The five best Epsom Derby winners of the 21st century including Workforce, Galileo...
The Derby is the world's most prestigious Flat race and the one everyone involved in the sport dreams of winning.
Diomed was the first winner of the Blue Riband Epsom Classic back in 1780, since when most of the greatest horses in history have added their name to the roll of honour. Lester Piggott remains synonymous with the race, having won a record nine Derbies between 1954 and 1983.
The greatest Derby performance in terms of winning margin was by Shergar (1981), who won by 10 lengths, although the track record is held by the 2010 winner Workforce, who did it in 2 mins 31.33 seconds for the same trainer, Sir Michael Stoute.
Winning performances are always subjective. Did you back the winner? Was it a fast time? What were the conditions like? What was the opposition like? Here, Planet Sport looks at five that would get my vote as the best of the best from the 21st Century.
Galileo (2001)
The market had it spot on for once, with both of the leading players coming home first and second, Galileo leading just over two out and lengthening impressively to win by three and a half lengths under Mick Kinane.
Galileo went on to win both the Irish Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, before retirement.
He also had a stellar career at stud and, of the many Group 1 winners he sired, he could name the great Frankel to that number.
High Chaparral (2002)
This great performance just happened to be by a colt who came from the same stable as Galileo, that of Aidan O'Brien.
2002 Epsom Derby - High Chaparral @JohnnyMurtagh #highchaparral pic.twitter.com/cvkmjpC8Br
— History of Horse Racing (@roar1968) October 19, 2021
It had been a superb effort and he could afford to run to a level a few pounds inferior when following up in the Irish Derby, before June was out.
He later added two Breeders' Cup Turfs to his CV (the second a dead heat), plus an Irish Champion Stakes, while he was third to Dalakhani in his only attempt at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in his four-year-old campaign.
Sea The Stars (2009)
What a horse! 🙌
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) August 21, 2019
What's your favourite Sea the Stars win? 🌊⭐ #ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/8Fnm6tnjo2
Always handy, he went third three out, before heading the stable's pacemaker Golden Sword and going on to lead entering the final furlong. Always in control from that point, he beat the subsequent easy Irish Derby winner Fame And Glory by just under two lengths in a memorable performance.
Workforce (2010)
I have attended many race meetings and this was the hottest day's racing I have ever been to. It was 30 degrees, we were all dressed in the usual formal attire and it was extremely uncomfortable.
Making ground as he liked over three furlongs out, he continued to progress until taking the lead over a furlong out.
Quickly asserting under Ryan Moore, he put an astonishing seven lengths between himself on the field, staying on strongly on the fast ground to win easily. It was jaw dropping to be there.
In the latest Lockdown Lowdown episode, Ryan Moore spoke to us about 5 of his most memorable rides.
— Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) May 9, 2020
Here's Ryan speaking about Workforce, the horse that he rode to victory in the 2010 Epsom Derby for Sir Michael Stoute.
Full podcast can be found below 👇
Golden Horn (2015)
To be described by Frankie Dettori as "probably the best horse I've ridden" is just about as good a testimony as any horse could wish for and that was the case with this son of Cape Cross.
On winning the Listed Fielden Stakes on his reappearance at three, Dettori suggested the Dante would be worth targeting. Trainer John Gosden already had a leading contender for that and the Derby, in Jack Hobbs.
In fact, Dettori rode the latter in the Dante itself but could only watch on from second as William Buick partnered Golden Horn to Group 2 success. It was a game changer.
(Golden Horn) ⚫️⚪️
— Racing Tales (@Racing_Tales) May 8, 2020
Investec Derby 2015 pic.twitter.com/OYdQzWcscW
The impact was gradual but sustained until he hit the front at the furlong pole and went well clear to win decisively, by an official margin of three and a half lengths from his stablemate Jack Hobbs.
He'd beaten another top class performer by further than his York success and that underlined just how good a performance this was.