Epsom Derby Festival

Aidan O'Brien has rewritten the record book at Epsom. Christmas Day gave him a 12th Derby in 2026, five more than Robert Robson, John Porter and Fred Darling, who shared the old record of seven. His first came with Galileo in 2001 under Michael Kinane. Christmas Day, ridden by Ronan Whelan, followed Auguste Rodin, City Of Troy and Lambourn, making O'Brien the first trainer to win the race four years running.

Lester Piggott's nine Derby victories remain the benchmark for every jockey at Epsom. The first came in 1954 on Never Say Die, a 33/1 shot, when Piggott was 18. The last arrived 29 years later on Teenoso in 1983. In between he won on Crepello, St Paddy, Sir Ivor, Nijinsky, Roberto, Empery and The Minstrel. Empery's win in 1976 took him past Jem Robinson and Steve Donoghue, who had won the race six times each.

Shergar's 1981 Derby remains the most emphatic in the long history of the race. Trained by Michael Stoute and ridden by Walter Swinburn, he won by ten lengths, the largest margin of any Epsom Derby. Glint of Gold finished a distant second. Shergar started the 10/11 favourite and went on to win the Irish Derby by four lengths later that month, with Lester Piggott riding him in place of the suspended Swinburn.