As the name suggests, the Epsom Derby Festival is a two-day meeting staged at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey, South East England on the first weekend in June, which revolves around the fourth Classic of the season – and, arguably, the greatest Flat race in the world – the Derby. Run over an undulating mile and a half, the Derby demands an extraordinary blend of speed, stamina and balance and, since it was first run in 1780, has become the yardstick by which horses – in recent years, specifically, colts – of the three-year-old, ‘Classic’ generation are measured.
The Derby – which, in 2026, will be run in honour of His Highness Aga Khan IV, who died in February 2025 – takes centre stage on the second day, unsurprisingly known as ‘Derby Day’, but is preceded by two more prestigious and valuable Group 1 races on the first day, known as ‘Ladies Day’. The first of them, the Coronation Cup, is run over the same course and distance as the Derby, but is open to horses aged four years and upwards and, hence, often features horses that contested the Epsom Classics the previous year. The second of them, the Oaks, is the feature race of the day, again run over a mile and a half, but restricted to three-year-old fillies.
The Derby, Oaks and Coronation Cup aside, other notable races staged during the weekend include the Princess Elizabeth Stakes and the Diomed Stakes, both Group 3 contests run over an extended mile and open to horses aged three years and upwards, but with the former restricted to fillies and mares, and the ‘Dash’ Handicap Stakes. The latter is a Heritage Handicap, worth over £50,000 to the winner, and run over the fastest five-furlong course in the world, so is an out-and-out test of speed.