The Investec Epsom Derby is one of the biggest flat races in the world and runs at Epsom Downs on the outskirts of London. The race is iconic in British horse racing history as one of the oldest horse races ever run.
With a huge tradition and royalty in attendance every year, this race captures the nation in a different way to The Grand National, but the quality of the race is up there with other top flat races in the world.
The race itself was first runway back in 1780 and now is Britain’s richest flat race and the most highlighted from all the top flat racing run. The Derby is run over one mile and four furlongs and open to three-year-old colts and fillies.
There are many records in the race, but the stand out has to be that jockey Lester Piggott rode 9 winners in his career with Nijinsky in 1970 an iconic moment in his career and a truly great horse.
On an Owner front, there are joint record-holders in Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor who have won the race 8 times and the last of which was last year’s winner Anthony Van Dyck.
The most decorated trainer in recent times is Aidan O’Brien from Ireland. He has some of the world’s top flat horses and is usually running a handful of horses in the race each year with hope one of them lands the top prize. Over the past 8 years, O’Brien has trained five of the eight winners and over the next couple of years, it’s more than likely he will overtake Magnier / Tabor and be the best trainer.
This brings us nicely only the last few runnings of Investec Epsom Derby which is always run on the first Saturday in June. Anthony Van Dyck won the race in 2019 at odds of 7.5 (13/2) and stayed on well to win a closely contested race by ½ a length. Ridden by Seamie Heffernan, the horse was well positioned coming down the hill and then hit the rail to nick past Madhmoon and Japan so steal the victory.
Looking at the winners in previous years, then a mention has to go to Charlie Appleby who trained Masar to victory at 17.0 (16/1) in 2018 and currently trains the market leader in the betting for the race this year.
In 2017 one od Aidan O’Brien’s 2nd string came out on top as Wings Of Eagles stunned the betting world landing the race at 41.0 (40/1) which just shows the strength in depth of O’Briens stable that a horse with such long odds can win the race.
Preview:
This brings us nicely to the Investec Epsom Derby of 2020 and the horse everyone is looking out for is Pinatubo. With a 100% record so far in the horse’s career including a win at Epsom last year in the Woodcote Stakes over 6 furlongs, Pinatubo has the makings of a Derby winner.
After that win the horse won at Glorious Goodwood in August of last year winning the vintage stakes over 7 furlongs, so going up in distance. Most recently Pinatubo won the Dewhurst stakes well at Newmarket in October and we are eagerly anticipating the first run of the upcoming flat season.
Looking at Aidan O’Brien’s likely runners and a few that are in line to run are Mogul, who has won two of the four starts, albeit the final run of 2019 saw the horse finish 4th out of 11th in an all-weather race.
Another interesting horse is Innisfree, who has also won 2 of their 4 starts and has the potential to be one horse to follow once the season starts.
At this early stage, there are a few horses who have the pedigree of winning The Derby, though after the trials from April onwards more will be decided.
However, Pinatubo at +700 or 8.0 at Bovada is a horse to seriously consider following an outstanding first year of runs and 2020 looks a very bright year for the horse.
