Epsom Downs Racecourse
Encyclopedia
Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse near Epsom
, Surrey
, England
. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs
. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby
, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred
horse race for three-year-old colts
and fillies, over a mile and a half (2400m). It also hosts the Epsom Oaks
for three-year-old fillies, the Coronation Cup
for all ages over the same distance and has the fastest five furlong (1,000m) course in the world.
The racecourse is between Epsom
, Tadworth
, and Langley Vale
. As it is in a public area, people can watch the Derby for free, and this meant that the Derby used to be the most attended sporting event of the year. However it is now becoming increasingly difficult to do this, and almost impossible to get a good view for free.
Epsom presents a stern challenge for inexperienced horses and a true test of stamina for those that might previously have contested the 2,000 Guineas Stakes over a mile (1600m).
The area is served by the Epsom Downs railway line as well as Tattenham Corner railway station
which is where Queen Elizabeth II
alights from the British Royal Train
on race days.
Epsom Downs Grandstand was also used as St. Petersburg Airport during the filming of the James Bond film, GoldenEye
.
Epsom Downs houses the third largest racehorse training facility in the country. The facility is managed by the Epsom trainers society. There are 11 trainers who use the facility, including Simon Dow
and Laura Mongan (the only female trainer at Epsom).
organised a race for he and his friends to race their three-year-old fillies. He named it the Oaks after his estate. The race became so successful that the following year a new race was added for colts and fillies. In 1784 the course was extended to its current distance of a mile and a half and Tattenham Corner
was introduced .
Henry Dorling
, step-father to cookery writer Mrs Beeton
, was the first Clerk to the Course, appointed in 1840.
In 1913 the suffragette
Emily Davison
threw herself in front of King George V
's horse Anmer, bringing him down. Davison was badly injured and died four days later.
In 1952 the racecourse was featured extensively in the film Derby Day
set around the 1952 Epsom Derby.
In 2009 the racecourse opened the new Duchess's Stand. It has a capacity of 11,000 and has a 960m² (10 000 sq ft) hall. It can be used for banqueting, conferences and exhibitions. The estimated cost of the new stand was £27.6 million.
On Saturday, June 4, 2011, in their first public outing since returning from their Seychelles
honeymoon, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (along with Her Majesty
, Queen Elizabeth II, William's brother, Prince Harry of Wales
, and Catherine's parents, Michael Middleton and Carole Middleton) attended the 2011 Epsom Derby
at the track. William, Catherine, and Harry were supporting the Queen's horse, Carlton House, a favorite to win who ultimately placed third. James and Carole had supported the horse in fourth place.
<
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse race for three-year-old colts
Colt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
and fillies, over a mile and a half (2400m). It also hosts the Epsom Oaks
Epsom Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....
for three-year-old fillies, the Coronation Cup
Coronation Cup
The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
for all ages over the same distance and has the fastest five furlong (1,000m) course in the world.
The racecourse is between Epsom
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
, Tadworth
Tadworth
Tadworth is a large suburban village in Surrey, on the south-east slope of Epsom Downs. It forms part of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The census area Tadworth and Walton has a population of 7,016. Neighbouring settlements include Walton-on-the-Hill, Kingswood, Epsom, Burgh Heath, Banstead,...
, and Langley Vale
Langley Vale
Langley Vale is a small village in Epsom and Ewell borough, Surrey, England. It is bordered to its north-east by Epsom Downs, and to the south-east by Walton Downs. It is surrounded by open land: the nearest towns/villages are Great Burgh to the east, Tadworth to the south-east, Walton on the Hill...
. As it is in a public area, people can watch the Derby for free, and this meant that the Derby used to be the most attended sporting event of the year. However it is now becoming increasingly difficult to do this, and almost impossible to get a good view for free.
Epsom presents a stern challenge for inexperienced horses and a true test of stamina for those that might previously have contested the 2,000 Guineas Stakes over a mile (1600m).
The area is served by the Epsom Downs railway line as well as Tattenham Corner railway station
Tattenham Corner railway station
Tattenham Corner railway station is in Surrey, in England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southern, and it is the terminus of the Tattenham Corner Line. London-bound trains head south as far as Tadworth, then turn east and finally north....
which is where Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
alights from the British Royal Train
British Royal Train
The Royal Train is a set of railway carriages dedicated for the use of the British Monarch, other members of the Royal Family, and their staff. The train enables members of the Royal Family to carry out busy schedules over an extended period, in a secure environment which minimises disruption and...
on race days.
Epsom Downs Grandstand was also used as St. Petersburg Airport during the filming of the James Bond film, GoldenEye
GoldenEye
GoldenEye is the seventeenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film was directed by Martin Campbell and is the first film in the series not to take story elements from the works of novelist Ian Fleming...
.
Epsom Downs houses the third largest racehorse training facility in the country. The facility is managed by the Epsom trainers society. There are 11 trainers who use the facility, including Simon Dow
Simon Dow
was born 13 June 1961. He is a first generation racehorse trainer and is based on the Epsom Downs. He has had several horses that have enjoyed fan club status...
and Laura Mongan (the only female trainer at Epsom).
History
The first recorded race was held on the Downs in 1661, and racing continued until the summer of 1780 when Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of DerbyEdward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby PC , styled Lord Strange between 1771 and 1776, was a British peer and politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries...
organised a race for he and his friends to race their three-year-old fillies. He named it the Oaks after his estate. The race became so successful that the following year a new race was added for colts and fillies. In 1784 the course was extended to its current distance of a mile and a half and Tattenham Corner
Tattenham Corner
Tattenham Corner is a small town in Surrey, UK, located inside the M25 motorway thus being part of the London commuter belt. It is home to the Epsom Downs Racecourse. The location is to the west of the A240, with the M25 approximately five miles to the south...
was introduced .
Henry Dorling
Henry Dorling
Henry Dorling was the first clerk to the course at Epsom Downs Racecourse and cookery writer Mrs Beeton's stepfather.Dorling's father was a bookseller in Epsom, and Henry was apprenticed to a printer, returning to Epsom in 1834 to join his father's business, where he printed race cards for the...
, step-father to cookery writer Mrs Beeton
Mrs Beeton
Isabella Mary Beeton , universally known as Mrs Beeton, was the English author of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, and is one of the most famous cookery writers.-Background:...
, was the first Clerk to the Course, appointed in 1840.
In 1913 the suffragette
Suffragette
"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
Emily Davison
Emily Davison
Emily Wilding Davison was a militant women's suffrage activist who, on 4 June 1913, after a series of actions that were either self-destructive or violent, stepped in front of a horse running in the Epsom Derby, sustaining injuries that resulted in her death four days later.-Biography:Davison was...
threw herself in front of King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
's horse Anmer, bringing him down. Davison was badly injured and died four days later.
In 1952 the racecourse was featured extensively in the film Derby Day
Derby Day (1952 film)
Derby Day is a 1952 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding, Googie Withers, John McCallum and Alfie Bass. An ensemble piece, it portrays several characters on their way to the Derby Day races at Epsom Downs Racecourse...
set around the 1952 Epsom Derby.
In 2009 the racecourse opened the new Duchess's Stand. It has a capacity of 11,000 and has a 960m² (10 000 sq ft) hall. It can be used for banqueting, conferences and exhibitions. The estimated cost of the new stand was £27.6 million.
On Saturday, June 4, 2011, in their first public outing since returning from their Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
honeymoon, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (along with Her Majesty
Majesty
Majesty is an English word derived ultimately from the Latin maiestas, meaning "greatness".- Origin :Originally, during the Roman republic, the word maiestas was the legal term for the supreme status and dignity of the state, to be respected above everything else...
, Queen Elizabeth II, William's brother, Prince Harry of Wales
Prince Harry of Wales
Prince Henry of Wales , commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and fourth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, and Catherine's parents, Michael Middleton and Carole Middleton) attended the 2011 Epsom Derby
2011 Epsom Derby
The 2011 Epsom Derby was the 232nd running of the Derby horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on 4 June 2011.The race was won by second-favourite Pour Moi, by a short distance of a head. He was the first Derby winner to have been trained in France since Empery in 1976.The winning horse was...
at the track. William, Catherine, and Harry were supporting the Queen's horse, Carlton House, a favorite to win who ultimately placed third. James and Carole had supported the horse in fourth place.
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Notable races
- Diomed StakesDiomed StakesThe Diomed Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile and 114 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....
- Coronation CupCoronation CupThe Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
- The OaksEpsom OaksThe Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June....
- Surrey Stakes
- Woodcote Stakes
- Princess Elizabeth StakesPrincess Elizabeth StakesThe Princess Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile and 114 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early June.-History:An event called the...
- Epsom Dash
- The DerbyEpsom DerbyThe Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
- Investec Derby Trial