Little wonder then that the Epsom Derby Festival is one of the best-attended of all sports events in the United Kingdom each year. Often, in excess of 100,000 people will attend on both days of this hugely significant event, which takes place on the first weekend in June each year.
In this post, we will bring you 10 amazing Epsom Derby Festival facts and figures that will blow your mind!
We’ll also then focus on this year’s race, taking a look at some of the favourites in the betting and, of course, giving you notice of any Epsom Derby Festival offers from our top providers, such as bet365 Sport.
Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets
Bet365 Review » Min Deposit: £5 » Expiry: 30 days » Min Odds: 1/5 (1.20)
18+ New Customers only. Bet £10 and get £30 in Free Bets when you join bet365. Sign up, deposit between £5 and £10 to your account and bet365 will give you five times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value settle. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. The bonus code BET247 can be used during registration, but does not change the offer amount in any way. Registration Required.
10 Amazing Epsom Derby Festival Facts and Figures!
1. The Derby was first run in 1780 and was won by a horse called Diomed.
2. The Derby is the richest horse race in Britain with a prize pool of over £1.6m, with just short of a million pounds being awarded to the winner.
3. The widest winning margin in The Derby was achieved by Shergar in 1981, who won the race by ten lengths.
4. The longest-odds winner of the race is a distinction shared by three horses, all of whom won at odds of 100/1. They are Jeddah (1898), Signorinetta (1908) and Aboyeur (1913).
5. The 1794 Derby saw just four runners, the fewest to compete in the race. However, in 1862, the largest field ever saw 34 runners competing to win the prestigious prize!
6. Six fillies have won the Derby, however the most recent winner was Fifinella, back in 1916. The last filly to run in the derby was Cape Verdi, who did so in 1998. Most fillies of this age tend to enter The Oaks.
7. The popular TV series Peaky Blinders uses Horse Racing as a key part of the plot. The sixth and final episode of season two is set at the Epsom Derby in the 1920s and was filmed at the famous course.
8. The fastest ever time for the race was set in 2011 by Workforce, who completed the race in 2 minutes, 31.32 seconds.
9. John Forth is the oldest jockey to ride his mount to victory in the race. He was over 60 years old when he rode Frederick to a win in 1829.
10. The Derby is part of the UK racing Triple Crown (with the 2,000 Guineas and St. Leger). Nijinski (1970) was the last horse to win all three races.
2025 Epsom Derby Festival Highlights
The two days of the Epsom Derby Festival are highlighted by two of the biggest races in the calendar. On Friday, The Oaks will be contested as the highlight of the opening day of racing.
This is followed on Saturday by the Blue Riband event of the British Horse Racing flat season, the Epsom Derby. The runners have a chance to join some of the legends of the sport in becoming one of the few horses to add their name of victors in the richest race in the UK each year!
Let’s now take a look ahead to both races with a look at the latest betting markets for both and a look at some of the most famous winners of each of these two classic races.
Friday 6th June 2025 – Epsom Derby Festival Day 1 – Ladies Day Schedule
1.30pm – The Nyetimber Surry Stakes – 7F
2.05pm – The Betfred British EBF Woodcote Stakes – 6F
4.35pm – The Trustatrader Handicap Stakes – 1M 113Y
5.10pm – The Debenhams Handicap Stakes – 7F
Latest 2025 Oaks Betting
Antepost Odds for The Oaks 2025 – 2nd June 2025 at bet365 Sport
Epsom Oaks Winners & Records
Class – Group 1
Purse – £550,000
Distance – 1m 4F
Qualification – 3-year-old Fillies
Weight – 9st 2lb
Famous Winners – Petite Etoile (1959), Ginevra (1972), Polygamy (1974), Oh So Sharp (1985), Jet Ski Lady (1991), Ouija Board (2004), Enable (2017), Anapurna (2019), Love (2020), Soul Sister (2023), Ezeliya (2024)
Most Successful Jockey – Frank Buckle – 9 wins
Most Successful Trainer – Robert Robson – 13 wins
Most Successful Owner – Sue Magnier – 9 Wins
Saturday 7th June 2025 – Epsom Derby Festival Day 2 – Derby Day Schedule
1.00pm – The Princess Elizabeth Stakes – 1M 113Y
1.35pm – The Betfred Diomed Stakes – 1M 113Y
2.10pm – The Betfred 3YO ‘Dash’ Handicap Stakes – 5F
2.45pm – The Aston Martin ‘Dash’ Handicap Stakes – 5F
3.30pm – The Betfred Derby – 1M 4F
4.15pm – The Encore Lifestyle Northern Dancer Handicap Stakes – 1M 4F
5.00pm – The Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Lester Piggott Handicap Stakes – 1M 2F
5.40pm – The JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap Stakes – 6F
Latest 2025 Epsom Derby Betting
Antepost odds for The Derby 2025 – 2nd June 2025 at bet365 Sport.
Epsom Derby Winners & Records
Class – Group 1
Purse – £1,604,000
Distance – 1m 4F 6 yards
Qualification – 3-year-olds (excluding geldings)
Weight – 9st 0lb (3lb allowance for fillies)
Famous Winners – Nijinski (1970), Mill Reeef (1971), The Minstrel (1977), Troy (1979), Shergar (1981), Nashwan (1989), Galileo (2001), Camelot (2012), Auguste Rodin (2023), City of Troy (2024)
Most Successful Jockey – Lester Piggott – 9 wins
Most Successful Trainer – Aidan O’Brien – 10 wins
Most Successful Owner – Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor – 11 Wins
2025 Epsom Derby Festival Betting Promotions and Offers!
Keep a close eye on bookmakers such as bet365 Sport for a wealth of betting offers and promotions available across the two days of the Epsom Derby Festival.
We have outlined any confirmed offers below. This will be updated closer to race day as promotions are released by the bookmaker.
Key Epsom Derby Festival Promotions
Details of any key Epsom Derby Festival promotions will be outlined here when they are released by bet365 Sport.
But Keep Your Eye Out For These Epsom Derby Festival Offers!
In addition to any offers outlined above you should also keep your eyes peeled for any of the following offers. All of which are likely to be available across both days of the Epsom Derby Festival in 2025.
Bet Boosts and Super Boosts
bet365 regularly offers Bet Boosts and Super Boosts for its horse racing fans to enjoy and with this being one of the most popular meetings of the year, you can bet there will be some great value boosted odds available for both of these long-term offers.
6 Horses Challenge
A hugely popular free-to-play game, the 6 Horses Challenge offers customers a chance to try and predict the winner of six selected races. It is likely that bet365 will run this very popular game across at least one, if not both days of the Epsom Derby Festival.
It is also worth noting that other standard bet365 Sport horse racing promotions will also be available for the Epsom Derby Festival including Best Odds Guaranteed, Each Way Extra and Racing Value (early prices and pay out on disqualified horses).
The gates open at 11 am for fans attending the Epsom Derby Festival, with the first race at 1.30 pm on Friday 6th June. The opening time remains the same for Derby Day, Saturday 7th June 2025, but the first race starts at 1.00pm.
ITV Racing will be covering both days of the festival live on TV.
Ian John is a seasoned Sports Writer and UK gambling expert with over a decade of experience at Bonus Code Poker. For the past 10 years, he has been providing readers with insightful analysis and expert opinions on sports betting and poker.
#AD – Bonus Code Poker is an affiliate of the brands we promote throughout this site. While we strive to maintain accuracy throughout our content, we do receive compensation for this promotion.
This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalized services. We use cookies to analyze site traffic, remember your preferences, and optimize site functionality. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Please note that declining cookies may impact some site features. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.
