Why the Derby's later date benefits English King and other leading fancies
Nick Pulford on the implications of the four-week delay in running the Classic
Better late than on time. That might prove an apt reworking of the old proverb if one of the leading fancies wins the 2020 Investec Derby, which unusually has been moved back four weeks to this Saturday, July 4, from its original date of June 6.
The first four in the betting – English King, Kameko, Mogul and Russian Emperor – are all April foals and the history books suggest their date of birth would have put them at a disadvantage if the Derby had been run in its traditional slot in early June.
Instead the delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic may well have improved their chances by giving them a crucial extra four weeks to develop.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on 3 July 2020inFeatures
Last updated 15:57, 2 July 2020
- Government says it is working 'at pace' to have white paper measures in force by the summer
- 'The only thing you can do is lie fallow and regroup' - Meades to return with scaled-back operation following blank period
- The Gambling Commission has launched its new corporate strategy - but what are the key points?
- 'It was tragic it happened to Paddy but it was a good thing for the jockeys who followed - good came out of bad'
- Acquisitions, exits and retail resilience - what we learned from Flutter and 888's results
- Government says it is working 'at pace' to have white paper measures in force by the summer
- 'The only thing you can do is lie fallow and regroup' - Meades to return with scaled-back operation following blank period
- The Gambling Commission has launched its new corporate strategy - but what are the key points?
- 'It was tragic it happened to Paddy but it was a good thing for the jockeys who followed - good came out of bad'
- Acquisitions, exits and retail resilience - what we learned from Flutter and 888's results