At a time when there is consideration for Epsom Downs Racecourse to extend their Derby Festival from two days to four, a look back to when it was a four-day meeting might be of interest.
Epsom’s race days
1946-1984
1946, the war over and the Derby back at Epsom, this was the first occasion that the Royal Party drove up the course, albeit in closed cars due to the rain; King George VI, wearing a bowler hat, was accompanied by Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth.
With the card for the Spring Meeting advanced to the August Bank Holiday, the Summer Meeting opened on Tuesday 4th June, with the traditional four-day programme.
Tuesday, among its feature events, had a new race, the Rosebery Memorial Handicap, run over the Great Metropolitan Course, and won by Sir Victor Sassoon’s Tregor. The Woodcote Stakes was bagged by the Maharaja of Baroda’s, Bhishma, ridden by the Australian jockey, Edgar Britt. And continuing its history, the Durdans Handicap, over the Derby Course, was appropriately won by the 6th Earl Rosebery’s Parhelion.
On Wednesday, Derby Day, the first two races, both over five furlongs, were won by Gordon Richards on Golden Sorrel and Gold Paint.
Then, as if on cue, the sun came out for the Derby parade and before a massive crowd, the grey colt, Airborne, stormed home at 50-1, from Lord Derby’s Gulf Stream.
Gordon could only manage sixth on Edward Tudor, but punters quickly retrieved their losses when he won the Lonsdale Stakes on Prince Aly Khan’s Neocracy.
Thursday, had relatively small fields, with Marcel Boussac’s Ardan, winning the three-runner Coronation Cup and the Maharaja of Baroda’s Ranjit, beating four rivals to win the Great Surrey Foal Plate.
Friday saw Harry Wragg win the Oaks on Sir Alfred Butt’s Steady Aim and Gordon Richards take the Ebbisham Stakes and the Acorn Plate.
The two-day Summer Bank Holiday Meeting opened on Saturday, 3rd August – Firm going, no watering and small fields.
Gordon Richards in top form, landed a treble – the Westminster Stakes, the Great Metropolitan and the Ladas Handicap, the three races totaling only 10 runners.
Also on the card was the inaugural running of the Diomed Stakes, only three runners, but a thrilling finish with Lord Irwin’s Banco beating Kimberly by a short head.
Monday’s turnout was similar, apart from a hotly contested City and Suburban, won by Lord Rosebery’s Hobo, top-weight and a course winner in June.
By 1958, Epsom had progressed to nine days racing – three at the Spring Meeting, four for the Summer and two for the August Bank Holiday.
The Spring Meeting started on Tuesday, April 22nd on Firm going. Kempton’s Queen’s Prize winner, Hollyhock, won the Great Metropolitan carrying a 10lb penalty, and the Queen’s horse, Miner’s Lamp, won the Blue Riband Trial Stakes; trained by Boyd-Rochfort, he disappointed in the Derby, but later won The Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket.
On Wednesday, in the City and Suburban, Setting Star and Stan Clayton beat Prince Moon and Lester Piggott by a short head. While in the supporting card, Manny Mercer rode the winners of the Cicero Handicap and the Hyde Park Stakes. Thursday’s feature was the valuable Queen Elizabeth Stakes, won by Prince Aly Khan’s Princess Lora, trained in France by Alec Head.
The Summer Meeting, kept the traditional format, with the Woodcote Stakes on Tuesday, going to Loyal Lady, trained by the Derby winning jockey, Tommy Carey at Epsom, and ridden by the American Champion jockey Johnny Longden.
The race before Wednesday’s Derby, gave supporters of Hard Ridden, grave moments of doubt, when Bleep-Bleep (a son of his sire Hard Sauce), slaughtered the field in the five-furlong Caterham Stakes. However, they had no worries in the race when Charlie Smirke, proving the colt’s stamina, cleared right away to win by five lengths. Trained by Mick Rogers at The Curragh, he was only the second Irish horse to win the race.
On Thursday, Vincent O’Brien’s Ballymoss, bagged the Coronation Cup, beating two French-trained horses. But on Friday, the French took their revenge, when their 1,000 Guineas winner and 6-4 favourite, Bella Paola, won the Oaks by three lengths.
At the Bank Holiday Meeting on Saturday, 2nd August, Master Sands won the Diomed Handicap over seven Furlongs, and on the Monday, the well-backed Buffer, ridden by Terry Stringer, won the Steve Donoghue Apprentices Handicap over the Derby Course.
Tuesday, 25th April 1967, saw the introduction of Starting Stalls at the Epsom Spring Meeting. The first race, over five furlongs, appropriately named the Bunbury Stakes, was won by a 100-6 longshot, The Industan, ridden by Joe Mercer. The April Handicap followed with victory to the 25-1 Favoured and The Great Metropolitan gave punters no respite, when Moon Storm, ridden by Tony Murray won at 33-1. However, joy came eventually, when Starry Halo, ridden by Lester Piggott, won the Blue Riband Trial Stakes – the only favourite that day.
On Wednesday, the popular six-year-old, Hotroy, trained at Epsom by Walter Nightingall, won the City and Suburban at 100-7, and on Thursday, the Princess Elizabeth Stakes continued the trend when won by Pytchley Princess at 20-1. Whether the innovation of the stalls contributed to the series of shock results, it was never known.
Epsom had three further meetings that year – the four-day Summer Meeting in June, a one-day meeting in late July and a two-day meeting in August.
The first day of the 1967 Summer Meeting – Tuesday, 6th June, saw Raffingora win the Caterham Stakes for two-year-olds, the first of his 17 wins from 28 starts, Three years later, he returned to Epsom to win the Cherkley Sprint Handicap, where he recorded the then fastest ever electrically timed five-furlongs.
The Woodcote Stakes, the most valuable race that day, was run as the fifth race, and won by Last Shoe, trained by Brian Swift at Ashtead.
Wednesday’s Derby, the first from starting stalls, was won by the 2,000 Guineas winner, Royal Palace, owned by Mr Jim Joel, ridden by George Moore and trained by Noel Murless at Newmarket. Lester Piggott was second on Ribocco and Scobie Breasley on Dart Board third.
The first Derby start from stalls.
(Mobiles turn landscape)
On Thursday, Charlottown, the previous Derby winner, won the Coronation Cup, and on Friday, the Oaks was won by Countess Margit Batthyany’s Pia, trained by Bill Elsey at Malton, Yorkshire and ridden by Eddie Hide.
The Saturday Meeting on 29th July, featured the Earle Dorling Memorial Handicap, over the Derby Course, the Epsom Sprint Handicap and the Diomed Handicap, run over one mile 110 yards. while the August two-day meeting opened on Monday 28th, featured the Steve Donoghue Apprentice Handicap – known as the Apprentice’s Derby – and the Moet and Chandon Silver Magnum – known as the Amateur’s Derby.
The card rounded off with the Fifinella Stakes and the Nell Gwyn Stakes for good measure, Sadly, Tuesday’s card had only 26 runners covering the six races – but featured a Ron Hutchinson treble and a Lester Piggott double.
1984 was a memorable year for Epsom with the Derby and Oaks sponsored by Ever Ready Limited with a £2 million three-year deal. Although generally hailed as the first sponsorship, the 17th Earl of Derby had provided all the added money – £1,000 – in 1915 when the race was run at Newmarket.
Epsom had three meetings this year – two days in April, four in June and a two-day Bank Holiday meeting in late August.
The first day of the Spring Meeting, Tuesday, 24th April, featured the George Wigg Memorial City and Suburban Handicap, won by My Tony, trained at Epsom by Geoff Lewis and ridden by Taffy Thomas. Also featured, was the Blue Riband Trial Stakes, won by Long Pond, who got up in the last stride, with the assistance of George Duffield.
Wednesday’s features were the Princess Elizabeth Stakes and the Great Metropolitan won by Ian Balding’s Cheka.
Ever Ready Derby Day started on Wednesday, 6th June, with the Pacemaker Diomed Stakes, followed by the Daily Mirror Handicap. However, the big race had everything – the Guineas winner, El Gran Senor, 8-11 favourite, led a furlong out, apparently cruising, but was finally worried out of it by Christy Roche on Secreto. First there was a photograph showing a short head victory for Secreto, then an objection by Pat Eddery for “leaning on my colt inside the final furlong”. After a lengthy delay the result stood, albeit with groans from the crowd.
Two historic races followed – the 178th Woodcote Stakes and the 131st Great Surrey Stakes. Thursday’s Coronation Cup was not sponsored, but fought out between the two previous Oaks winners – Time Charter, with Steve Cauthen up, winning by four lengths from Sun Princess and Willie Carson. Two other races were given the names of famous Epsom trainers: Staff Ingham and Walter Nightingall.
Friday’s card was a low-key affair headed by the Northern Dancer Handicap – appropriate for the sire of both Secreto and El Gran Senor. Saturday’s Gold Seal Oaks went to Lester Piggott on Circus Plume, while Royal Recourse, ridden by American Champion jockey, Willie Shoemaker, won the Ashtead Stakes.
The August Bank Holiday Meeting opened on Monday, 27th, with two races named after famous Epsom winners, Cicero (1904 Derby) and Bridget (1779 Oaks). Tuesday, saw the City and Suburban winner, My Tony, reappear to take the Chalk Lane Handicap, while the Steve Donoghue Apprentice Derby was won by Guy Landau, a future National Hunt jockey, riding for Guy Harwood on Librate.
Let us hope some of these historic races will find their way into the new Derby Festival programme.