Investec Derby Day 2013

“The day Ruler Of The World beat the Ruler of Dubai.”

So ended David Walsh’s Derby report for The Sunday Times, and seldom, has a single sentence encapsulated the highs, the lows, the sub-plots and for some, the celebrations, of Derby Day.

   Dawn Approach, Godolphin’s unbeaten 2,000 Guineas winner, had previously been  supplemented for £8,000, by the 51% shareholder Sheikh Mohammed, in the hope of, not only winning the Derby for the first time, but, strengthening his bloodstock hand, so often eclipsed by the Coolmore Stud operation.

   Dawn Approach’s remaining shareholder was his trainer, Jim Bolger, who, controversially, was director and co-founder of the Equinome genetics testing programme that was sure the colt would not stay the Derby distance.

   The betting public, however, enamoured by the colt’s brilliant victories, thought they knew better and sent off the chestnut son of the 2008 Derby winner, New Approach, the 5-4 favourite. 

   Also in the field of 12, were runners from France – Andre Fabre’s Ocovango – and as far as known, the first German bred runner – Chopin, trained by Andreas Wohler.

   Aidan O’Brien, saddled four for Ireland; three by the Champion Sire and 2001 Derby winner, Galileo, of which Battle Of Marengo (Joseph O’Brien), having won the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes and Ruler Of The World (Ryan Moore), the Chester Vase, were the pick and, second and third favourites for the race.

   O’Brien’s other two – Festive Cheer and Flying The Flag were generally expected to set a strong pace in an attempt to test the favourites stamina. However, when the stalls opened an alternative plan was revealed – for the slow pace completely unsettled Dawn Approach, who, ridden by Kevin Manning, was immediately, pulling hard, throwing his head from side to side and refusing to settle. Eventually, rounding Tattenham Corner, he pulled his way to the front, by which time his chance was gone – historian’s recalled a similar scenario when the brilliant Guineas winner Tudor Minstrel was beaten in 1947.

    Meanwhile, at the two-furlong pole, Ruler Of The World joined Battle Of Marengo and then quickly drew away to win by one and a half lengths. Galileo Rock, a David Wachman entry, also by Galileo, stayed on well to be third, passed by the strong finishing Libertarian, who bagged second place, right on the line, after a photo finish of short heads for the places.

   The race, run at a comparatively slow pace, was won in 2 min 39.06 sec., the winning jockey, Ryan Moore, having previously ridden Workforce to victory in 2010, in the Course record time of 2 min 31.33 sec. Ruler Of The World (pictured above, leaving the winner’s enclosure), became the first Derby winner to wear a cheekpiece.

Derby Day was also graced with the outstanding performance of St Nicholas Abbey, the first horse to win the Investec Coronation Cup three times. It was his sixth Group 1 success, after which, his trainer Aidan O’Brien said, “He’s a great traveller. He comes down the hill and he slowly moves up the gears. He is very classy and everyone forgets that he won a Racing Post Trophy by five or six lengths. He had that class the whole time. Obviously, his trainer destroyed him at three and it took him three years to get back! He is an incredible horse.”

And so say all of us. 

Set out below is the classified result of this year’s Investec Derby

in the style of my history of the race.

The Centenary of the Suffragette Derby

Having recently attended the unveiling of a plaque at Tattenham Corner

to commemorate Emily Davison’s martyrdom at Epsom,

I thought it appropriate to run the chapter covering the incident in my book –

The Derby Stakes – The Complete History – 1780-2006.

The Derby Bibliography

For those who enjoy the rich history of the Turf and especially book lovers, I have set out below, the list of books used whilst writing my two histories of the Derby.

Such has been the prominence of the Derby, now accepted as the longest continuously run sporting event in the world, the Derby Bibliography goes some way in covering the complete history of the Turf in Great Britain.

Hopefully, it will be useful for racing enthusiasts and Turf Historians alike, and perhaps, for some, the start of a new quest.

• A Portrait of Galileo

 In 2012 Galileo became Champion Sire in G.B. & Ireland for the fourth time, and is now generally regarded as the natural successor to his phenomenal sire, Sadler’s Wells.

In this portrait of Galileo, it is worth recalling his racing achievements and in particular, his impressive victory in the Epsom Derby, after which, the press had a field day with their headlines – “Galileo the star turn” and “Galileo in orbit” – so recording the tale of his impressive victory over Golan, before a modern-day record attendance of 150,000.

    In that year, 2001, “Britain’s biggest day out,” gave some racegoers long traffic delays, including Sir Michael Stoute and Frankie Dettori, who had to abandon their cars to complete their journey on foot. But for most, once there, this Derby Day was reward enough.

Galileo arrived at Epsom via three wins at Leopardstown: a maiden victory at two, by a staggering 14 lengths, followed at three by an easy win in the Ballysax Stakes from the future English and Irish St Leger winners Milan and Vinnie Roe, and then finally, he took the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes, beating Exaltation.

  On the face of it, the form was not quite good enough to win the Derby but, with his ongoing improvement in the hands of trainer Aidan O’Brien, he looked sure to be a major player.

The opposition was headed by the Michael Stoute-trained Golan, winner of the Two Thousand Guineas and ante-post-favourite. Other dangers included Perfect Sunday, winner of the Lingfield Derby Trial; Dilshaan, winner of the Racing Post Trophy, and Tobougg, winner of both the Prix la Salamandre and Dewhurst Stakes, and now ridden by Frankie Dettori.  Twelve runners went to post, with Golan and Galileo going off 11-4 joint-favourites.

    Rounding Tattenham Corner, the Barry Hills pair, Mr Combustible and Perfect Sunday, led the field, with Galileo just outside them in third.

    Two and a half furlongs out, Mick Kinane brought Galileo smoothly to the front, from where he accelerated away to win by three and a half lengths, with Golan and Tobougg running on to fill the minor placings.

     In the joyous scenes that followed, it did not go unnoticed that Galileo was the first son of Sadler’s Wells to win the Derby, and despite the modest early pace, he did so in the third fastest time (2 min 33.27 sec) in the history of the race.

     The previous day, daughters of Sadler’s Wells filled the first three places in the Oaks – a feat not equalled since the daughters of Birdcatcher did so in 1852.

     In the Irish Derby, Galileo retained his unbeaten record by beating the Italian Derby winner Morshdi by four lengths, with Golan a further four lengths away third. At Ascot in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Galileo received a hero’s welcome for his two-length defeat of the five-year-old Fantastic Light. But when the pair were re-matched in the mile and a quarter Irish Champion Stakes, Fantastic Light took his revenge by a head, albeit with Dettori being cautioned for his excessive use of the whip.

     Galileo’s finale was the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Belmont Park, but as second favourite to the Bobby Frankel-trained Aptitude, both ran unplaced to Tiznow, America’s ‘Horse of the Year’ in 2000 and, the first horse to win the race twice. Galileo was afterwards reported as being unable to handle the dirt surface and was later retired to Coolmore Stud in Ireland.

      Galileo was the Champion Sire in G.B. & Ireland in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012.            Notably, he is the sire of the unbeaten Frankel and the Epsom Derby winner New Approach, who has already made an exceptional start at stud. Galileo continues to stand at Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Co. Tipperary, where his fee is now private.

Galileo’s race-record, notable progeny and pedigree follow below.

Frankel’s Brilliant Pedigree

  As Frankel, is at present all the rage, there seems no better time to examine his pedigree.

   Almost immediately, you notice that his first three generations contain five Champion Sires. On the top line are Galileo, Sadler’s Wells and Northern Dancer, all now pillars of the modern thoroughbred.

  Another noteworthy inclusion is Galileo’s dam, Urban Sea. For not only did she win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but went on to produce two Derby winners.

   On the distaff side, Frankel’s dam, Kind, won six races from 13 starts, including, Listed races at Hamilton and Nottingham. And her dam, Rainbow Lake, won three from six, including the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.

  The strength of the pedigree continues when you see that Kind’s sire, Danehill, (by Danzig), having won the Ladbroke Sprint Cup, over six furlongs at Haydock, went on to become Champion Sire in G.B. & Ireland three times, siring Danehill Dancer, another Champion Sire.  

 The stunning fact about Frankel’s pedigree is, his first three generations contain 22 years of Champion Sires in G.B. & Ireland.

In addition, he can boast a dam of two Epsom Derby winners and two Champion Sires of North America.

 A recent update shows Frankel was Champion Sire in 2021 and again in 2023

For more racing history see Michael’s Books for Sale

Champion Sires by Champion Sires

Whilst researching and examining the pedigree of Frankel (see later Blog),  I took the opportunity to update the analysis in my book, Champion Sires 1722-2003.

The facts and figures will be most encouraging to those who support the idea of prepotent sires and the continuing of past sire lines.

The original extract of Champion Sires is below.

Note: In the second table, the percentage drop in the ‘No. of YEARS’ within 

1960-1989, was due to  the influx of American bred horses. 

The First Triple Crown Winner

Although it is now 50 years since NIJINSKY landed the last Triple Crown

I would like to take you back to the very first winner of the classic treble, comprising the 2,000 Guineas, the Derby and the St Leger.

WEST AUSTRALIAN (b.c. 1850)

  ‘THE WEST’, as he was known on the racecourse, was at the time, heralded as the best horse of the 19th century. Owned and bred by John Bowes, he was by Melbourne, sire of the winners of 11 Classic races including Blink Bonny (1857 Derby and Oaks), out of Mowerina by Touchstone.     

 John Bowes  was the son of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore, but as he was born nine years before their marriage he never succeeded to the title. Nevertheless, he became a member of the Jockey Club and a successful industrialist, developing a shipping line in Newcastle and a coal vein discovered on his estate. He also owned and bred three other Derby winners – Mundig (1835), Cotherstone (1843) and Daniel O’Rourke (1852).       

West Australian stood 15.3½ hands, and was described as a yellowish bay, rather long in the body, with good shoulders and great depth of girth.

       Sent as a yearling to John Scott’s illustrious Whitewall stable at Malton, West Australian was found to have a weakness in his feet and ankles, and his debut had to be delayed until the Newmarket Houghton Meeting. Here he ran second, beaten half a length by Speed the Plough, in the Criterion Stakes. This was to be his only defeat and three days later he reversed the form in the Glasgow Stakes, winning by two lengths.       

  Before the colt’s racing debut Scott had tried him in early August, with Longbow, a three-year-old who was to win the Stewards’ Cup the following year with 9st 9lb. In the trial Longbow, ridden by Frank Butler, gave the two-year-old the standard 21lb but West Australian, with Sam Templeman up, won very easily. After the trial Scott caught the London Express, and early next morning visited London’s biggest bookmaker, ‘Leviathan’ Davis to take £30,000 to £1,000 (approximately £1,650,000 to £55,000 today), about West Australian winning the Derby.       

   The following year West Australian’s first outing was in the Two Thousand Guineas. Starting 4-6 favourite, he beat the Duke of Bedford’s Sittingbourne by half a length.

Soon after, rather than submit ‘The West’ to the long and arduous train journey from Yorkshire to Epsom a day or two before the Derby, Scott took him to nearby Leatherhead a week before the race and, as a precaution, lined his box with clay to protect his feet from overheating and the risk of infection. 

   On Derby Day, 28 runners went to post and after a ding-dong struggle throughout the last furlong, West Australian courageously held off the challenge of Sittingbourne by a neck, with Cineas a head away third.       

“Leviathan” Davis did settle up, but only just, and he was forced to go to Ascot with barely £200 in his satchel. Fortunately, his luck turned and he won £12,000 on the first day.        

    In the St Leger, despite plots, counter plots and a horse Cat’spaw, entered with the sole purpose of bringing down the favourite, West Australian won in a canter, while Sittingbourne, well backed to reverse the form, failed to stay. Thus West Australian became the first horse to win the Triple Crown, although the title was not generally coined until the 1870’s.          

    At Doncaster, two days after his St Leger victory, West Australian walked-over for a sweepstakes and at Newmarket two weeks later, he was unopposed for the Grand Duke Michael Stakes.  

    As a four-year-old he won an Ascot Triennial, beating Vanderdecken by four lengths, took the Ascot Gold Cup by a head, after a determined battle with Kingston, and finally, won a three-runner sweepstakes at Goodwood by 20 lengths. Bowes then sold him for £4,600 to Lord Londesborough, who stood him at Kirkby Farm, Tadcaster, at 30 guineas. On the death of Lord Londesborough in 1860, West Australian was resold for 4,000 guineas to the Duc de Morny, before finally passing into the hands of Emperor Napoleon III.         

    Although West Australian sired two Classic winners – Summerside (1859 Oaks) and The Wizard (1860 Two Thousand Guineas) – his long time influence on the breed came from Australian (ch.c. 1858), sire of Spendthrift (1879 Belmont Stakes), and Solon (b.c. 1861), sire of Barcaldine. Australian was sent as a weanling, with his dam, to Scott County, Kentucky, in 1858. He is the maternal grandsire of Iroquois (1881 Derby).         

West Australian died in France on 2 May, 1870.

A full account of the 15 Triple Crown winners can be found in Michael’s book

The Classic Pedigree 1776-1989

of which he has one or two numbered and signed copies for sale

West Australian’s Triple Crown race record is below

The Coral-Eclipse 2012

“You’ve gotta have heart 

All you really need is heart 

When the odds are sayin’ you’ll never win 

That’s when the grin should start”

The Jason Mraz lyrics from the musical Damn Yankees could well have been written for Nathaniel. For, after leading all the way up the Sandown straight, his two-length advantage, suddenly swallowed up by the oncoming Farhh and Frankie Dettori, brought about an heroic show of courage, to go again, and win the Eclipse by half a length.

David Walsh, writing in The Sunday Times the following day, also waxed lyrical over Nathaniel – “Trainers like their charges to have speed but they love them to have heart.”

    This was the fourth victory from eight starts for Nathaniel, who, although having previously won the King Edward VII Stakes and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, had the disadvantage of going to Sandown without a prep-race.

 William Buick, who has ridden him in all his starts, is to me, rapidly becoming the best jockey seen in Britain since Steve Cauthen.

  But what of the also ran’s – Godolphin’s Pivotal colt, Farhh, ran his best race and was given every chance with a superb ride from Frankie, only to be outgunned by the winner. Twice Over, a 7-y-o, who won this race in 2010 and also took last year’s International at York, ran a commendable, but distant third.    

  Coral-Eclipse Day had a very strong supporting card; the Gosden/Buick team also winning the Coral Challenge with the heavily backed Trade Commissioner and, Frankie Dettori completing a double with Falls of Lora in the Coral Distaff and the classy Cavalryman in the Coral Marathon.

It was a day that the punters and the sponsor could be pleased with. 

 I have set out below the full result of the 2012 Coral-Eclipse and the notable progeny of

Galileo, in the style of my book,  Eclipse – The Horse – The Race – The Awards

Investec Derby Day 2012

With Derby Day honoured to start the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, what better winner than one named after the legendary court of a king – Camelot.

And to please the media, this was a Derby with many stories – the smallest field since 1907; the shortest priced favourite since Tudor Minstrel in 1947; the fourth winner of the race in eight years by Montjeu and, the first time a father & son were the Derby winning trainer & jockey. But let’s start at the beginning. 

Camelot, a well-made bay colt, was purchased by Coolmore for 525,000 guineas from Highclere Stud at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. His dam, Tarfah (by Kingmambo), won five races including the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket and had one previous winner – Ideal, by Galileo. 

Trained by Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle and ridden by his son Joseph, Camelot commenced his career at Leopardstown, winning an 2-y-o Maiden over one mile in mid-July.

  In October, he travelled to Doncaster for the Racing Post Trophy, and after an impressive performance, beating Jim Bolger’s Zip Top by 2¼ lengths, he became the winter favourite for the Derby.

 Camelot made his 3-y-o debut in the Two Thousand Guineas; kept at the rear of the field throughout, he burst through inside the final furlong, to win by a neck, from French Fifteen.

The following Derby trials brought forth their challengers, but despite victories for Bonfire in the Dante Stakes, Mickdam and Astrology in the Chester Vase and Dee Stakes and Main Sequence in the Lingfield Derby Trial, this year run on the All-weather course, none could prevent Camelot from starting the 8-13 favourite. 

The weather, cold and blustery for the Queen’s arrival, changed suddenly to sunshine in time for the Derby.

  All nine runners got off to a good start, and after the first furlong, Astrology led Thought Worthy and Rugged Cross. There was little change in the order to the top of the hill, where Camelot remained last but one. 

  Rounding Tattenham Corner, Astrology and Thought Worthy fought out the lead, while Camelot was still seven lengths adrift. However, approaching the two furlong marker, 19-year-old, Joseph O’Brien boldly brought Camelot with a strong run up the outside, to join Astrology at the furlong pole, then, accelerated away to win easily by five lengths. Main Sequence ran on gamely to be second, with Astrology third, a short head away.

The winning time was 2 min. 33.90 sec.

The last horse home was Cavaleiro, ridden by Hayley Turner, matching the position of Alex Greaves, aboard Portuguese Lil in 1996; Haley and Alex being the only ladies to have ridden in the Derby.  

In the interviews that followed the trophy presentation to owners, Derek Smith, Mrs John Magnier and Michael Tabor, it became apparent that their wishes were to run Camelot in the St Leger, and so attempt the first Triple Crown victory since Nijinsky in 1970.

Finally, the estimated attendance of 130,000, was an encouraging sign for Investec, who have renewed their sponsorship for a further 10 years.  

Here follows, the result of the 2012 Investec Derby in the style of my book,

together with the details of  Montjeu’s four Epsom Derby winners.

Racing to School

As the Official Derby Historian, I was recently asked by the Marketing Department of Epsom Racecourse, to give the pupils of six local schools a series of half-hour talks on the history of the Derby, as part of the racecourse experience.

“This should be fun,” I thought. And when I was told the age of the 240 pupils attending over two days – 10-11 year-olds – I knew it would be have to be different from any other talk I had given.

The educational programme was run by the charity, British Horseracing Education and Standards Trust, known as Bhest. Their programme, which went to all 60 racecourses in Britain, was free and available to pupils and students of all ages throughout the UK. The daily schedule, which ran from 9.30 am to 2.40 pm, was hectic, but well run under the leadership of Ollie McPhail, an ex National Hunt jockey who had previously survived nine operations after a fall at the Chair fence at Aintree.

Although the children were taken to various parts of the stands and racecourse I was billeted in the Queen’s Stand cinema, where one class after another rushed in and rushed out after being given a brief history – racing at Epsom in the time of the Roundheads and Cavaliers, the foundation of the Derby, the suffragette, Emily Davison, Mill Reef, the disappearance of Shergar, modern day racing and the Queen’s involvement at Epsom.

The “any questions” at the conclusion of each session was both interesting and hilarious. One earnest little boy inquired, “When a horse breaks its leg and they shoot it, do they also shoot the jockey if he breaks his leg?”

Ollie McPhail was living proof that they don’t!”

Since I was standing in front of an Investec sponsors board, another boy inquired, are Zebra’s allowed to run in the Derby?”

All the children and their teacher’s seemed to have had a good time, washed down in the interval with various squashes and biscuits.

Needless to say, the more informed teacher’s and pupils discreetly asked who they should watch for in this year’s Derby. My reply of, “ Camelot,” was seen written into one or two exercise books!

The schools taking part were:

The Vale Primary School

Shawley Community Primary School

Tadworth Primary School

Warren Mead Junior School

Walton On The Hill Primary School

Riverview C Of E Primary School