2023 Derby Festival Tips
The 2023 Derby Festival starts on Friday 2 June, with the crowds flocking to Epsom Racecourse in order to watch the seven races that comprise Day One. The Oaks is set to run at 4.30pm, with Savethelastdance trading as the market leader and this is a top-class encounter for fillies, with Soul Sister and Running Lion also among the favourites for this encounter.
The Coronation Cup is another Group 1 clash and we’re looking forward to see who comes out on top for an encounter that also features Westover, Emily Upjohn and Hurricane Lane. There are several races on Friday who have enormous fields and that means the chance to get decent each-way value thanks to the extra places being offered.
Then comes Derby Day on Saturday 3 June, with eight races scheduled and the jewel in the crown is clearly the Epsom Derby. This is a classic race which is the most famous flat encounter in the world, with Auguste Rodin, Military Order and Passenger among the market leaders when it comes to a showdown over one mile and four furlongs.
Either side of the Derby comes some quality races in the form of the Diomed Stakes and the Princess Elizabeth Stakes. The bookmakers are looking to provide several price boosts for this horse race, with the Derby being a race where the betting sites are particularly keen to offer extra value. Make sure you compare the latest odds to ensure you can secure the biggest possible potential returns.
The Derby Festival 2022 Preview
The 2022 Epsom Oaks and 2022 Epsom Derby take centre stage when it comes to the 2022 Derby Festival, with the former race taking place on Friday 3 June. This is an encounter where the best three-year-old fillies in the land battle it out over one mile and four furlongs.
There are some familiar names at the head of the betting market and legendary trainer Aidan O’Brien has a formidable record when it comes to the Oaks, with the Coolmore handler hoping that Tuesday can deliver the goods and continue a strong track record for him.
Perhaps we shouldn’t get too excited about this lightly-raced charge who was only third in the 1000 Guineas and it’s possible that Emily Upjohn could end up being favourite depending on how she performs at the Dante meeting at York.
John Gosden has seen the horse land a couple of victories thus far, with With The Moonlight looking like an attractive each-way prospect and Charlie Appleby has more than one dart at this race considering that Life Of Dreams could also run well.
As for the 2022 Derby, Stone Age has leapt to the head of the Derby 2022 betting after a highly impressive performance at Leopardstown in a Derby Trial Stakes. Sent off as the 10/11 favourite, the horse was a winner by five and a half lengths over one mile and two furlongs to stake his claim.
Luxembourg was previously trading as market leader for on the 2022 Derby betting odds and there’s still plenty to recommend a three-year-old who finished third in the 2000 Guineas when running home behind Coroebus and Native Trail.
Desert Crown runs for trainer Sir Michael Stoute and perhaps we will see him well backed from an each-way perspective, with Changingoftheguard having more experience and he’s another Aidan O’Brien runner who could run well.
2021 Cazoo Derby Festival betting odds and tips
The 2021 Cazoo Derby Festival is fast approaching, with Oaks Day taking place on Friday 4 June, while Derby Day is a day later on Saturday 5 June and it’s fair to say that the Derby remains the biggest and most popular Flat horse race in the UK, with many punters enjoying the chance to back a winner or two at Epsom over these two days.
Oaks Day has also previously been known as Ladies Day at Epsom Racecourse and this is a card packed with spectacular races, although the Oaks takes pride of place and this is a race for fillies run over one mile and four furlongs, with Aidan O’Brien always having plenty of lively runners for this contest.
Similarly, Derby Day features the Epsom Derby run over the same distance of one mile and four furlongs, with the prize money for the winner exceeding £600,000 and this is the classic that all horse racing owners and trainers want to win.
What Are the Big Races on 2021 Oaks Day?
On Friday 4 June, you not only have the Epsom Oaks taking place but there is also the Coronation Cup, another Group 1 encounter which forms part of the British Champions Series. This is a huge race in its own right and it appears that Japan is going to head the Coronation Cup betting market, with the horse trained by the legendary Aidan O’Brien.
Japan recently won a Group 3 encounter at Chester Racecourse and that made up for a disappointing 2020 where the horse didn’t make it to the winners’ enclosure in five attempts. That came after a more successful 2019 season where the O’Brien charge won the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and then went on to claim victory in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris.
O’Brien also has leading contenders in the form of Love, Broome, Mogul and Armory, with William Haggas potentially the trainer to topple his adversary in the form of Al Aasy, with the Godolphin horse recently looking the part when winning over one mile and four furlongs at Newbury.
Santa Barbara Favourite to Win Oaks
There are two more Aidan O’Brien runners heading the betting market for the Epsom Oaks and Santa Barbara is the betting favourite for this race, with the three-year-old having recently finished fourth in the 1000 Guineas after previously triumphing in a maiden race.
Perhaps Snowfall could be a better proposition from a betting perspective, with the horse winning the Musidora Stakes at York, while Noon Star and Teona are the other charges who might stand a chance of winning.
Bolshoi Ballet Heads the 2021 Derby Betting Market
O’Brien has the first two in the 2021 Cazoo Derby betting market and that includes Bolshoi Ballet who is set to go off as Derby betting favourite, with the three-year-old landing a double at Leopardstown and his victory in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes was by a margin of six lengths, making him stand out from the crowd.
There is a firm chance that his stablemate High Definition might also be able to run a big race and the horse was a slightly disappointing third in the Dante Stakes at York Racecourse which has seen his betting odds drift slightly for this race.
2020 Investec Derby Day at Epsom Downs
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Epsom Derby Festival amounts to just one racecard which is action-packed and includes the tantalising prospect of the Oaks and the Derby taking place. As you can see from our latest Derby race card, you will have seven races taking place and, by the end of the Saturday racing, we will know the latest Oaks and Derby winners:
Epsom Derby Betting Tips
ENGLISH KING seems a very apt name for an Epsom Derby winner considering the royal connections that come with this historic race and we’ve seen several monarchs celebrate their horse crossing the line in first place. Looking at the latest race card, this three-year-old is trading as the 9/4 favourite, with the Ed Walker-trained charge having looked in pristine condition on his last outing.
Jockey Tom Marquand was on board the horse when winning a Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield on 5 June, with English King obliging as the 9/4 joint-favourite and it was a comfortable victory for a horse that could take all the beating over this distance.
However, we’ve been through some of the other horse racecards and feel as though KAMEKO could run a big race, with the horse having won his past two races including an impressive win in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
The Andrew Balding-trained horse fended off the challenge of Wichita to oblige in the race and since then, there has been a steady flow of money for the runner who also finished ahead of Pinatubo in that race.
Aidan O’Brien is going to be mob-handed for this race and the Epsom Derby race card highlights that the legendary trainer is going to have plenty of lively chances for the Derby, with RUSSIAN EMPEROR, MOGUL and VATICAN CITY all trading at a similar price. It will be interesting to see which jockeys are selected to ride.
Epsom Oaks Betting Tips
The Epsom Oaks racecards have now been published and we’re really excited about this prestigious race which takes place on the Epsom Derby race card this year. The Oaks has traditionally taken place the day before the Derby, although we’ve got a one-day Epsom Derby Festival this year and that means the fillies will compete as part of a Derby racecard.
LOVE is what a lot of punters are going to be feeling for this horse if she manages to oblige in the 2020 Oaks considering that the Aidan O’Brien-trained charge is trading at odds of 11/8 at the time of writing. The fillie was hit and miss during 2019, although her recent outing when winning the 1,000 Guineas laid down a marker.
The horse won the Guineas by over four lengths and will now look to emulate that performance on a different track, although the Oaks racecard indicates that FRANKLY DARLING has to have a good chance of going close considering that we have the famed John Gosden and Frankie Dettori partnership.Gosden saddles the superstar that is Enable and perhaps his three-year-old in this race can be every inch as good, with the filly firstly striking on the all-weather at Newcastle before landing victory in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Derby Festival 2019 Preview
Ladies’ Day Betting Highlights
Woodcote Stakes (Class 2), 6f
This might not be the highest class contest in the flat racing season, but the six furlong dash for two year olds does attract a good deal of betting interest. Like other races at the meeting this has a long history, dating back to 1794. It can prove a useful race when assessing which youngsters might go on to bigger and better things the following season.
Coronation Cup (Group 1), 1m4f
This Group One race run over the Derby and Oaks distance gives runners aged four and older a fine race to contest. Inaugurated in 1902 to commemorate the crowning of King Edward VII, the race is somewhat younger than the Classics at Epsom, but it still has plenty of history.
Aidan O’Brien has been highly successful in training winners for this one, with eight to his name at the time of writing, between 2005 and 2017. You could therefore do worse than simply betting on whatever O’Brien happens to enter, whatever the odds!
Jockey Lester Piggott, meanwhile, rode nine winners of the race over a 30 year period between 1953 and 1983. St Nicholas Abbey is the only horse to have won this one three times, claiming glory in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Surrey Stakes (Listed), 7f
This seven furlong race is open to three year olds only and though it does not have quite the powers of attraction of some of the other races on the card, it has built a solid following amongst racing punters. One of the trickier races to call, it certainly pays to check out our odds comparison for this one and see where the market is pointing.
Derby Day Betting Highlights
Princess Elizabeth Stakes (Group 3), 1m½f
This Group 3 race run over a distance of a mile and half a furlong is open to fillies and mares aged three years and older. Frankie Dettori has had a lot of success in this one, winning the race six times in total (at the time of writing) between 1999 and 2018.
Epsom Dash Handicap (Class 2), 5f
One of the fastest sprints in flat racing, the Epsom Dash is not one for the fainthearted. At the time of writing the world record for a five furlong race is 53.69 seconds, which was set in this race in 2012 by Stone Of Folca. The race used to be known as the Night Rider Handicap, though we are not sure if this relates to the 1980s TV show!
With a big field, this fast-paced dash is open to horses aged three years or older. Only one three year old has triumphed in the race since 1988, however: Double Quick, who lived up to his name in 1995. At the other end of the age spectrum, an evergreen nine year old, Indian Trail, won for David Nicholls in 2009.
Diomed Stakes (Group 3), 1m ½f
Named after the horse who won the very first Derby back in 1780, the Diomed Stakes is open to runners aged three years or older and is run over a distance of a mile and half a furlong. There have been three double winners of the race in its history: All Friends (1975, 1976), Nayyire (2002, 2006) and Blythe Knight (2007, 2008). As with many races at the Derby Festival, Lester Piggott has ridden the most winners in this one, with four to his name.
The Derby Festival FAQ
The 2023 Derby Festival takes place between 2 June and 3 June, with Day One featuring the Oaks which is a classic race for fillies. There are seven races scheduled on Oaks day before we get to the Derby day racecard which features the big one along with seven other races.
The Derby Festival takes place at the iconic Epsom Downs racecourse. This is always the home to the Oaks and Derby, with this track renowned in the UK racing world due to being a historic venue for horse racing. Epsom is based in Surrey and hosts a number of race meetings throughout the season.
The Derby Festival has had a number of different race sponsors over the years, with Betfred being the title sponsor of the meeting for 2023. Betfred are sponsoring the Oaks on 2 June and the Derby on 3 June, with the bookmaker also putting their name to the Diomed Stakes and a Betfred Handicap on Day One.
The two-day Derby Festival attracts big crowds to watch the racing on Oaks day and Derby day. You can expect to find over 100,000 spectators on a given day, with tickets effectively being sold out at Epsom Racecourse where racing fans are able to watch high quality flat racing taking place.
The biggest races at the Derby Festival are always the Oaks and Derby which are two of the five classics on the flat racing calendar along with the 1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas and St Leger. However, there is also the Group 1 Coronation Cup on Day One of the Epsom Derby meeting, with the Diomed Stakes being a Group 3 encounter.
The biggest race at the Derby Festival is the Derby. The Epsom Derby was inaugurated in 1780, with this being an encounter which has always been hugely popular. It is a race with royal connections and it’s a clear test of stamina for three-year-old horses who compete over one mile and four furlongs.
If you’re not able to attend the Derby Festival, then there are several ways to actually watch the action. You can often watch the main races on terrestrial television, while there are a number of horse racing betting sites that provide free online live streaming.
All of the horse racing bookmakers that are featured on Racing-Odds.com are able to provide competitive Derby Festival betting odds. You can compare the latest prices and choose to take the selections where the biggest value lies. You can even sign up with a new bookmaker and claim a welcome bonus.
All of the bookies at Racing-Odds.com are highly recommended and have something different to offer. Ultimately, it should always be the case that you secure the biggest odds about the horse that you want to back and that will mean the biggest possible potential return.