Epsom Derby Racecourse
As one of the most famous race courses in the world, Epsom Racecourse is also one of the most testing trips in flat racing today. Resembling the shape of a horseshoe, the Derby course of a mile and a half is run in a left-handed direction.
A right-handed rise of some one hundred and forty feet begins not long after the race commences. Reaching the top of the hill after about three furlongs field descend from Tattenham Corner and enter the finishing straight of about three and a half furlongs. The drop of about one hundred feet continues until about one hundred yards from the finishing line, the ground here rises several feet before the winning post. Another feature of the home stretch is the marked camber away from the stands that is the undoing of all but the best-balanced runners.
The Derby Fact File
The "Blue Riband" of the English turf. Three-year-old colts (fillies are eligible but rarely compete these days) stretch every sinew and nerve as they hurtle round Epsom's switchback mile-and-a-half. This is a true test of stamina for young horses.
United Kingdom Classic Races
In United Kingdom horse racing, The Classics are a series of horse races run over the flat (i.e. without jumps). Each classic is run once each year and is restricted to horses that are three years old.The five races are:
- Two Thousand Guineas Stakes
- One Thousand Guineas Stakes
- Oaks Stakes
- Epsom Derby Stakes
- St. Leger Stakes
