2009 Epsom Derby Festival Guide

The Epsom Derby is the richest, oldest and most prestigious of the group one races run in England annually. Regarded as one of the premier events in international thoroughbred racing, the 2009 Epsom Derby will be run at 16:00 BST on Saturday the 6th of June.

The Epsom Derby is regarded as the unofficial championship for 3 year old colts and fillies in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The race is run over a distance of 1 mile 4 furlongs, approximately 2400 meters, on Epsom Downs racecourse. The race purse of £1,250,000 is the largest awarded in English flat racing.

2009 Epsom Derby Betting Tips

The second leg of the English Triple Crown merges pageantry, style and heritage. Betting is also central to the Epsom Derby experience with millions of pounds wagered in the Epsom Derby betting markets annually. The race receives extensive media coverage, making it one of the most popular thoroughbred racing betting events in the world.

A number of prestigious English flat races are regarded as important trail events for the Epsom Derby. While the winner of the 2,000 Guineas is often a popular choice for the race, the various Derby trial races run in the United Kingdom and Ireland, such as the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial tend to provide the most accurate guide to racehorse form.

2009 Epsom Derby Tickets

2009 Epsom Derby Tickets went on sale in December 2008. Visit our tickets section to find out more about the Epsom Derby ticket options that are available. To buy Epsom Derby tickets online, visit the official vendor. Alternatively, 2009 Epsom Downs Grandstand tickets can be ordered by calling 0844 579 3004.

229th Epsom Derby Festival Winner 2008

The 229^th Epsom Derby race at Epsom Downs saw New Approach pulling in ahead of Tartan Bearer by half a length for an outstanding win. The horse was jockeyed by trainer Jim Bolger’s own son in law, Kevin Manning. New Approach’s brilliant performance provided both men with their first wins in the Derby.

Bizarrely, New Approach was never intended to run in the race. Jim Bolger had originally not included the Epsom Derby on New Approach’s agenda: “It was the biggest mistake I’ve made for a long time but it was the best mistake I have made in my life.

Epsom Derby History

The inaugural Epsom Derby race was in 1780, a year after the first running of the Oaks at Epsom Downs Racecourse. The race was named after the Early of Derby who had secured this honour by virtue of a coin flip bet with the owner of the first winner of the Oaks, Sir Charles Bunbury.

The original Epsom Derby was run over just a mile. During World War I, the Epsom Derby race was moved to Newmarket Racecourse where it was run as the Derby Stakes until the hostilities had ended. To find out more about the races’ heritage and legends, visit our Epsom Derby legends page.

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