mile and 2½ furlongs) at Long ...
(2018),
Coronation Cup The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2 ...
(2018)'' * Rekindling – ''
Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melb ...
(2017)''


References

{{Epsom Derby Epsom Derby Epsom Derby Epsom Derby 2017 2010s in Surrey Epsom Derby