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Investec Derby behind closed doors for the first time

For the first time in its history the world’s most famous Flat race, the Investec Derby at Epsom, will be staged behind closed doors due to the current Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

The event will be equally unprecedented in its format, taking place on just one single day, Saturday 4th July 2020. The day will consist of seven races including the historic fillies’ Classic the Group 1 Investec Oaks, and the feature race the Group 1 Investec Derby.

General Manager of Epsom Downs Racecourse, Simon Durrant said:

“We are delighted that the Investec Derby can go ahead at its unique home course. Indeed, this will be the first time both the Oaks and Derby races take place on the same day, with both set to feature highly competitive fields.

The Investec Derby, seen as a supreme challenge for three-year-olds over the unique undulating Epsom Downs track, has a hugely illustrious roll of honour, which includes Bay Middleton, Ormonde, Isinglass, Hyperion and Bahram, while the last 50 years alone have seen such luminaries as Sea-Bird, Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Shergar, Nashwan, Generous, Lammtarra, Galileo, High Chaparral, New Approach, Sea The Stars and Golden Horn.

Such names contribute to the Derby’s rich history, partly through their outstanding performances at Epsom but also, for some, through their legacy as top stallions.

Galileo, European champion sire in 2008 thanks mainly to his Investec Derby winner New Approach and Coronation Cup victor Soldier Of Fortune and again from 2010 to 2019 inclusive demonstrated his prowess over the course as recently as 2001. Galileo has since sired a joint-record four winners of the Investec Derby, most recently Anthony Van Dyck last year.

For the sixth year, commemorative Investec Derby caps will be presented to jockeys who are having their debut ride in the Classic.

The caps were unveiled in 2015, with the first ever Investec Derby cap being specially presented to nine-time Derby-winning jockey Lester Piggott.

Irish jockey Chris Hayes made his investec Derby debut last year and finished second on Madhmoon for trainer Kevin Prendergast.

A number of jockeys will have their first ride in the Investec Derby on Saturday, including this season’s All-Weather champion Ben Curtis, multiple Group 1-winning rider Martin Harley, plus rising stars David Egan and Tom Marquand.

Strong Aidan O’Brien links to the Epsom Derby

When looking through the record books of the Investec Derby at Epsom, Aidan O’Brien and his family feature prominently.

Aidan O’Brien is the joint most successful trainer in the history of the race with seven wins. He has six chances on Saturday to become the outright winning-most handler in the 1m 4f race’s history.

O’Brien’s first success in the race came with Galileo in 2001 and he quickly followed up the next year with High Chaparral. The Wexford-born handler then had to wait a decade before taking his third victory; this came in 2012 with Camelot. He tasted success in the race for the two years that followed, with Ruler Of The World (2013) and Australia (2014), making him the first trainer to win the Investec Derby three times in succession. Wings Of Eagles was a big-priced outside for the Ballydoyle trainer when he won for Pádraig Beggy in 2017, while last year Anthony Van Dyck gave O’Brien his seventh race win.

The Master of Ballydoyle has also saddled the first and second in the Investec Derby, having done so most recently with Wings Of Eagles and Cliffs Of Moher in 2017. He had previously achieved the feat with High Chaparral and Hawk Wing in 2002.

Aidan O’Brien has saddled an incredible 85 runners in the Investec Derby, having run a record eight horses in the 2007 edition of the race. Despite this, his best result that year was second with Eagle. Last year, saddled seven runners with Anthony Van Dyck capturing the 240th running of the premier Classic, and this year he saddles six.

His son Joseph became the first son of a trainer, who sent out the Investec Derby winner, to be the successful jockey in 2012, partnering Camelot, trained by his father Aidan, at the age of 19. He repeated the feat in 2014 on Australia, also trained by his dad. Joseph retired from race riding, with an overall record of two Investec Derby wins from five rides in the premier Classic, and started training in 2016. Joseph had his first Investec Derby runner as a trainer with Rekindling, 16th in 2017.

Joseph’s brother and sister, Donnacha and Ana O’Brien, rode in the 2017 Investec Derby. Donnacha came home 12th on Venice Beach, while Ana finished 17th on The Anvil, with both horses trained by their father.

In 2013, seven of the first eight home, led by Ruler Of The World, were trained overseas. This feat was also achieved in 2019, where seven of the first eight home were all trained in Ireland, six of those by Aidan O’Brien, including the winner Anthony Van Dyck.

If any of the Aidan O’Brien horses win on Saturday, he will again create another piece of Epsom Derby history as the winning-most trainer in the 241-year history of the premier Classic – few would bet against the Co. Tipperary-based handler doing so.

Epsom Derby Betting Facts and Figures

Here are some interesting betting facts and figures about the Investec Derby at Epsom.

The shortest-priced of the 18 odds-on winners of the Investec Derby was Ladas at 2/9 in 1894.

Camelot was the latest odds-on favourite to succeed at 8/13 in 2012.

There have been 15 odds-on Derby favourites who were beaten, the most recent was Saxon Warrior, who was fourth at 4/5 to Masar in 2018.

The shortest-priced losing market leader was Surefoot, fourth at 40/95 in 1890.

The longest-priced Derby favourite was Ki Ming, who started at 9/1 and came home 12th of the 33 runners in 1951, while the winning Derby favourite with the highest price was Lavandin at 7/1 in 1956.

The Investec Derby is usually won by a fancied horse and, since 1970, the Classic has gone to the favourite on 17 occasions.

The longest starting price returned for a Derby winner is 100/1, which has been seen three times thanks to Jeddah in 1898, Signorinetta in 1908 and Aboyeur, after the disqualification of the 6/4 favourite Craganour, in 1913.

The biggest outsider to triumph since the Second World War was Psidium at 66/1 in 1961.

The longest-priced placed horse in the Derby was 500/1 shot Terimon, runner-up in 1989.

The Investec Derby is the highest betting turnover Flat race for bookmakers in Britain.

How the Epsom Derby favourites have done since 2000

2019 Sir Dragonet 11/4 5th
2018 Saxon Warrior 4/5 4th
2017 Cracksman 7/2 3rd
2016 US Army Ranger 7/2 2nd
2015 GOLDEN HORN 13/8 WON
2014 AUSTRALIA 11/8 WON
2013 Dawn Approach 5/4 12th
2012 CAMELOT 8/13 WON
2011 Carlton House 5/2 3rd
2010 Jan Vermeer 9/4 4th
2009 Fame And Glory 9/4 2nd
2008 Casual Conquest 7/2 3rd
2007 AUTHORIZED 5/4 WON
2006 Visindar 2/1 5th
2005 MOTIVATOR 3/1 WON
2004 NORTH LIGHT 7/2 jt WON
Snow Ridge 7/2 jt 7th
2003 Refuse To Bend 11/4 13th
2002 Hawk Wing 9/4 2nd
2001 GALILEO 11/4 jt WON
         Golan 11/4 jt 2nd
2000 Beat Hollow 7/2 3rd

The 241st Investec Derby at Epsom

Favourite English King faces 15 rivals as he bids to justify his position at the top of the market in the £500,000 Group 1 Investec Derby at 4.55pm on Saturday, the first time the Premier Classic will be held behind closed doors.

English King, the mount of Frankie Dettori, marked himself down as a live contender for the race with an impressive success in the Listed Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield Park on 5th June. Though 17 Investec Derby favourites have triumphed in the race since 1970, no horse has won from English King’s stall 1 since starting stalls were introduced for the race in 1967.

Trainer Ed Walker, ahead of his first runner in the Investec Derby, said:

“I am massively excited by English King and I would not swap him for anything else. I know that sounds mad with a Guineas winner [Kameko] in the field, but I wouldn’t. I always vowed that I would not run a horse in the Derby if he didn’t deserve his place. I think he will have learnt a lot at Lingfield and hopefully he can cruise round Tattenham Corner.”

English King’s chief danger according to the betting market is Qipco 2000 Guineas winner Kameko, the mount of Kerry-born Oisín Murphy. Similar to English King, Kameko is drawn in a stall (11) from which a horse has never won the Epsom Derby. The record of Qipco 2000 Guineas winners in the Investec Derby is mixed with only Sea The Stars (2009) and Camelot (2012) completing the Newmarket 2000 Guineas-Epsom Derby double in the last 30 years.

Aidan O’Brien is bidding for a record breaking eighth Investec Derby victory, with five of his seven wins in the race having come since 2012. The master of Ballydoyle has six horses in the field, with jockey Ryan Moore choosing to rider Mogul. The Irish-based jockeys will travel to England to ride for the first time this season, with Séamie Heffernan on Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes winner Russian Emperor, while former Epsom Derby-winning jockey Pádraig Beggy will take the mount on Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up Vatican City. Mythical will be the mount of James Doyle, Curragh maiden winner Serpentine will have the assistance of Emmet McNamara in the saddle, while William Buick will ride Amhrán na Bhfiann. How ironic it is that both Godolphin jockeys, James Doyle and William Buick, are riding Coolmore-owned horses in the most prestigious flat race of the season.

Russian Emperor is one of three Royal Ascot winners in the field alongside William Muir’s Pyledriver (Martin Dwyer) and Highland Chief, a first ride in the race for Irish jockey Ben Curtis. Pyledriver had Mohican Heights (Andrea Atzeni) and Mogul behind him when landing the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes, while Highland Chief defied top weight to win the Golden Gates Handicap.

Kameko’s stablemate Khalifa Sat (Tom Marquand) and Emissary (Jim Crowley) meet again, after the pair were separated by a neck in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood on 14th June.

John Gosden, twice winner of the Investec Derby, saddles the once-raced Newbury maiden scorer Worthily (Martin Harley), a three-parts sibling to Lucarno, who was fourth in the 2007 Epsom Derby before going on to take the Doncaster St Leger.

The 16 runners are completed by Group 3 Zetland Stakes winner Max Vega (Harry Bentley) and Jessica Harrington’s Gold Maze (David Egan), who finished sixth in last weekend’s Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh.

The 241st Investec Derby (Group 1)

4.55pm, Epsom Downs, Saturday, 4 July, 2020. 1m 4f 6y. £500,000 Total Prize Fund.

Stalls number in brackets.

1) (5) Amhran Na Bhfiann (IRE) (Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor) Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-9-00 William Buick

2) (4) Emissary (Khalid Abdullah) Hugo Palmer 3-9-00 Jim Crowley

3) (1) English King (FR) (Bjorn Nielsen) Ed Walker 3-9-00 Frankie Dettori

4) (16) Gold Maze (The Long Wait Partnership) Jessica Harrington IRE 3-9-00 David Egan

5) (13) Highland Chief (IRE) (Fitri Hay) Paul & Oliver Cole 3-9-00 Ben Curtis

6) (11) Kameko (USA) (Qatar Racing Limited) Andrew Balding 3-9-00 Oisín Murphy

7) (14) Khalifa Sat (IRE) (Ahmad Al Shaikh) Andrew Balding 3-9-00 Tom Marquand

8) (7) Max Vega (IRE) (The Pickford Hill Partnership) Ralph Beckett 3-9-00 Harry Bentley

9) (2) Mogul (Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier) Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-9-00 Ryan Moore

10) (15) Mohican Heights (IRE) (Sun Bloodstock SARL) David Simcock 3-9-00 Andrea Atzeni

11) (10) Mythical (FR) (Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith) Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-9-00 James Doyle

12) (3) Pyledriver (K & W Bloodstock Limited & Roger Devlin) William Muir 3-9-00 Martin Dwyer

13) (6) Russian Emperor (IRE) (Laurie Macri/Sue Magnier et al) Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-9-00 Séamie Heffernan

14) (12) Serpentine (IRE) (Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith) Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-9-00 Emmet McNamara

15) (8) Vatican City (IRE) (Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith) Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-9-00 Pádraig Beggy

16) (9) Worthily (USA) (George Strawbridge) John Gosden 3-9-00 Martin Harley

Love heads a field of 8 for Investec Oaks

The Investec Oaks takes place this afternoon, the first time ever the fillies’ Classic is held on the same day as the Investec Derby.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Love (Ryan Moore), winner of the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, heads the field of 8 in the 1m 4f race, as she steps up to the middle distance trip for the first time.

The daughter of Galileo bids to become the 48 filly to completed the Qipco 1000 Guineas-Investec Oaks double, with another O’Brien-trained runner, Minding, being the most recent to achieve the feat in 2016.

As well as the Love, O’Brien also saddles the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes second Ennistymon (Séamie Heffernan) and Passion (Pádraig Beggy), as the Tipperary-based handler bids to improve on his record as the most successful current trainer in the Investec Oaks with seven victories – Shahtoush (1998), Imagine (2001), Alexandrova (2006), Was (2012), Qualify (2015), Minding (2016) and Forever Together (2018).

British champion trainer John Gosden has won two of the latest three runnings of the Investec Oaks – Enable (2017) and Anapurna last year, and on Saturday he and Frankie Dettori again combine, as Frankly Darling, an impressive winner of the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes (ahead of O’Brien’s Ennistymon) over a mile and a half at Royal Ascot, leads Gosden’s challenge.

Gosden has also entered the Lope De Vega filly Tiempo Vuela (Martin Harley). She was a winner on her only juvenile start at Newcastle in 2019 but was unplaced when running freely in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket on 7th June.

Trainer Roger Varian is double handed in the race with Gold Wand (Andrea Atzeni) and Queen Daenerys (William Buick). Gold Wand, a daughter of 2015 Investec Derby winner Golden Horn, won a 10-furlong maiden at Newbury on 11th June while Queen Daenerys was runner-up on her return to action in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket on 7th June.

Completing the entries is Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes fourth Bharani Star for Peter Chapple-Hyam, with Oisín Murphy on board the Sea The Stars filly. The trainer, who is based in Newmarket, has had seven previous Investec Oaks runners, with his best result being third with Oakmead in 1993

The Investec Oaks (Group 1)

3.40pm, Epsom Downs, Saturday, 4 July, 2020. 1m 4f 6y. £250,000 Total Prize Fund.

Stalls number in brackets

1) (2) Bharani Star (GER) (Phoenix Thoroughbred Limited) Peter Chapple-Hyam 3-9-00 Oisín Murphy

2) (4) Ennistymon (IRE) (Evie Stockwell) Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-9-00 Séamie Heffernan

3) (3) Frankly Darling (Anthony Oppenheimer) John Gosden 3-9-00 Frankie Dettori

4) (8) Gold Wand (IRE) (Mohamed Khalid Abdulrahim) Roger Varian 3-9-00 Andrea Atzeni

5) (5) Love (IRE) (Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Sue Magnier) Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-9-00 Ryan Moore

6) (1) Passion (IRE) (Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith) Aidan O’Brien IRE 3-9-00 Pádraig Beggy

7) (6) Queen Daenerys (IRE) (H.H. SH Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa) Roger Varian 3-9-00 William Buick

8) (7) Tiempo Vuela (A E Oppenheimer and Sophie) John Gosden 3-9-00 Martin Harley

Bertram Allen & Lafayette Van Overis take French five-star win

Wexford’s Bertram Allen has taken a victory at the first five-star international show jumping fixture since the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.

Allen, riding the nine-year-old gelding Lafayette Van Overis, claimed the top prize of €6,350 in the 1m50 speed contest in France.

The Irish rider was almost two seconds ahead of American runner-up Jessica Springsteen with Volage du Val Henry, with Brazil’s Yuri Mansur taking third place with Casaktie in a class which attracted 54 starters.

In Dressage, Ireland’s Anna Merveldt and Esporim were fourth overall in Friday’s CDI4* Grand Prix at Achleiten, Austria.

The Irish combination produced a score of 69.544% when last of nine competitors to compete.

Last week Merveldt and Esporim were also fourth in the FEI World Cup Dressage Freestyle To Music Grand Prix at Mariakalnok, Hungary.

Victory in today’s competition went to Germany’s Isabel Werth and DSP Quantaz on a score of 78.152%.

Alex Wootton moves to Connacht until the end of 2020-21 season

Connacht Rugby has today confirmed that Alex Wootton has joined the club on a loan deal from Munster until the end of the 2020-21 season.

Prestbury-born Wootton first made his debut in the red jersey in September 2016 and has gone on to make 39 appearances for the southern province and scoring 13 tries.

He can play anywhere across the back three and has been capped for Ireland at Sevens and U20 level.

Wootton linked up with the Connacht squad this week during the first week of pre-season training at the Sportsground, as preparations begin for the planned Guinness PRO14 interpro derbies at the end of August.

Commenting on Friday’s announcement, Connacht Rugby Head Coach Andy Friend said Wootton’s arrival will further strengthen the province’s back field options for the new season:

“I am really pleased to welcome Alex Wootton to the province. Alex is a very exciting back three player who has all the talent to take his game to the next level. His versatility across the back line will also help us as we look to compete on both fronts next season. As a Team, we’re looking forward to welcoming him to the Sportsground and integrating him into the playing squad.”

Twenty-five-year-old Alex Wootton said he is thrilled to sign for the club ahead of the new campaign:

“I am delighted to be joining Connacht Rugby for the upcoming season. After speaking to Andy and the rest of the coaching team it’s clear that this is a team full of ambition and belief, and I want to play my part in that. I can’t wait to meet the rest of the squad and begin preparations for what I’m sure will be a very exciting season.”

O’Brien to run six in English Derby

Aidan O’Brien has a strong hand of six horses that will run in the Investec English Derby on Saturday at Epsom. The race will see 16 horses for the right to win one of biggest races in flat racing.

Ed Walker will have the favourite (English King). He won at Lingfield Derby Trial and will be the mount of Frankie Dettori. The Italian jockey will be looking for his third Derby win having won aboard Authotized in 2007 and Golden Horn in 2015.

Aidan O’Brien runs six in the race and will pose a significant threat to the market principles. The Wexford man is looking for his 8th Derby success. He had 7 entries but Armory was removed for the list of entries. Russian Emperor is O’Brien’s best chance, at least according to the odds. Mogul also runs here who finished fourth in the King Edward Stakes. Irish 2,000 Guineas Runner Up Vatican City has also strong credentials. Amhran na Bhfiann, Serpentine and Mythical are complete the hopefuls from the Ballydoyle yard.

William Muir has Pyledriver running who won the King Edward VII Stakes, albeit surprisingly. Mohican Heights also runs for the David Simcock yard. Paul Cole has a runner in the race with Khalifa Sat. Jessie Harrington has Golden Maze in the race, with Hugo Palmer running Emissary, Ralph Beckett running Max Vega and John Gosden with Worthily.

The Oaks will see a field of eight go to post. Aidan O’Brien runs three in the race with Love, Passion and Ennistymon. John Gosden runs Frankly Darling, whom is a daughter of the great Frankel. Her trainer Mr John Gosden is looking for his fourth win in 7 seasons in the oaks. Tiempo Vuela also runs for yard. Roger Varian has two runners in the race with Queen Daenerys and Gold Wand.

It’s promises to be an exciting weekend for sure.

The Investec Derby, Donn McClean Makes an Assessment

As Donn McClean prepares for the Investec Derby, he makes a critical assessment of the Irish team and is looking outside the six members from Ballydoyle to find a good selection. Blackbook.com.au reports on his progress.

 

Any conversation about the Investec Derby has to start with Aiden O’Brien, he has sent out six Derby winners so far and therefore is not a person to be ignored. This is just one short of the all-time record. He is also responsible for seven of the thirteen horses in the line-up this year, so the chances are high that he can get another winner.

 

Once you have cracked who is going to be the best of that bunch, then you are well on your way to finding your Derby winner. But it is never that easy, with so many good horses in the running you have to be careful. Take High Chaparral, for example. He had a more significant price than Hawk Wing, and Ruler of the World out prices Battle Of Marengo. Sir Dragonet is a horse that sits at a shorter price than all twelve of the other horses including his six stablemates, and he had an impressive run in the Chester Vase last time out. A race that has seen a number of Derby winners do well at, including Ruler of the World as mentioned above and harking back to the eighties both Shergar and Henbit did well at the race before going on to win the Derby.

 

Sir Dragonet maybe the lesser fancied horse of the two colts that are running from the Ballydoyle stable, but there is total confidence in the way he runs in a relaxed manner, and in the Chester Vase, his jockey Donnacha O’Brien had such confidence in him that he knew he was going to be the winner before he attained his eight lengths lead to make it an easy victory in an impressive performance.

 

He isn’t always known for being on the short odds, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will give a bad performance. Back in his debut in Tipperary in April, while running a twelve-furlong maiden his odds were out at 14/1, but that didn’t stop him giving an impressive performance over more fancied stablemates.

 

He class is obviously what is surprising, and despite the fact that he has ridden in just two races so far, the performances have been impressive. Alongside the fact that he is being ridden by Ryan Moore, then it is no wonder he is the clear favourite going into the race. But he is short, and for that reason, he may be beaten. And Madhmoon is one horse that could do it. He is a top-class juvenile horse that has put in some good performances, in particular at the one-mile maiden at Leopardstown in his debut. He stepped it up from there performing in the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at the same course back in September during the Irish Champions Weekend. 

Africa Cup of Nations to be played in 2022

The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations will now be played in 2022 BBC Sport report. They report that the tournament has been postponed until January 2022 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a result of Covid 19. The women’s version of the competition has been cancelled.

The men’s tournament was due to take place in January 2021. However, the way things have gone and the the way the virus is spreading across it is probably a wise decision. The African Nations Championship which should have took place in April of this year will now be played in January 2021. CAF President Ahmad Ahmad said, “Health is our number one priority. We must remain vigilant,”.

Incidentally, the tournament move now means it will take place in 2022 the same year as the World Cup. It is not the first time this happened though as it was the same in 2010. The move in fact will benefit Premier League, especially Liverpool who will have both strikers next season Sadio Mane and Mo Salah. The duo will now not miss games. Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr speaking to BBC Sport Africa said, “I think this is a wise decision because time is very short now and they could not postpone to the summer,”.

Mr Rohr continued, “I can understand this decision – we have more time now to prepare our young boys. It is not all bad”. He said, “There is a positive side in all this and we have time for some friendlies and also for the beginning of the World Cup qualifiers – normally we will begin in November with this, and I think we can follow the plan and still have time to the Afcon qualifiers starting in October, so it is a wise decision and it will be a big year in 2022.”

The 2022 tournament will remain in Cameroon where it was scheduled to be next year.

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