Irish Derby

Irish Derby

Group 1 race
Assert, oil on canvas Painting by Bob Demuyser (1920-2003)
Location	Curragh Racecourse Co. Kildare, Ireland
Inaugurated	1866
Race type	Flat / Thoroughbred
Sponsor	Dubai Duty Free
Website	Curragh
Race information
Distance	1m 4f (2,414 metres)
Surface	Turf
Track	Right-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds excluding geldings
Weight	9 st 0 lb Allowances 3 lb for fillies
Purse	€1,250,000 (2014) 1st: €725,000

Irish Derby

2015
Jack Hobbs	Storm The Stars	Giovanni Canaletto

Previous years
2014
Australia	Kingfisher	Orchestra
2013
Trading Leather	Galileo Rock	Festive Cheer
2012
Camelot	Born To Sea	Light Heavy
2011
Treasure Beach	Seville	Memphis Tennessee

2010-2001
2010
Cape Blanco	Midas Touch	Jan Vermeer
2009
Fame And Glory	Golden Sword	Mourayan
2008
Frozen Fire	Casual Conquest	Tartan Bearer
2007
Soldier of Fortune	Alexander Of Hales	Eagle Mountain
2006
Dylan Thomas	Gentlewave	Best Alibi
2005
Hurricane Run	Scorpion	Shalapour
2004
Grey Swallow	North Light	Tycoon
2003
Alamshar	Dalakhani	Roosevelt
2002
High Chaparral	Sholokhov	Ballingarry
2001
Galileo	Morshdi	Golan

2000-1997
2000
Sinndar	Glyndebourne	Ciro
1999
Montjeu	Daliapour	Tchaikovsky
1998
Dream Well	City Honours	Desert Fox
1997
Desert King	Dr Johnson	Loup Sauvage

Shirley Heights, Derby winner by Bob Demuyser (1920-2003)

The Irish Derby is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in late June or early July.

It is Ireland's equivalent of the Epsom Derby, and it is currently held three weeks after the English race.

History

The earliest version of the Irish Derby was an event called the O'Darby Stakes. This was established in 1817, but it was discontinued after 1824. A subsequent race titled the Curragh Derby was inaugurated in 1848, but this was again short-lived.

The modern Irish Derby was created by the 3rd Earl of Howth, the 3rd Marquess of Drogheda and the 3rd Earl of Charlemont. It was first run in 1866, and it was initially contested over 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 3 yards. It was extended by 9 yards in 1869, and cut to its present distance in 1872. The first Epsom Derby winner to achieve victory in the Irish version was Orby, trained in Ireland by Fred McCabe, in 1907.

The Irish Derby became a major international race in 1962, when its prize money was substantially increased. Joe McGrath, a founder of the Irish Hospitals' Sweepstake, combined the race with the sweepstake, and it became known as the Irish Sweeps Derby. The event began to regularly attract the winners of the Epsom Derby, and Santa Claus became the second horse to win both races in 1964.

The Irish Derby was sponsored by Budweiser from 1986 to 2007, and it has been backed by Dubai Duty Free since 2008. It is currently staged on the second day of the Curragh's three-day Irish Derby Festival meeting.

A total of seventeen horses have now completed the English-Irish Derby double, and the most recent was Australia in 2014.

Records

Leading jockey (6 wins):

• Morny Wing – Ballyheron (1921), Waygood (1923), Rock Star (1930), Rosewell (1938), Windsor Slipper (1942), Bright News (1946)

Leading trainer (11 wins):

• Aidan O'Brien – Desert King (1997), Galileo (2001), High Chaparral (2002), Dylan Thomas (2006), Soldier of Fortune (2007), Frozen Fire (2008), Fame and Glory (2009), Cape Blanco (2010), Treasure Beach (2011), Camelot (2012),^[1] Australia (2014)

Leading owner (12 wins): (includes part ownership)

• Michael Tabor – Desert King (1997), Montjeu (1999), Galileo (2001), High Chaparral (2002), Hurricane Run (2005), Dylan Thomas (2006), Soldier of Fortune (2007), Frozen Fire (2008), Fame and Glory (2009), Cape Blanco (2010), Treasure Beach (2011), Australia (2014)

A Unique Racing Record - Only Owner to complete the Derby and Grand National Double

• William Brophy, Herbertstown House, Two-Mile-House, Naas, Co. Kildare. Farmer, Breeder and Owner

In 1880 William Brophy completed a unique double by owning the winner of both the Irish Derby with King of the Bees and the Irish Grand National with Controller. Also uniquely both winners were out of the same Dam Winged Bee.

Winners since 1962

Earlier winners

¹ The 1924 and 1934 races were dead-heats and have joint winners.
² Premonition finished first in 1953, but he was disqualified.

See also

• Irish Triple Crown race winners
• List of Irish flat horse races

References

• Paris-Turf:
  • 1980, 1981, 1982, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
• Racing Post:
  • 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
  • 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
  • 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

• galopp-sieger.de – Irish Derby Stakes.
• horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Irish Derby (2011).
• irishracinggreats.com – Irish Derby (Group 1).
• pedigreequery.com – Irish Derby – Curragh.
• tbheritage.com – Irish Derby Stakes.
• Abelson, Edward; John Tyrrel (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books. pp. 103–106. ISBN 1-873626-15-0. 

• The Sweeney guide to the Irish turf from 1501 to 2001 /by Tony & Annie Sweeney in association with Francis Hyland ; photographs by Caroline Norris ... [et al.].