Photo by Wikimedia Commons 2.0
Dating back to 1780, the Epson Derby is arguably the pinnacle of the UK flat racing season, and it holds a special place amongst the British racing fraternity.
With an extensive list of short price and long odds winners, the one and a half mile trip is always a stern test of stamina and speed.
From the royal pageantry and association with the race, to the cut and thrust of punters in the stands, the Epsom Derby holds its own as one of the most sought after races on the global calendar.
Finding Epsom Derby winners is always the key challenge for bettors with horse racing betting sites and there is always plenty of additional promotional activity offered by bookmakers when the Derby swings around.
Clinching a win at the Epsom Debry is often seen as the pinnacle of a career for a horse or a trainer but in the storied history of the race, there have been some horses that have set the benchmark, with some iconic Derby wins.
Here is a look at 5 of the greatest Epsom Derby winners of all time:
Shergar – 1981
With so many quality horses packed into the field at the Epsom Derby, winning margins are often very tight – especially over the relatively brisk one and a half mile trip.
Back in 1981 however, Shergar ripped up both the record and form books, to record one of the most iconic wins the Epsom Derby has ever seen.
The Irish-bred horse was always destined for big things under the stewardship of Michael Stoute, but few could have expected the legacy the horse would go on to furnish.
Shergar blitzed the 1981 Derby field, winning by 10 lengths with Walter Swinburn on board to secure the biggest ever winning margin in an Epsom Derby – a record that still stands today.
While Shergar’s career may always be remembered for the tragic way in which it ended, its legacy continues, with the Shergar Cup being fought out at Ascot every year.
Workforce – 2010
Speed remains the key currency in flat racing and back in 2010, Workforce demonstrated one of the most incredible performances the Epsom Derby has ever seen.
Once again, it was Sir Michael Stoute who masterminded an incredible showing with Workforce, ensuring that the 3-year-old was fit and firing at the right time for the Epsom showpiece.
The 6/1 shot blew away the field, winning with a time of 2 minutes and 31.33 seconds, a record time for an Epsom Derby win and it cruised to a 7-length win.
With further wins in the 2010 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the 2011 Brigadier Gerard Stakes, Workforce continued to forge a successful legacy, before being retired to stud in 2012.
Nijinsky – 1970
Winning the English Triple Crown is practically unheard of in UK racing terms, with the enormity of all three races often proving too much for any budding challengers.
However, back in 1970, Nijinsky rewrote the history books, with sensational wins at the 2000 Guineas, the St Leger and of course the Epsom Derby sandwiched in between.
Trainer Vincent O’Brien was always a huge advocate of Nijinsky, a horse that was a firm favourite of Queen Elizabeth II and its performances back in 1970, have gone down in UK racing folklore.
In winning the Derby, Nijinksky recorded a second Epsom Derby win for iconic flat racing jockey Lester Piggott, who would go on to win the infamous race on six occasions in total.
Meanwhile, Nijinksy’s imperious record continued, with a successful racing career followed up by an incredible stud career too, which yielded some of the biggest and best flat racing horses in the world, before it passed away in 1992.
Camelot – 2012
While Nijinksy was the last horse to win the English Triple Crown, no horse has come closer than Camelot in recent times.
The A P O’Brien trained flyer was bred by Bahraini Sheikh Abdulla Bin Isa Al-Khalifa and always seemed to be destined for big things, even from a very young age.
With racing stock unquestioned, Camelot was always tasked with being able to fulfil potential and arguably its greatest ever race came at the 2012 Epsom Derby.
Having already bagged the 2000 Guineas that year, plenty expected Camelot to deliver and that it did – romping home in a very impressive field, to win by 5 lengths.
The stallion then cruised to an Irish Derby win and was expected to add the St Leger to its haul for 2012 and complete the Triple Crown, only to be pipped on the line by Encke.
Camelot’s place in British racing history remains assured though and it continues to enjoy a successful career in stud, as of 2025.
Sea The Stars – 2009
There have been plenty of impressive performances in the Epsom Derby over the years, but the run produced by Sea The Stars in 2009 will always go down as one of the best the Downs has ever seen.
John Oxx trained some enigmatic horses over the years but Sea The Stars’s 2009 season will always go down in the British racing annuls.
Wins at the 2000 Guineas, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the International Stakes were all notable and the derby win in the summer of 2009 was perhaps the pick of the bunch.
In total, Sea The Stars landed six consecutive Group 1 wins across a six month period in 2009 and was regarded as the best horse on the planet at that time.
Going out at the top, Sea The Stars was retired to stud later that year but the impact it had on both the Derby and the wider racing fraternity, will never be forgotten.
