2016 Epsom Derby
| Epsom Derby | |
| Location | Epsom Downs Racecourse |
|---|---|
| Date | 4 June 2016 |
| Winning horse | Harzand |
| SP | 13/2 |
| Jockey | Pat Smullen |
| Trainer | Dermot Weld |
| Owner | Aga Khan IV |
| Conditions | Good to soft |
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2017 →
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The 2016 Epsom Derby was the 237th annual running of the Derby horse race and took place at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 4 June 2016. The race was won by the Aga Khan's Harzand, ridden by Pat Smullen and trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld. Harzand's victory was the first in the race for his jockey and trainer, and the fifth for his owner, who had prior wins with Shergar, Shahrastani, Kahyasi and Sinndar.
The initial entry for the 2016 Epsom Derby, announced in December 2014, consisted of 475 yearlings. Amongst the entries was a brother to the unbeaten Frankel, and a son of Midday. The number of entries was an increase of 66 on the initial entry for the 2015 race, and included 53 horses from the Godolphin Racing organisation and 77 from the Coolmore Stud. The number of potential runners was reduced to 136 at the first scratching date in March 2016 with Foundation (trained by John Gosden) and Midterm, the son of Midday, (Michael Stoute) heading the betting market at odds of 12 to 1. Aidan O'Brien trained 36 of the runners left in the race. A further 9 horses were added at the second entry stage in April 2016 at a cost of £8,000 per entry. The second entries included Carntop, bred and owned by Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
The field began to take its final shape on 20 May when twenty-two horses were left entered at the final forfeit stage. Amongst those remaining in the race were trial winners US Army Ranger (Chester Vase), Harzand (Ballysax Stakes) and Moonlight Magic (Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial) along with the Classic winner The Gurkha (Poule d'Essai des Poulains) and Awtaad, who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas just after the confirmations were announced. Thirteen of the remaining entries were trained in Ireland, including eight from Aidan O'Brien's stable.
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