Epsom Derby Race Guide

The Epsom Derby is the most prestigious of the Classics. One of the biggest events on the international racing calendar, the Epsom Derby attracts a stellar cast of the world’s most talented thoroughbred racehorses.

The Epsom Derby is run over 1 mile 4 furlongs at Epsom Downs racecourse in June. The race is open to 3-year old colts and fillies and makes up the second leg of the English Triple Crown. The Epsom Derby was first run in 1780, and was named after the organiser, the 12th Earl of Derby.

At present the Epsom Derby offers one of the biggest purses in horseracing, a whopping £1,250,000.

Epsom Derby Betting

[odds]http://odds.gambling-guru.com/horse-racing/antepost/epsom-derby|Epsom Derby[/odds]

The Epsom Derby offers the best of all worlds to horseracing punters. Firstly, the race attracts significant attention from both the media and casual racing fans, resulting in massive betting markets packed with dead money.

Secondly, the Epsom Derby is scheduled well into the thoroughbred flat racing season, which means punters will have had adequate time to evaluate and predict the form of runners.

The Epsom Derby is one of the only Classics to boast a set of trial races, dedicated to preparing runners for race distance and conditions. This means that punters have several opportunities to gauge the form of runners under the best possible conditions.

Punters need to keep several race trends in mind when betting on the Epsom Derby. These include avoiding bets on fillies (the last one won in 1916), backing horses with race experience and wins over distances greater than a mile, and restricting bets to short-odds runners.

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Epsom Derby Winners

The Epsom Derby winners that have gone on to win the Triple Crown deserve special mention. In the history of the race only 15 horses have won the Epsom Derby after winning the 2,000 Guineas, and prior to winning the St. Leger.

This feat has been achieved only once since the end of the 2nd World War. In 1970 the legendary racehorse Nijinsky won all three of the Triple Crown classics and became the last horse to win the Triple Crown.