Epsom Downs Racecourse

Jim Allen has been appointed as the new general manager of Epsom Downs Racecourse, it was announced by the Jockey Club on Monday. He succeeds Tom Sammes, who leaves the Jockey Club at the end of this month. Allen's early career involved the management of two UK racecourses, Huntingdon and Sedgefield, before he served as racing director at Arena Racing Company (ARC) between 2006 and 2015. In this role he was involved in the innovation of the All-Weather Championships, the introduction of the new Tapeta racing surface at Newcastle and Wolverhampton...

An injunction prohibiting acts of intentional disruption at The Jockey Club's Epsom Downs Racecourse has been extended an additional five years by a High Court judge, TJC announced on Wednesday. The injunction will be subject to an annual review. The original injunction was put in place in May of last year when protesters from Animal Rising made it clear that they planned to breach course security and stage a disruptive protest at the Derby Festival. Judge Sir Anthony Mann has ruled that the final injunction--sought by TJC to restrain acts...

In it seems no time at all, Coolmore's big horse City Of Troy (Justify) has gone from "our Frankel" to a colt carrying a huge symbolic question mark over a head that appeared poised to carry racing's crown. There have been few greater anti-climaxes in the history of Ballydoyle than that which accompanied his abject 2,000 Guineas performance and, following the roller-coaster experience of last year's Derby, we are unexpectedly back in familiar territory. What occurred at Epsom last June was heralded as a feat of training without equal as...

Following a draw conducted live in Epsom's hallowed circle, a final field of 14 has been confirmed for Saturday's G1 Betfred Derby. Ballydoyle number one Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) has pulled "lucky" stall 10, still the most beneficial draw in Derby history having housed Shahrastani, Reference Point (GB), Nashwan, Quest For Fame (GB), Generous (Ire), Galileo (Ire), Sir Percy (GB), Ruler of the World (Ire) and Masar (Ire). Chief market rival Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will exit from next door in nine, while leading contenders Passenger (Ulysses...

Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who won the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial earlier this month for Godolphin, has been supplemented at a cost of £30,000 to Friday's G1 Betfred Oaks. Trained by Charlie Appleby, she gave a good account of herself in her Saturday morning work, and her addition brings the Oaks nominees up to 15. Third at Wolverhampton in her debut in February, she won a 10-furlong Chelmsford maiden later that month. At Lingfield, she defeated another potential Oaks starter in the Group 3-placed Be Happy (Ire) (Camelot {GB}),...

Security measures are in place to avoid any disruption by protestors for the upcoming Betfred Derby Festival, The Jockey Club confirmed on Sunday. Both the Grand National and Scottish Grand National meetings attracted protestors that delayed proceedings to various degrees, but The Jockey Club is taking every possible precaution to avoid that scenario for the upcoming meeting on June 2-3. Epsom Downs Racecourse is owned and operated by The Jockey Club, and officials have met with the Surrey police in advance of the meeting. Nevin Truesdale, Chief Executive of the...

Aidan O'Brien trainee Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Daddys Lil Darling, by Scat Daddy) shed maiden status with a game frontrunning display over 10 furlongs at Leopardstown last month and stormed to the head of ante-post betting lists for Epsom's G1 Oaks after unleashing a spectacular performance in Wednesday's Listed Weatherbys Digital Solutions Cheshire Oaks at Chester. The 8-11 favourite's only moment of worry came at the break, when hampered as the gates opened, and she was bustled along early to retain contact with the main cluster. Inching forward inside the last...

The G1 Betfred Derby will be run at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, The Jockey Club announced on Wednesday. Previously slated for 4:30 p.m., the race's earlier time is a result of the decision to switch the Emirates FA Cup Final at Wembley, which sees Manchester City and Manchester United go head-to-head at 3 p.m. the same afternoon. The 244th running of the Blue Riband will be the second race on the eight-race card that begins at 12:50 p.m. James Crespi, General Manager of Epsom Downs Racecourse, said, "This...

Fresh off of his victory in the G3 Ballysax S. on Sunday, White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) leads 19 other colts as second entries for the G1 Derby at Epsom on Saturday, June 3. Owned by Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez and trained by John Murphy, the colt scored a half-length upset in the Ballysax at 22-1. Several Derby second entries were also made by Charlie Appleby on behalf of Godolphin. Leading the sextet is GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf second Silver Knott (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), while listed winner Naval Power...

James Crespi has been appointed the new General Manager of Epsom Downs Racecourse, The Jockey Club announced on Wednesday. He will begin his duties on Monday, Dec. 5. The Chief Operating Officer of West Wittering Estate PLC since 2015, Crespi also spent 10 years at the Goodwood Estate, where he rose to the position of General Manager of Goodwood Racecourse. Simon Durrant will remain as General Manager of Kempton Park Racecourse while Sarah Drabwell has been appointed General Manager of Sandown Park on a permanent basis, having held the position...

Saturday's G1 Cazoo Derby is no ordinary Derby, being placed squarely in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and bearing the title "In Memory of Lester Piggott", so the onus is on the latest collection of elite middle-distance colts to rise to the occasion. Famed for his ability to pick and choose in his heyday, the question is what would the Longfellow have opted for in this line-up? Few would say anything other than the edition's pop idol Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), whose Dante win had all the purists pricking up...

Shadwell's homebred 5-year-old entire Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Aghareed, by Kingmambo) struck four times at Group 3 level in 2020 and 2021 before annexing Meydan's Mar. 5 G2 Dubai City of Gold and went postward for his European return in Friday's G1 Dahlbury Coronation Cup at Epsom coming back off a seventh in March's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic. Stepping out of the shadow of his hitherto unbeaten full-brother Baaeed (GB), he was unmatched in the closing stages of the 12-furlong contest and powered clear of a select field to...