The Derby was first run at Epsom Downs in 1780 and remains the most famous Flat race in Britain. Over almost 250 years, the race has produced stunning winners, shocking upsets and moments that reached far beyond the sport. Anyone looking through horse racing results from early June will find the Derby at the heart of the Flat season. These are the runnings that shaped its story.
1780 and the birth of the Derby
The first Derby was won by Diomed, owned by Sir Charles Bunbury. According to racing legend, the race was named after the 12th Earl of Derby following a coin toss between the two men, which is why it is not known as the Bunbury.
It was originally run over a mile, before being extended to a mile and a half in 1784, the distance it still covers today. The race quickly became the target for the best three-year-olds in the country, and its name has since been borrowed by races all over the world.
1913, the most eventful Derby of all
The 1913 Derby is remembered for two reasons. During the race, the suffragette Emily Davison ran onto the course at Tattenham Corner and was struck by Anmer, the horse owned by King George V. She died from her injuries four days later, and the moment became one of the defining images of the campaign for women’s votes.
The finish was just as controversial. The favourite, Craganour, passed the post first but was disqualified by the stewards, and the race was awarded to Aboyeur, a 100/1 outsider. It remains one of the biggest upsets in the race’s long history.
The war years at Newmarket
The Derby has not always been run at Epsom. During both World Wars, the race moved to Newmarket, between 1915 and 1918 and again from 1940 to 1945. These wartime runnings are still counted in the official record, and they include Triple Crown winners such as Gay Crusader in 1917.
Piggott's record and Nijinsky's Triple Crown
Lester Piggott won his first Derby on Never Say Die in 1954, aged just 18, and his ninth on Teenoso in 1983. Nine wins is still the record for a jockey.
In 1970, Piggott partnered Nijinsky to win the 2,000 Guineas, the Derby and the St Leger, completing the Triple Crown. No horse has won all three since, which makes Nijinsky’s achievement one of the most enduring in the sport.
Shergar's 10-length win
In 1981, Shergar won the Derby by 10 lengths, the widest winning margin in the race’s history. He was ridden by 19-year-old Walter Swinburn and trained by Michael Stoute.
His story took a dark turn two years later. In 1983, Shergar was stolen from a stud in Ireland and was never found. The mystery has kept his name famous far outside racing circles.
Modern landmarks
Recent decades have brought their own milestones. Frankie Dettori won his first Derby on Authorized in 2007, at his 15th attempt. Sea The Stars won the 2,000 Guineas and Derby in 2009 before taking the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in the autumn.
Aidan O’Brien, meanwhile, has won the race more times than any other trainer, starting with Galileo in 2001. His string of winners has made Ballydoyle the dominant force at Epsom in the 21st century.
Why the Derby still matters
The Derby is no longer the only route to stallion value, and some leading three-year-olds now skip Epsom for other targets. Yet its tight turns, steep camber and testing distance still make it one of the hardest races in the world to win. Even a well-fancied favourite’s odds rarely tell the whole story at a track that so few horses have run on before the big day. A Derby winner has proved speed, stamina and balance on a track like no other, which is why the race remains the one every Flat owner and trainer wants most.