Derby

It has become custom for some to yearn for the glory days of the Epsom Derby, when the blue riband of the English turf sat proud on its Wednesday slot dominating the consciousness of the London area. While it has fallen some way short of its past standard as a national treasure, one of the factors in its relative demise has been lack of competition but this year's Cazoo-sponsored renewal stands up on that score at least. In fact, with all its converging plots there has not been as exciting...

Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) denied heavy 3-5 favourite and G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas hero Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) by the narrowest of margins to take the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) at Tokyo on Sunday. It was the record-setting seventh win in that Classic for a son of Deep Impact, whose earlier successes include Deep Brillante (Jpn) (2012), Kizuna (Jpn) (2013), Makahiki (Jpn) (2016), Wagnerian (Jpn) (2018), Roger Barows (Jpn) (2019) and Triple Crown victor Contrail (Jpn) last term. Sent off at 10-1, Shahryar was rank and tugging for...

Anyone who either dabbles in the business with a mare or two, or operates in the higher echelons with a sizeable broodmare band, would be more than excited in the Classic countdown to have a five-length winner of a Newmarket trial who was catapulted into second favouritism for the Derby. That was the position breeder Philippa Cooper found herself in on Guineas weekend when Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) cantered all over his rivals for a cosy success in the listed Newmarket S. for William Haggas and Shadwell. And she admits...

G1 Cazoo Derby favourite High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) could be re-routed to next Thursday's G2 Dante S. at York after unsatisfactory blood work ruled him out of Saturday's Listed Derby Trial S. at Lingfield. "His blood count didn't come back proper--his SAA [Serum Amyloid A] was very high and that is usually an indication of inflammation or infection somewhere, but we couldn't find either anywhere in his body," O'Brien told Sky Sports Racing. "He scoped perfect this morning. Maybe it was just one of those things, but we'll do...

Cazoo, the UK's leading online car retailer, has been unveiled as the main sponsor of The Derby Festival, which will take place this year at Epsom Downs on June 4 and 5. The multi-year partnership includes exclusive naming rights of eight races during the festival, including the Cazoo Derby and Cazoo Oaks, as well as year-round exposure for Cazoo at all 15 of the Jockey Club's 15 racecourses in the UK. Alex Chesterman OBE, founder and chief executive officer of Cazoo, said, "We're delighted to be sponsoring The Cazoo Derby...

The Classic Generation At the start of June, with France and Germany having already crept cautiously back into play after the COVID full-stop, Britain joined in with the beginning of a flourish of catch-up fare. In under a week of racing, we had a new star to gaze at, and time experts were in awe of Bjorn Nielsen's English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}). While he looked super-slick in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial, he was to be given the justifiably dreaded number one draw at Epsom and gave up any...

There are countless ways in which the Coronavirus pandemic has had a negative impact on the world at large and our smaller racing world within, but every now and then a positive aspect will emerge. On Tuesday, the G2 King Edward VII S. became a Derby trial rather than a consolation race for Epsom. For the winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), the adjustments to this season's racing programme have played into the hands of his connections when it comes to having a crack at the Derby, which is now...

In its latest update on Wednesday, the British Horseracing Authority's Flat Pattern Committee revealed that plans remain for the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 1000 Guineas to be staged on June 6 and 7, respectively, while the G1 Investec Derby and G1 Investec Oaks are both set for Saturday, July 4. The G1 Eclipse S. will take place on July 5, and Royal Ascot remains on its original dates of June 16 to 20, though some changes to the order of races "will be confirmed as soon as possible." The...

With racing in Britain suspended until at least the end of April, just days before the Guineas would have been run at Newmarket, the one certain thing in an uncertain world is that there will be some disruption to the Classic programme this season. Hopefully that will merely be some date changes. The last time there was a significant change to the British Classics was 25 years ago, when the Derby was moved from its traditional Wednesday slot to a Saturday. It still rankles in some quarters, though in this...

G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy victor Kameko (Kitten's Joy) and G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. winner Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), at 12-1, are the shortest-priced among the 139 3-year-olds engaged in the June 6 G1 Investec Derby after the first scratching deadline. Mogul is one of 47 entries for trainer Aidan O'Brien, who last year won his record-equaling seventh Derby with Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). O'Brien's sons Joseph and Donnacha each field four entries. Joseph O'Brien is a Derby-winning rider, having steered Camelot (GB) and Australia (GB) to victory...

2011 G1 Derby victor Pour Moi (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) will stand at Haras de Cercy in France for 2020, Racing Post reported. The bay will command €3,000. Since 2017, he was a resident of Coolmore's Grange Stud. The G2 Prix Greffulhe winner has sired two Group 1 winners from six black-type winners so far-fellow Derby hero Wings of Eagles (Fr), and G1 JJ Atkins S. scorer Sacred Elixir (NZ). His top filly is G3 Lacken S. heroine Only Mine (Ire) and his oldest runners in the Northern Hemisphere just turned...