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Derby festival

Derby course escapes damage after 'disrespectful' and 'threatening' trespassers stage race on track in ponies and traps

Epsom clerk of the course Andrew Cooper experienced an unwelcome shock during the big-race build-up

Epsom's Derby card takes place on Saturday
Clerk of the course Andrew Cooper at Epsom on Derby dayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Epsom's long-serving clerk of the course Andrew Cooper has blasted the "totally disrespectful" actions of trespassers who last Saturday afternoon risked causing serious damage to the Betfred Derby course by staging a race on the track with ponies and traps.

Six individuals who had spent time in a pub close to the racecourse raced their ponies and carts over the first four furlongs of the track until being forced off the racecourse by security staff at the top of the hill, a move that prevented them from continuing towards Tattenham Corner.

Cooper, who this year is officiating at his 30th Derby as clerk of the course, had just returned home from working at Epsom when he was informed of an invasion that left visible tyre prints on the track.

Minimal damage was caused to the Derby track after trespassers raced ponies and carts on the racecourse
Minimal damage was caused to the Derby track after trespassers raced ponies and carts on the racecourse

"A group of people had been drinking in the Derby Arms and then decided it would be fun to have a race on the track with their ponies and traps," said Cooper. "They left the pub, went down the road towards Tattenham Corner, crossed the track on the public highway and then followed the inner road before six of them got on the track at the mile point. They then went quietly down to the Derby start before racing up the middle of the back straight. 

"I wouldn't rule out the idea that they intended to race around the entire Derby course but the security team here reacted as quickly as they could and managed to force them off the track at the mile pole. We blocked off much more of the track as a result of the incident but this is an open site and you can't police everything."

Cooper, who stressed the intrusion did not involve members of the travelling community who traditionally base themselves on the racecourse during the Derby festival, added: "As it turned out, this proved be annoying and irritating more than anything else. Fortunately the ground was pretty quick last Saturday and the damage caused was minimal. You could barely see the wheel tracks and the ponies had only made a little print. 

"That said, what they did was completely inappropriate and totally disrespectful behaviour. There was also threatening behaviour towards people in our security team, so this definitely wasn't all fun and jolly."


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