2018 Epsom Derby

The 2018 Epsom Derby was the 239th annual running of the Derby horse race and took place at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 2 June 2018. The winner was Masar, ridden by William Buick, at odds of 16/1. The race was sponsored by Investec and the first prize was £920,000.

2018 Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
LocationEpsom Downs Racecourse
Date2 June 2018
Winning horseMasar
Starting price16/1
JockeyWilliam Buick
TrainerCharlie Appleby
OwnerGodolphin
ConditionsGood

Race synopsis

Entries and race build-up

The initial entry for the 2018 Epsom Derby, announced in December 2016, consisted of 448 yearlings whose owners paid £560 for each horse entered. The number of entries was an increase of 32 on the initial entry for the 2017 race, and included 34 horses from the Godolphin Racing organisation and 58 from the Coolmore Stud. Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum entered 31 horses and 2016 winning owner Aga Khan IV had 20 entries. Three fillies were amongst the entries.

Six further horses were added at the second entry stage on 3 April 2018, with their owners paying £9,000 to enter a runner. Amongst the six were Tim Easterby's unbeaten colt Wells Farhh Go, two trained by Hugo Palmer and entries from the stables of Saeed bin Suroor and André Fabre.[1]

At the final entry stage on 31 May 2018 there were 12 runners declared, with Saxon Warrior odds-on favourite.[2]

Trial races

The first significant trial for the 2018 Derby took place at Leopardstown Racecourse on 14 April when four colts contested the Ballysax Stakes. Three of the four runners were trained by Aidan O'Brien, including the favourite The Pentagon. The race was run on heavy going and was won by another O'Brien runner, Nelson, who beat Delano Roosevelt by half a length. Nelson, ridden by Donnacha O'Brien, was giving the trainer an eighth victory in the race. The Pentagon finished a well-beaten third.[3] Aidan O'Brien said after the race " "I was delighted with that. It was tough going out there and Donnacha was very pleased with Nelson and said he stays really well." and that his other runners would "...probably all come back for the Derrinstown Stud Stakes and they’re all Derby horses."[4]

Epsom staged the Blue Riband Trial Stakes on 25 April. The race offers a free Derby entry to the winner and had been upgraded to Listed status in 2018.[5] John Gosden trained the winner of the race for a sixth time with Crossed Baton, who took an early lead and held on in the final furlong to beat My Lord And Master by a head.[6] The colt was already entered for the Derby and Gosden commented "If we get a hot summer he could be back [for the Derby]...he's a big boy but with not the biggest feet and he flows over faster ground."[7]

On 27 April the Bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown Park produced a second trial winner for John Gosden. Gosden's Sevenna Star beat six other colts in a race run on testing going, getting up close to the winning post to beat Charlie Appleby's Ispolini by a short head. Sevenna Star had won his previous race by 14 lengths. Frankie Dettori, who rode the winner, said "Ultimately you'll see his very best at a mile and a half. He'll get better as the season progresses." Gosden, who was winning the race for the ninth time, felt that " he was only just getting the hang of it in the last part. He could go for another trial, with the Dante Stakes an option."[8][9]

The 2000 Guineas saw an impressive victory by Saxon Warrior who came home ahead of the outsider Tip Two Win and the favourite Masar whilst Roaring Lion came home fifth. Chester's two Derby trial races saw Young Rascal beat Dee Ex Bee in the Chester Vase on 9 May and the Aidan O'Brien-trained Rostropovich take the Dee Stakes on the following day. The Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial on 13 May produced an upset as a three-horse Ballydoyle entry of The Pentagon, Delano Roosevelt and Nelson was defeated by the Dermot Weld-trained Hazapour, a 16/1 outsider. In the following week York Racecourse staged the Dante Stakes which saw Roaring Lion come home four and a half lengths clear of Mildenberger with Zabriskie in third place. The result effectively ended the Derby hopes of Wells Farhh Go and Crossed Batons who finished sixth and seventh.

Race card

The final field of twelve saw six Irish-trained challengers matched against six British-trained colts.

No Draw Horse Weight (st–lb) Jockey Trainer Owner
1 6 Dee Ex Bee 9–0 Silvestre de Sousa Mark Johnston Hamdan bin Mohammed Al-Maktoum
2 4 Delano Roosevelt (IRE) 9–0 Seamie Heffernan Aidan O'Brien (IRE) Tabor, Smith, Magnier
3 3 Hazapour (IRE) 9–0 Frankie Dettori Dermot Weld (IRE) Aga Khan IV
4 12 Kew Gardens (IRE) 9–0 Donnacha O'Brien Aidan O'Brien (IRE) Tabor, Smith, Magnier
5 2 Knight to Behold (IRE) 9–0 Richard Kingscote Harry Dunlop Neil Jones
6 10 Masar (IRE) 9–0 William Buick Charlie Appleby Godolphin
7 5 Roaring Lion (USA) 9–0 Oisin Murphy John Gosden Qatar Racing
8 1 Saxon Warrior (JPN) 9–0 Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien (IRE) Tabor, Smith, Magnier
9 7 Sevenna Star (IRE) 9–0 Robert Havlin John Gosden Gestut Ammerland
10 11 The Pentagon (IRE) 9–0 Wayne Lordan Aidan O'Brien (IRE) Tabor, Smith, Magnier
11 9 Young Rascal (FR) 9–0 James Doyle William Haggas Bernard Kantor
12 8 Zabriskie (IRE) 9–0 Padraig Beggy Aidan O'Brien (IRE) Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd

Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.

The Race

Despite fears earlier in the week that the prevailing wet weather would result in a soft surface, the race was run in bright sunshine on ground officially described as good. In the early stages Knight to Behold set the pace from Kew Gardens with Hazapour and The Pentagon close behind. The others were closely grouped and headed by Dee Ex Bee whilst Zabriskie and Sevenna Star brought up the rear. The order remained unchanged until the straight where horses fanned out to deliver their challenges. Approaching the last quarter mile Knight to Behold led a front rank of seven horses which included (from the inside) Kew Gardens, Hazapour, The Pentagon, Dee Ex Bee, Masar and Roaring Lion with Saxon Warrior beginning to make steady progress alongside his stablemate Delano Roosevelt. Knight to Behold, Kew Gardens and The Pentagon quickly dropped away, leaving Hazapour and Dee Ex Bee to briefly dispute the lead before Masar swept past them on the outside a furlong and a half from the finish. Roaring Lion briefly looked like a serious threat in the final furlong but Masar kept on well and won by a length and a half. Dee Ex Bee took second place, half a length in front of Roaring Lion whilst Saxon Warrior stayed on well to deprive Hazapour of fourth place without ever looking likely to win.[10][11]

Full result
Dist * Horse Jockey Trainer SP
1 Masar William Buick Charlie Appleby 16/1
2 2 Dee Ex Bee Silvestre de Sousa Mark Johnston 20/1
3 ½ Roaring Lion Oisin Murphy John Gosden 6/1
4 2½ Saxon Warrior Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien 4/5 fav
5 2½ Hazapour Frankie Dettori Dermot Weld 12/1
6 4½ Delano Roosevelt Seamie Heffernan Aidan O'Brien 16/1
7 5 Young Rascal James Doyle William Haggas 17/2
8 ½ The Pentagon Wayne Lordan Aidan O'Brien 33/1
9 10 Kew Gardens Donnacha O'Brien Aidan O'Brien 16/1
10 1 Sevenna Star Robert Havlin John Gosden 50/1
11 4½ Knight To Behold Richard Kingscote Harry Dunlop 14/1
12 15 Zabriskie Padraig Beggy Aidan O'Brien 66/1

* The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter; nse = nose; hd = head.
† Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.

Form analysis

Two-year-old races

Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 2017:

Road to Epsom

Early-season appearances in 2018 and trial races prior to running in the Derby:

Subsequent Group 1 wins

Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby:

See also

References
  1. "Wells Farhh Go added to Investec Derby field". Sky Sports. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  2. "Talking Horses: Derby favourite Saxon Warrior drawn in unfavoured stall one". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  3. "P. W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes". Racing Post. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  4. "Gustav Klimt impresses Moore to book his spot in 2,000 Guineas". Racing Post. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  5. "Progress continues on stayers' project following further Pattern race upgrades". British Horseracing Authority. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  6. "Investec Blue Riband Trial". Racing Post. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  7. Jackson, Bruce. "Gosden lands sixth Derby Trial as Crossed Baton holds on". Racing Post. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  8. "Gosden on cloud nine after Sevenna Star provides him with another success". Thoroughbred News. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  9. "Bet365 Classic Trial". Racing Post. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  10. "Derby result". Racing Post. 2 June 2018.
  11. "Epsom Derby 2018: Masar wins as favourite Saxon Warrior falters – as it happened". Guardian. 3 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  12. "Saxon Warrior". Racing Post.
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