1984 Epsom Derby
| Derby | |
| Location | Epsom Downs Racecourse |
|---|---|
| Date | 6 June 1984 |
| Winning horse | Secreto |
| SP | 14/1 |
| Jockey | Christy Roche |
| Trainer | David O'Brien |
| Owner | Luigi Miglietti |
| Conditions | Good |
The 1984 Epsom Derby was the 205th annual running of the Derby horse race. It took place at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 6 June 1984. It was the first edition of the race to be commercially sponsored and was known as the Ever Ready Derby. The sponsorship meant that the first prize of £227,680 was the biggest in the history of the race.
The race was won by Luigi Miglietti's Secreto at odds of 14/1, ridden by Christy Roche and trained in Ireland by David O'Brien. The favourite El Gran Senor, trained by David O'Brien's father Vincent finished second by a short head. The colt's win was a first success in the race for owner, trainer and jockey. At the age of 27, David O'Brien was one of the youngest men to have trained a Derby winner.
Contents
Race details
- Sponsor: Ever Ready
- Winner's prize money: £227,680
- Going: Good
- Number of runners: 17
- Winner's time: 2 minutes, 39.12 seconds[1]
Full result
Race result[2]
| Dist * | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | SP | |
| 1 | Secreto | Christy Roche | David O'Brien (IRE) | 14/1 | |
| 2 | shd | El Gran Senor | Pat Eddery | Vincent O'Brien (IRE) | 8/11 |
| 3 | 3 | Mighty Flutter | Brian Rouse | David Elsworth | 66/1 |
| 4 | 1½ | At Talaq | Richard Hills | Harry Thomson Jones | 250/1 |
| 5 | 1½ | Alphabatim | Lester Piggott | Guy Harwood | 11/2 |
| 6 | 1½ | Telios | Geoff Baxter | Bruce Hobbs | 100/1 |
| 7 | 1½ | Long Pond | George Duffield | Paul Kelleway | 150/1 |
| 8 | 5 | Kaytu | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | 12/1 |
| 9 | 1 | Sheer Heights | Richard Quinn | Paul Cole | 100/1 |
| 10 | 2 | Ilium | Tony Murray | Harry Thomson Jones | 16/1 |
| 11 | 6 | Pigwidgeon | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | 150/1 |
| 12 | 7 | Elegant Air | Bruce Raymond | Ian Balding | 50/1 |
| 13 | 3 | Claude Monet | Steve Cauthen | Henry Cecil | 12/1 |
| 14 | 4 | My Volga Boatman | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | 33/1 |
| 15 | 7 | Sassanoco | Trevor Rogers | Harry Thomson Jones | 500/1 |
| 16 | 1 | Northern Fred | Gary Moore | Charles Milbank (FR) | 150/1 |
| 17 | Cataldi | Tony Clark | Guy Harwood | 250/1 |
Winner details
Further details of the winner, Secreto:
- Foaled: 12 February 1981, in Maryland, United States
- Sire: Northern Dancer; Dam: Betty's Secret (Secretariat)
- Owner: Luigi Miglietti
- Breeder: E. P. Taylor
Form analysis
Two-year-old races
Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 1983:[3]
- Alphabatim - 1st in William Hill Futurity
- El Gran Senor - 1st in Railway Stakes, 1st in National Stakes, 1st in Dewhurst Stakes
- Elegant Air - 2nd in Lanson Champagne Stakes, 1st in Horris Hill Stakes
- Ilium - 3rd in William Hill Futurity
- My Volga Boatman - 2nd in Horris Hill Stakes
The road to Epsom
Early-season appearances in 1984 and trial races prior to running in the Derby:[4]
- Alphabatim – 1st in Sandown Classic Trial, 1st in Lingfield Derby Trial
- El Gran Senor – 1st in Gladness Stakes, 1st in 2000 Guineas
- Claude Monet – 1st in Heathorn Stakes, 1st in Dante Stakes
- Ilium - 1st in Predominate Stakes
- Kaytu – 1st in Chester Vase
- Long Pond – 1st in Blue Riband Trial Stakes
- Northern Fred – 2nd in Premio Presidente della Repubblica
- Pigwidgeon - 3rd in Heathorn Stakes
- Secreto – 1st in Tetrarch Stakes, 3rd in Irish 2000 Guineas
- Telios – 3rd in Craven Stakes
Subsequent Group 1 wins
Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.
- Alphabatim – Hollywood Turf Cup (1984, 1986)
- At Talaq – Grand Prix de Paris (1984), Melbourne Cup (1986)
- El Gran Senor – Irish Derby (1984)
