Epsom hopeful the Derby can hold its own against Champions League Final

You don't have to be an Arsenal or a Manchester United fan to have decidedly mixed feelings about the all-English Champions League Final.

This week's astonishing semi-final comebacks by Liverpool and then Tottenham Hotspur have left Epsom with something of a headache.

The course is acutely aware that the Madrid showdown between two teams whose heroics have captured the imagination of the nation clashes with the Investec Derby.

Britain's richest race will have to compete for public and media attention with the final on June 1 but there are no plans to show the football on course.

The last race is scheduled for 5.50pm with the game due to kick off at 8pm and Epsom PR spokesperson Johnno Spence said: "With such a big gap between the last race and the start of the final we're not planning on showing the football.

"It's amazing that two English teams are involved but at the end of the day we are there to celebrate the Derby – if the timing were slightly different we might have considered it but it's already a very long day."

Investec Derby card and betting

Spence hopes the current series of Derby trials will generate the interest to keep the race in the forefront of public attention despite the counter attraction of the Champions League.

"We'll be doing our best to get as much coverage as possible and we're hoping lots of horses will put themselves in contention in the next two weeks," he said.

"There will be a lot of attention on the final but I hope that won't put people off coming to Epsom and then going on to watch it. They have got plenty of time to get to London or somewhere else to see it."

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