1987 Epsom Derby

File:Racing silks of Louis Freedman.svg

Winner's racing colours

The 1987 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Wednesday June 3, 1987. It was the 208th running of the Derby, and it was won by the pre-race favourite Reference Point. The winner was ridden by Steve Cauthen and trained by Henry Cecil.

Race details

• Sponsor: Ever Ready
• Winner's prize money: £282,025
• Going: Good
• Number of runners: 19
• Winner's time: 2m 33.90s

Full result

	*	Horse	Jockey	Trainer †	SP
1		Reference Point	Steve Cauthen	Henry Cecil	6/4 fav
2	1½	Most Welcome	Paul Eddery	Geoff Wragg	33/1
3	shd	Bellotto	Pat Eddery	Jeremy Tree	11/1
4	2	Sir Harry Lewis	John Reid	Barry Hills	66/1
5	½	Entitled	Cash Asmussen	Vincent O'Brien (IRE)	11/1
6	nk	Mountain Kingdom	Michael Roberts	Clive Brittain	33/1
7	1	Groom Dancer	Dominique Boeuf	Tony Clout (FR)	16/1
8	nk	Sadjiyd	Yves Saint-Martin	Alain de Royer-Dupré (FR)	11/2
9	1	Ajdal	Ray Cochrane	Michael Stoute	25/1
10	1½	Persifleur	Tony Cruz	Patrick Biancone (FR)	33/1
11	¾	Ascot Knight	Walter Swinburn	Michael Stoute	25/1
12	3	Love the Groom	Willie Carson	John Dunlop	33/1
13	1	Ibn Bey	Richard Quinn	Paul Cole	40/1
14	1	Legal Bid	Tony Ives	Henry Cecil	8/1
15	4	Gulf King	Paul Cook	Paul Kelleway	100/1
16	6	Water Boatman	Brian Rouse	Barry Hills	150/1
17	2½	Angara Abyss	Greville Starkey	Guy Harwood	100/1
18	5	Alwasmi	Richard Hills	Harry Thomson Jones	150/1
19	8	Romantic Prince	Willie Ryan	Chris Wall	150/1

* The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter. shd = short-head; nk = neck.
† Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.

Winner's details

Further details of the winner, Reference Point:

• Foaled: February 26, 1984, in Great Britain
• Sire: Mill Reef; Dam: Home on the Range (Habitat)
• Owner: Louis Freedman
• Breeder: Louis Freedman
• Rating in 1987 International Classifications: 135

Form analysis

Two-year-old races

Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 1986.

• Reference Point – 1st Futurity Stakes
• Most Welcome – 5th Middle Park Stakes
• Bellotto – 1st Acomb Stakes
• Groom Dancer – 1st Prix Herod, 8th Prix de la Salamandre, 1st Prix de Condé, 3rd Critérium de Saint-Cloud
• Ajdal – 1st Dewhurst Stakes
• Love the Groom – 3rd Futurity Stakes
• Gulf King – 8th Chesham Stakes, 6th Prix de la Salamandre, 1st Beresford Stakes

The road to Epsom

Early-season appearances in 1987 and trial races prior to running in the Derby.

• Reference Point – 1st Dante Stakes
• Most Welcome – 3rd Craven Stakes, 13th 2,000 Guineas (finished 3rd, placed last)
• Bellotto – 3rd Greenham Stakes, 2nd 2,000 Guineas
• Sir Harry Lewis – 1st Dee Stakes
• Entitled – 2nd Irish 2,000 Guineas
• Mountain Kingdom – 3rd Easter Stakes, 2nd Lingfield Derby Trial
• Groom Dancer – 1st Prix Omnium II, 1st Prix de Guiche, 1st Prix Lupin
• Sadjiyd – 1st Prix Noailles, 1st Prix Hocquart
• Ajdal – 1st Craven Stakes, 4th 2,000 Guineas (finished 5th, placed 4th), Irish 2,000 Guineas (finished 3rd, disqualified)
• Persifleur – 1st Prix Greffulhe, 3rd Dante Stakes
• Ascot Knight – 2nd Dante Stakes
• Love the Groom – 4th Craven Stakes
• Ibn Bey – 5th Lingfield Derby Trial, 1st Predominate Stakes
• Legal Bid – 1st Feilden Stakes, 1st Lingfield Derby Trial
• Gulf King – 6th Craven Stakes, 1st Sandown Classic Trial, 5th Dante Stakes
• Water Boatman – 3rd Feilden Stakes, 6th Lingfield Derby Trial, 2nd Gallinule Stakes
• Alwasmi – 2nd Predominate Stakes
• Romantic Prince – 4th Dante Stakes

Subsequent Group 1 wins

Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.

• Reference Point – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1987), St. Leger (1987)
• Sir Harry Lewis – Irish Derby (1987)
• Ajdal – July Cup (1987), William Hill Sprint Championship (1987)
• Ibn Bey – Gran Premio d'Italia (1987), Preis von Europa (1989), Deutschland-Preis (1990), Irish St. Leger (1990)

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