Frankie Dettori's work is not yet done ...
He’s off to ride Hathal in the considerably less glamorous environs of Lingfield at 7.30pm and as much as I’d love to man this live blog for another two-and-half hours in order to let you know how he gets on, there’s a Champions League final on tonight that won’t watch itself, so I’m out of here. Thanks for your time and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Investec Derby 2016 - Chris Cook reports from Epsom
It's official: Golden Horn has won the Derby
Frankie Dettori weighs in in decidedly unorthodox style, kneeling on the scales as he pumps the air with both fists shouting: “GO ON! GO ON!” Upon getting the all clear from the clerk of the scales, he picks up his saddle, gives it a kiss and hurls it to the ground before dashing out for the trophy presentation.
Dettori wins a thrilling Derby ...
“I thought Frankie dropped him out beautifully and rode a cool race,” says John Gosden. “I thought he rode a very cool race and Jack Dobbs ran a brilliant race as well.” Dettori took a while to settle his mount, before switching him off and then making his move at the furlong pole to win pulling away. “WE WON THE DERBY! WE WON THE DERBY!” he roars as he arrives to conduct his post-race interview with Channel 4.
Updated
4.30pm: 2015 Investec Derby result
1 Golden Horn (L Dettori) 13-8 Fav
2 Jack Hobbs (W Buick) 4-1
3 Storm The Stars (P Cosgrave) 16-1
12 ran
Also: 6-1 Giovanni Canaletto 4th
CSF: 7.60
Tricast: 79.95
4.30pm: Investec Derby (Group 1) 1m 4f
With a furlong to go Golden Horn is driven out to win the Derby for jockey Frankie Dettori and trainer John Gosden. He wins by a length from Jack HObbs and William Biick. Storm The Stars was third under Pat Cosgrave. Golden Horn wins the Derby for Frankie Dettori.
4.30pm: Investec Derby (Group 1) 1m 4f
With two furlongs to go Hans Holbein leads from Elm Park, Epicuris and Jack Hobbs ...
Updated
4.30pm: Investec Derby (Group 1) 1m 4f
They’re off in the Derby with Elm Park and Hans Holbein leading the way, apparently more preoccupied with eyeballing each other than what’s going on around and behind them. Elm Park gives way, leaving Hans Holbein in front ...
Not long now ...
The horses are down around the start, milling around in front of the stalls while Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir blares out over the PA. No, really: Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a cracking tune, but not one I expected to be soundtracking today’s big race. They’re loading the stalls ...
Michael Owen speaks ...
Its Jack Hobbs each way for me. Can't see him being out of the first 3. Good luck with your picks! #EpsomDerby
— michael owen (@themichaelowen) June 6, 2015
Epicuris playing up in the parade ring ...
Despite being led around by two handlers, the French-trained 16-1 shot is looking flighty, on its toes and in no great mood for the pre-race niceties. The horses are out on the course now, preparing for the pre-race parade which will be led by Carbon Dating and Ronan Wheeling. On Racing UK, presenter Lydia Hislop suggests it’s the only time the 150-1 shot will find himself leading the field this afternoon. Zing.
4.30pm: Investec Derby betting
- Golden Horn 13-8
- Jack Hobbs 9-2
- Giovanni Canaletto 7-1
- Elm Park 9-1
- Hans Holbein 14-1
- Success Days 14-1
- Killimanjaro 14-1
- Epicicuris 16-1
- Storm The Stars 16-1
- Moheet 25-1
- Rogue Runner 50-1
- Carbon Dating 150-1
Chris Cook's horse-by-horse guide to the Derby
Chris Cook's big race preview ...
Our tipster reckons the favourite will win the Derby to give Frankie Dettori his second success in the race.
#AmericanPharoah #TripleCrown Crown bid: Who's who at the #BelmontStakes by @BklynBckstretch @guardian_sport http://t.co/HHbxu7x9oP
— Tony Paley (@tonypaley) June 6, 2015
3.45pm: Investec ‘Dash’ Heritage Handicap 5f result
1 Desert Law (Martin Lane) 16-1
2 Monsieur Joe (T P Queally) 12-1
3 Boom The Groom (L Morris) 20-1
4 Steps (Jim Crowley) 12-1
20 ran
Also: 7-1 Jt Fav Perfect Muse, Seeking Magic
CSF: 193.64
Tricast: 3945.99
Updated
3.45pm: Investec ‘Dash’ Heritage Handicap 5f
Desert Law (16-1) wins the sprint from stall No1 under Martin Lane for Paul Midgely, winning pretty nicely by over length after a perfect, uninterrupted run up the middle of the course. Monsieur Joe was second, giving Midgely the one-two and Boom The Groom was third.
3.45pm: Investec ‘Dash’ Heritage Handicap 5f
Seeking Magic is the co-favourite in this one at 7-1, trained by Clive Cox and ridden by Oisin Murphy. Perfect Muse joins him at the top of the bookies’ boards.
3.45pm: Investec 'Dash' Heritage Handicap 5f
Chris Cook’s thoughts: Hold onto your hats, it’s the fastest race of the year, with some runnings dipping below 54 seconds. Caspian Prince won it last year and, although he’s earned a bigger weight this time, I’ll happily take 10-1 about an encore, with the excellent Adam Kirby back in the saddle and a handy draw for a front-runner. He was well beaten when last seen in Meydan but that was a Group One, after all.
From today's Racing Post
In his weekly column, champion jockey Richard Hughes says that he would like to have partnered Pether’s Moon in the last race. “I was told by his owner, John Manley, to sit second on him in the Jockey Club Stakes,” he says. “I did as I was told, sat second and was beaten 18 lengths. I’m not on board this time but hopefully Dobbsy can have more luck.”
3.10pm: Investec Coronation Cup (Group 1) result
1 Pether’s Moon (P J Dobbs) 11-1
2 Dolniya (C Soumillon) 8-11 Fav
3 Flintshire (M Guyon) 7-4
4 ran
Also: 12-1 Sheikhzayedroad 4th
Non Runners: 1,4
Tote: win 7.10
Tote Exacta: 25.00
CSF: 20.51
Tote Trifecta: 31.40
Updated
Jack Hobbs will take his chance in the Derby
Jack Hobbs will take part in today’s Derby, for which he is second-favourite, despite doubts recently expressed by his trainer, John Gosden, as to whether the horse would cope with fast ground at Epsom.
John Ferguson, spokesman for the horse’s owner, Sheikh Mohammed, told Channel 4: “I think the most important thing is John has brought the horse along slowly, he didn’t run until December 27, he’s come out and progressed with every run. John is very happy with him and, as Sheikh Mohammed has said right from the beginning, John has trained this horse brilliantly and he’s keen to run him, so that gives you every indication. I think the most important thing is, he’s a horse with a future.”
Updated
3.10pm: Investec Coronation Cup (Group 1) 1m 4f
An upset here as Pether’s Moon wins for jockey Pat Dobbs and trainer Richard Hannon, coming with a late run to find a gap and prevail by three-quarters of a length from Dolniya who looked a winner a half-furlong out.
3.10pm: Investec Coronation Cup (Group 1) 1m 4f
With Ayrad and Romsdal declared non-runners, there are just four contestants in this race, which seems a bit of a shame on such a big afternoon. Dolniya is the odds-on favourite at 4-6, followed by Flintshire (9-4),. Pether’s Moon (12-1) and Sheikhzayedroad (14-1).
Updated
Chris Cook on Epicuris and his tongue tie
The British Horseracing Authority has confirmed that the error over the Derby runner Epicuris, whose properly declared tongue tie was not mentioned to the media, occurred at Weatherbys, racing’s secretariat.
Weatherbys has been doing this job, in its various forms, for longer than any of us have been alive and has had a fine reputation until the last seven months. This is now the third blunder to have surfaced in public since the autumn.
Most notable among those was the fact that they allowed The Young Master to run in a major race at Wincanton when in fact he was not qualified to take part. Inevitably, he won and then had to be disqualified when the truth emerged. On another occasion, many newspapers carried the wrong distance for a Saturday race at Towcester because of another Weatherbys error.
Now comes this mistake in relation to the biggest Flat race of the year. Officials are said to regard it as another piece of shocking bad luck, since tongue ties are properly processed for thousands of races every year. But the BHA is not offering its view of Weatherbys just yet and there may be more to come on this story during the week, once various important people are back at their desks.
Updated
Thought for the (Derby) day
Have a fun day for death awaits you around every dark corner (Daniel Trim/REX) pic.twitter.com/HAe69hx9ID
— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) June 6, 2015
3.10pm: Investec Coronation Cup (Group 1) 1m 4f
Chris Cook’s thoughts: The ground is drying out for Flintshire but he has been frustrating for a horse of his talent, winning just once in his last 10 starts. Dolniya has beaten him in their last two races and the impression is that she will increase her margin of superiority here.
#Epsom: 2 day careless riding ban on Dutch Uncle (2-00) for Frankie Dettori
— Cornelius Lysaght (@CorneliusRacing) June 6, 2015
2.35pm: Investec Woodcote Stakes (Listed) result
1 Buratino (W Buick) 2-1 Fav
2 Nelspruit (R Hughes) 11-4
3 Just Emma (Oisin Murphy) 25-1
9 ran
Also: 8-1 Miss Moneypenny 4th
Non Runner: 7
Tote: win 3.00 places 1.20 1.40 4.50
Tote Exacta: 8.60
CSF: 7.64
Updated
Really impressive performance by Buratino to win the Woodcote at #Epsom. Didn’t even look that happy on the track until 2f out.
— Greg Wood (@Greg_Wood_) June 6, 2015
2.35pm: Investec Woodcote Stakes (Listed) 6f
The favourite Buratino wins pulling a cart, hard held by William Buick for Mark Johnston. Despite missing the break he streaked 10 lengths clear on the outside without coming off the bridle to beat Nespruit and Just Emma into the minor placings.
Updated
2.35pm: Investec Woodcote Stakes (Listed) 6f
With the horses on their way down to the start, Buratino is 5-2 favourite, followed by Nelspruit (11-4), Aleko (5-1), Miss Moneypenny (8-1) and it’s 10-1 bar. They’re going behind the stalls and it won’t be long before the off.
2.35pm: Investec Woodcote Stakes (Listed) 6f
Chris Cook’s thoughts: “Richard Fahey does not send juveniles to Epsom for the sake of using up some diesel, having won three times here with 10 two-year-old runners in recent seasons. His Jeanie’s Place is overlooked at 9-1 here but she did remarkably well to overcome a slow start and cuff her rivals by three lengths on her debut. That was at Thirsk and there is no denying that others in this field have stronger form claims but few have her potential for improvement on just her second start and her pedigree is a pleasing blend of speed and more speed.”
BREAKING: Going change, now GOOD TO FIRM
— EpsomDownsRacecourse (@EpsomRacecourse) June 6, 2015
2.00pm: Investec Private Banking Handicap result
1 Stravagante (R L Moore) 7-2
2 Gibeon (R Hughes) 16-1
3 Taper Tantrum (T P Queally) 16-1
13 ran
Also: 3-1 Fav Resonant, 5-1 Dutch Uncle 4th
Tote: win 4.50 places 1.80 5.70 3.20
Tote Exacta: 75.90
CSF: 58.62
Tricast: 813.80
2.00pm: Investec Private Banking Handicap (Class 2) 1m 2f
Stravagante wins the opener for trainer Sir Michael Stoute under a sweeping run up the outside under Ryan Moore. A handicapper on the up, he streaked clear to win by five or six lengths from Gibeon and Richard Hughes, who was to the fore throughout, in second and Taper Tantrum in third.
Updated
2.00pm: Investec Private Banking Handicap (Class 2) 1m 2f: The runners and riders are being loaded into the stalls for the first, where the Mark Johnston-trained Resonant is the 3-1 favourite, followed closely in the betting by Stravagant,at 7-2 in the Coolmore silks. Dutch Uncle is 5-1 and it’s 11-1 bar.
Updated
Good afternoon everybody. Barry Glendenning here, having got the leg up so Tony Paley can go sweat off a couple of pounds in the sauna before getting stuck into a couple of bottles of Derby day bubbly. We’ll have four races for you this afternoon as we count down to the Derby which is scheduled to start at 4.30pm.
As we approach the first race at 2pm I’ll hand the reins over to Barry Glendenning ...
Epicuris ... Timeform’s David Johnson weighs in with the relevant question
.@BHAPressOffice Setting a very dangerous precedent allowing horse to wear equipment that it wasn't declared in. Why? #Epicuris #tonguestrap
— David Johnson (@davidjohnsonTF) June 6, 2015
Epicuris allowed to run in classic in equipment not declared. Odeon last year WD from one for merely arriving at start in some to be removed
— David Johnson (@davidjohnsonTF) June 6, 2015
Updated
Going down memory lane. Triptych, “a truly remarkable racehorse” said commentator Graham Goode, won the 1987 Coronation Cup.
Triptych wins the Coronation Cup. Small field. Big talent.
Updated
Romsdal out of Coronation Cup
One of my favourite races but this year’s running at 3.10 is hardly going to go down as one of the great renewals - there’s only four left in the race now that Romsdal is out.
Romsdal is now out of the Coronation Cup here @EpsomRacecourse leaving just four runners in the race.
— Graham Clark (@GrahamClark85) June 6, 2015
Massive tip: Queen is wearing Gold
Her Maj knows a thing or two about bloodstock and she’s certainly nailed her colours (sorry) to the mast today as she’s only turned up at Epsom wearing gold.
Excuse blurriness but HM The Queen is in gold, so... GOLDEN HORN wins? #TheDerby #Epsom pic.twitter.com/LjSNqVeBBH
— Oliver Brett (@sport_oliver) June 6, 2015
Epicuris tongue-tie adds to controversy
Eyebrows have already been raised about the fact that French challenger Epicuris is running in the Derby today. This horse is, in racing terms, “a bit of a monkey at the start”. That doesn’t mean he’s about to go hanging off the stalls - in fact, it’s because he doesn’t like going near them. He didn’t run in the French Derby because the stewards refused a request from trainer Criquette Head-Maarek to allow horse behavioural expert Nicolas Blondeau to help with the loading process.
Now it appears the bounder is wearing a tongue-tie even though that information wasn’t printed in newspapers or on the official racecards. The stewards and the British Horseracing Authority (they’re in charge) state the “declaration of the tongue tie for Epicuris had been made correctly at the time of declaration.” So why weren’t we told?
French challenger Epicuris will be wearing a tongue tie in the Derby (4.30) at Epsom today despite it not being published on racecards...
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) June 6, 2015
...stewards and the BHA confirm that "declaration of the tongue tie for Epicuris had been made correctly at the time of declaration."
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) June 6, 2015
Updated
Blue is the colour of Canaletto’s blood
The best-bred horse in today’s Derby is undoubtedly Giovanni Canaletto, his siblings including Ruler Of The World, who won this race two years ago. Were he to win, it would be the first time since 1896 that the Derby was won by a full brother to a previous winner.
Giovanni Canaletto is also the only son of Galileo in today’s field, Galileo being the sire of the last two Derby winners. This is the smallest representation of Galileo in the Derby field since 2006, when his first crop turned three and Sixties Icon was his only runner.
On the subject of breeding, Montjeu would become the first stallion to sire five Derby winners if Hans Holbein won. He may be Montjeu’s final Derby runner, as the stallion died in 2012 and his last crop, now two, is said to number fewer than 30.
The Legends Derby
Great British Racing have produced one of those virtual races you see in the betting shops for the Derby. Now, Frankel was beaten in their Guineas Greats race recently so expect the unexpected.
Frankie and Sheikh Mohammed back on speaking terms
Nice line about Frankie and Sheikh Mohammed at end of @captheath feature in today's Mail pic.twitter.com/2QIlkLTM8K
— Tony Paley (@tonypaley) June 6, 2015
Hughes sits out Derby
It is a real pity that Richard Hughes doesn’t have a ride in today’s Derby, meaning he will retire at the end of this year without having won the race, and there is rather more than a note of regret in his Racing Post column today. “Quite simply, I wasn’t asked,” he writes, though he sustains himself with thoughts of perhaps training the winner one day.
It looks a bit odd that he is unemployed in the weighing room for a race in which the Richard Hannon stable, with which he is so closely associated, has a runner, albeit an unfancied one in Moheet. We haven’t been told exactly why Pat Dobbs was chosen for that ride rather than Hughes, although Hannon and Hughes are not wedded so tightly this season as in the past. The horse is owned by the Qatari owners Al Shaqab, for whom Hughes has ridden Group One winners in the past but has not had a ride this year.
Hughes fans would also have expected to see him on Pether’s Moon in the Coronation Cup but Pat Dobbs has that ride as well as Moheet. Hughes, champion jockey for the last three years, gives a pretty broad hint about the reason for that in his column: “I was told by his owner, John Manley, to sit second on him in the Jockey Club Stakes. I did as I was told, sat second and was beaten 18 lengths. I’m not on board this time but hopefully Dobbsy can have more luck on the horse.” He adds that it is obvious he would like to be on Pether’s Moon.
Favourites in the Derby
If you’re tempted to take on Golden Horn in today’s race, purely because his odds are unappealingly short, it’s worth considering that the market has a fair record of sorting this race out in advance. There have been 13 winning favourites in the past 35 runnings and, although we’ve had a 20-1 winner and a couple of 14-1s in that time, no winner has been bigger than 7-1 since 1998.
Of the past eight favourites, the only one not to finish in the first four was Dawn Approach, who behaved like a mad horse a couple of years ago and towed his unwilling jockey to the front before halfway, burning himself out in the process.
Favourites who started shorter than 2-1, as Golden Horn probably will, have won three times from four attempts in the past decade. Again, Dawn Approach was the only crumpled rose leaf in this garden of Eden for fav-fanciers.
Tippage
Ten of the 15 tipsters in the Racing Post’s selection box have cast their votes for Golden Horn in today’s Derby. This is less predictable than you might imagine. Tipsters love to put up the winner but they’ve got their pride and it doesn’t look good to be picking the favourite every time. If I remember correctly, Gleneagles went completely untipped when he was a winning favourite in last month’s 2,000 Guineas, which will give you some idea of the level of shrewdness we’re dealing with here.
Only two other horses have been tipped, with Elm Park getting four votes and one for Giovanni Canaletto.
Celeb watch
A press release is doing the rounds of Epsom’s media tent, listing the slebs who will grace us with their presence today. Liz Hurley is top of the page, followed by other names you will recognise if you’re a bit younger than me and sometimes take an interest in things other than racing. The pleasingly alliterative Millie Mackintosh and Whinnie Williams are among ‘em, as is Professor Green, from the famous Cluedo game (shome mishtake?). Denise Lewis and Sir Steven Redgrave will be able to appreciate the equine athleticism on show, while the stands will also contain at least five members of the England cricket team. What a time to be alive, eh?
Updated
Preamble
It is a beautiful day at Epsom, albeit with a stiffish breeze blowing across the course from left to right on the way from Tattenham Corner to the line. Whether it will meet with the approval of John Gosden, however, remains to be seen, as the trainer of both the current favourite for the Derby, Golden Horn, and second-favourite Jack Hobbs is due to walk the course within the next hour to decide whether to let the latter colt take his chance.
Gosden is concerned that the ground will be too quick for Jack Hobbs, and will not have been encouraged to hear that the going was changed from good to good, good-to-firm in places after a dry night. The weather is forecast to remain dry all day with temperatures rising to 20 degrees, and with the wind to factor in as well, the likelihood is that it will be riding good-to-firm all over by the time of the Classic at 4.30.
It will make a big difference to the shape of the race if Jack Hobbs is scratched, but on the basis that there is only one Derby, and recalling too that Jack Hobbs went around Tattenham Corner smoothly enough at the Breakfast With The Stars last week, the hope must be that Gosden will let him take his chance.
It is hard to assess the race in great detail at this stage without knowing whether he is in or out, however, because personally I am not convinced that Golden Horn will stay a mile-and-a-half at this track well enough to win, and Jack Hobbs is the obvious one to pick up the pieces if he does not.
The doubts about his stamina do not derive so much from an in-depth analysis of his pedigree as they do from his owner and breeder Anthony Oppenheimer’s deep personal experience of Golden Horn’s family traits. He had so little faith in Golden Horn getting 12 furlongs that he did not even enter him at the yearling stage, and while he might be wrong, and has been persuaded that it was worth a £75,000 supplementary to find out for sure, I don’t think odds of 7-4 are anywhere near the right price.
I also thought that Jack Hobbs travelled as well as Golden Horn in the Dante Stakes at York last time, and that the latter’s superiority was slightly exaggerated by the way the race developed in the last half-mile. With the experience behind him, I can see Jack Hobbs travelling further into the race than Golden Horn, and delivering the decisive challenge around the furlong pole.
For an each-way chance further down the list, Success Days has to be one to consider closely at around 20-1. He too was supplemented to the race, but has been overlooked because his trainer is relatively low-profile and he has been doing his winning – including a couple of Ireland’s best Derby trials – on heavy ground.
He might hate the going and refuse to come down the hill, but that is factored into his price and on form rather than connections, he is the leading Irish-trained challenger for the race.
