From Best to Rashford, the Derby faces a mismatch against Fred's Red Devils
Football plants its boots on racing's turf on Saturday as the 142nd FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United barges the 244th Derby on to the sidelines with a 1.30 slot that no-one could describe as prime time.
Flat racing's biggest event had a 92-year start on what is billed as the world's oldest club competition but, even given the diminished position of the FA Cup in national consciousness, the Epsom Classic doesn't stand a chance when British football's biggest global brand take on the Premier League champions, who also happen to be their neighbours.
It would be comforting to imagine that the derby between the Manchester clubs owes that title to the race but the evidence is far from conclusive. What we can say with confidence is that from Kentucky to Kolkata the Derby denotes the premier race and the term derby to describe a local rivalry has also spread worldwide.
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