Michael Church Racing Books

THE 200th running of the Derby Stakes was celebrated throughout the media, and the crowd at Epsom was enormous.

Appropriately the winner, Troy, illuminated the occasion with a stunning victory after being in a seemingly hopeless position.

A handsome, powerful, good-moving bay, Troy was by Petingo out of La Milo, by Hornbeam. Unfortunately the year Troy was born both his sire and dam died.

Owned by Sir Michael Sobell and his son-in-law Sir Arnold Weinstock, Troy was bred at their Ballymacoll Stud in Co. Meath and sent into training with Dick Hern at West Ilsley in Berkshire.

In four starts as a juvenile Troy won the Plantation Maiden Stakes at Newmarket and the Lanson Champagne Stakes at Goodwood, before finishing second to Ela-Mana-Mou in the Royal Lodge Stakes on his finale.

Reappearing in Sandown’s Classic Trial Stakes,Troy was hard ridden to beat Two of Diamonds by a neck, but he followed up by winning the Predominate Stakes at Goodwood by seven lengths.

Ridden by Willie Carson, Troy started 6-1 second favourite for the Derby, behind Ela-Mana-Mou at 9-2, the recent winner of the nine-furlong Heath Stakes by four lengths. Other fancies were Tap On Wood, winner of the Two Thousand Guineas, and the Queen’s Lingfield Derby Trial winner Milford, who was also trained by Hern.

The field of 23 went to post on good ground on a warm, sunny day. Lyphard’s Wish set a strong pace from the start, with Accomplice and Laska Floko in close attendance. Turning into the straight Lyphard’s Wish continued to lead from Milford, Accomplice, Noelino and Man of Vision.

At this stage Troy was not in the first dozen, but moving from the rails to the outside, he began his run. Two furlongs out he was still only ninth, but like the release of a coiled spring, he accelerated at such a rate that by the furlong marker he led by a length and a half, and the race was effectively over.

The winning distance was seven lengths, with Dickens Hill second and Northern Baby third, a further three lengths away.

Troy went on to beat Dickens Hill by four lengths in the Irish Sweeps Derby and followed up by winning the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup.

However, by the time the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe arrived, Troy was past his best and could finish only third of 22 behind Three Troikas and Le Marmot.

Retired to Highclere Stud at Newbury,Troy was valued at £7.2 million. Sadly, after a moderate start he died of acute peritonitis from a ruptured caecum on 12 May, 1983. Two years later his daughter Helen Street won the Irish Oaks.

When asked for the best Derby winner on the day, Troy’s performance certainly elevates him to one of the best post-war winners.

The subsequent form of his rivals confirms his outstanding merit: Dickens Hill won the Eclipse Stakes, Northern Baby the Champion Stakes, Ela-Mana-Mou the Eclipse Stakes and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, Niniski the Irish St Leger and Prix Royal-Oak, and Son of Love the St Leger.

Conquering Heroes

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The History of Epsom’s Prince’s Stand, their spring handicaps and Virago

The Prince’s Stand dates in its present form from 1879, when the original Regency stand, built c1784, was altered and enlarged. Used by the Prince of Wales, later King George IV, it housed the royal party celebrations when the Prince won the Derby with Sir Thomas in 1788. Up until 1829, it was the only permanent building on the Downs, although by 1831, when the Princess Victoria visited Epsom, it was struggling to keep the royal entourage comfortably ensconced.

In 1940, soon after the outbreak of war, racing at Epsom was abandoned for the duration and given over to the military; the Prince’s Stand was then commandeered as the Officers Mess.

In 1979, as part of the celebrations for Derby 200, the Prince’s Stand was extensively refurbished and, it’s continued use links together more than 22 decades of history.

The Great Metropolitan and City and Suburban Handicaps, now run at the one-day, Spring Meeting, were the very first two races to be sponsored.

While the Epsom management struggled to put up enough prizemoney, Samuel Beeton, a publican in Milk Street, opened a subscription for the first handicap and then, persuaded his fellow publicans in Fleet Street to follow suit.

At that time, many London pubs served both as betting shops and ale-houses.

“The Great Met,” as it became known, was first run in 1846, and won by Chamois (3y-5st-7lb), 29 ran.

The distance was 2m 2f, until 1985, when it was changed to 1m 4f.

The City and Suburban, run over 1m 2f, followed in 1851, and was first won by Elthiron (5y-8st-5lb), 16 ran.

Subscriptions for the race were raised from pubs in the City of London, stretching out to the suburbs – hence its name.

Virago, with J Wells up
and trainer John Day

In 1854, Virago (ch.f.1851 by Pyrrhus The First), completed the outstanding achievement of winning both “The Great Met” and the City and Suburban on the same afternoon, a month before she won the 1000 Guineas.

Incidentally, the first occasion the photo-finish camera was used in Great Britain, was at Epsom, on 22 April 1947, to determine the placings for The Great Metropolitan Handicap. Star Song (Doug Smith), winning by a length, with Parhelion (Eph Smith), second, beating Salubrious (Bill Rickaby), by a head.