There is no race anywhere in the world laden with as much history and prestige as the Epsom Derby and Channel 4 will screen live coverage of the 2014 installment of UK Flat racing’s most important race.
Featuring both the third and fourth of the five ‘Classics’ that map out the British Flat season, the two-day Derby Festival at Epsom is a key focal point of the English sporting summer.
The Oaks, run over a mile and a half and for three-year-old fillies only, is the highlight of the first day, while on day two, colts tackle exactly the same course for the honour of winning the Derby itself.
Horsemanship and riding skills are key to winning at Epsom, which is recognised as one of the toughest tracks anywhere in the world.
With an undulating, stamina-sapping course comprising deceptive cambers and a challenging decent, Epsom certainly provides the ultimate test for horse and rider.
The first half mile sees a right-handed climb of 184 feet – the same height as Nelson’s Column – before the field sweeps downhill around the tight bend known as Tattenham Corner.
They continue downhill, dropping around 100ft until a furlong out where the ground rises again.
All the time the runners and jockeys have to cope with a significant camber, the far side rail is much lower than the stands’ side, which can force horses to lose their balance.
As a result, the Derby has more than its fair share of hard-luck stories as well as sparkling successes – Shergar in 1981 and Workforce in 2010, both trained by Sir Michael Stoute – also live long in the memory banks.
Friday’s opening day is traditionally titled Investec Ladies’ Day and successfully combines high style stakes with some of the best flat races in the world.
The feature race, the Investec Oaks, run this year in memory of the late Sir Henry Cecil, is a fillies-only Classic, run at Epsom Downs over the same mile-and-a-half distance as the Derby.
The Oaks, along with the 1000 Guineas and St Leger, the final Classic of the season, make up the Fillies’ Triple Crown and only seven horses have ever won all three races in a season, the Henry Cecil-trained Oh So Sharp the most recent in 1985.
Saturday sees the richest, most prestigious Classic of the British Flat season and often referred to as the ‘Blue Riband’ of the turf – the Investec Derby – run over one mile, four furlongs and 10 yards.
The race is open to three-year-old colts and fillies, though fillies tend to opt for the Investec Oaks, with a total prize-fund o £1,325,000.
Ruler Of The World stormed to race victory last year to give trainer Aidan O’Brien his fourth success in the Derby.
The 7-1 shot, ridden by Ryan Moore, won by a length-and-a-half from Libertarian with Galileo Rock third, while Favourite Dawn Approach never settled and despite taking the lead up the hill he faded badly and finished last of the 12-strong field.
In recent years three Irish jockeys have experienced such riches – Kieren Fallon, Johnny Murtagh and Michael Kinane, all claiming three Derbys.
Add all their wins together and you get evergreen Lester Piggott’s Derby roll of honour, a total of nine wins over 29 years.
Despite perhaps losing some of its prestige in recent years, the Epsom Derby still remains one of the top summer sporting occasions and the race that every flat jockey, trainer and owner wants to win.
Channel 4 will be screening live coverage of the 2014 running of the Investec Derby at Epsom, one of terrestrial TV’s protected crown jewel events, as well a selection of other top live races.
SOTB’s viewing guide to the Investec Derby Festival 2014 on Channel 4:
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Channel 4 will once again cover every twist, turn and stride of the 2014 Investec Derby Festival from the famous Epsom Downs.
The two-day festival returned to the network for first time in 13 years last year and once again they will screen both days of this year’s running exclusively live on terrestrial television, with the Oaks headling on Friday, June 6, followed by the main event – the Investec Derby – on Saturday, June 7.
Clare Balding leads Channel 4 Racing’s presentation team from the course with the BAFTA award-winning broadcaster introducing five live races each day.
Sharing presenting duties with Balding as always for major festivals will be Nick Luck, who will be based in the Channel 4 Racing studio alongside analysts including Jim McGrath, Graham Cunningham and Mick Fitzgerald.
The Channel 4 studio will be positioned on the inside of the course alongside the winning post and will be built into the racecourse’s branded finishing line area.
Roving reporting duties will be carried out by Rishi Persad and Emma Spencer, while Tanya Stevenson will be joined once again by her Irish TV counterpart Brian Gleeson to give viewers the latest insights and news from the betting ring.
Commentary on all of Channel 4’s live races comes from Simon Holt.
A special Saturday edition of The Morning Line, presented by Nick Luck, will launch Channel 4’s 2014 Derby Day coverage at the usual time of 8.00am, with afternoon racing live from 1.00pm ahead of the famous Derby race at 4.00pm.
Luck and guests will be at the course with all the early news, features, interviews and tips ahead of today’s running of the world’s most prestigious and important horse race.
Channel 4’s digital platforms will also provide a comprehensive service across the two-day meeting at Epsom.
The Channel 4 Racing website will have all the latest news, features and build-up, supported by multi-media live text commentary with complementary activity on Twitter – @Channel4Racing – and Facebook.
The Investec Derby Festival forms part of another top line-up of summer Flat racing on Channel 4, which also includes Royal Ascot, Newmarket’s July Festival, Glorious Goodwood and York’s Ebor Festival.
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Friday 6th June
DAY 1: LADIES’ DAY
LIVE: 1.10pm-4.30pm Channel 4
Clare Balding and Nick Luck present live coverage from Epsom Downs of the oldest Fillies classic, The Oaks.
First contested in 1789, this year’s running is staged in honour of the late great Sir Henry Cecil, who trained the winner of the race eight times.
By contrast, this year’s favourite Taghrooda could provide her trainer John Gosden with a first ever Oaks winner at the 10th attempt.
C4 Race Card 1:35 Princess Elizabeth Stakes2:10 Investec Wealth & Investment Handicap 2:45 Investec Diomed Stakes
3:20 Investec Mile Handicap
4:00 Investec Oaks (In Memory of Sir Henry Cecil)
Saturday 7th June
DAY 2: DERBY DAY
The Morning Line: 8.00am-9.00am Channel 4
LIVE: 1.00pm-4.30pm Channel 4
Clare Balding and Nick Luck are at Epsom for all the drama, glamour and intrigue of the 2014 Investec Derby – the most thorough and difficult test for the champion thoroughbred.
Which horse will manage the roller coaster ride up and down the slopes of this unique course, careering around Tattenham Corner to the cacophony of 200,000 cheering voices, and past the most famous winning post in sport and in to equine immortality.
Can the great Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien land the race for the fifth time with the beautifully bred Australia who seems certain to start the race as a very short-priced favourite?
The Channel 4 Racing team have all the build-up and interviews with the main protagonists, plus four top support races.
C4 Race Card 1:35 Investec Out of Ordinary Stakes2:05 Investec Woodcote Stakes
2:40 Investec Coronation Cup (In Commemoration of St Nicholas Abbey) 3:15 Investec Specialist Bank ‘Dash’
4:00 Investec Derby
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