1984 Epsom Derby

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.

1984 Epsom Derby

Derby
Location	Epsom Downs Racecourse
Date	6 June 1984
Winning horse	Secreto
Starting price	14/1
Jockey	Christy Roche
Trainer	David O'Brien
Owner	Luigi Miglietti
Conditions	Good
← 1983 1985 →

Epsom Derby 1984

1-2-3
Secreto	El Gran Senor	Mighty Flutter

Also Ran
4-5-6
At Talaq	Alphabatim	Telios
7-8-9
Long Pond	Kaytu	Sheer Heights
10-11-12
Ilium	Pigwidgeon	Elegant Air
13-14-15
Claude Monet	My Volga Boatman	Sassanoco
16-17
Cataldi	Northern Fred	17 Ran

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.

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	Paul Cook	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)

Subsequent breeding careers

Leading progeny of participants in the 1984 Epsom Derby.^[5][6][7][8]

Sires of Classic winners

El Gran Senor (2nd)

• Rodrigo De Triano - 1st 2000 Guineas Stakes, 1st Irish 2,000 Guineas (1992)
• Belmez - 1st King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1990)
• Gran Alba - 1st Christmas Hurdle (1991)
• Toussaud - 1st Criterion Stakes (1992) dam of Empire Maker, Chester House and Chiselling

Secreto (1st) - Exported to USA - Later exported to Japan

• Mystiko - 1st 2000 Guineas Stakes (1991)
• Tamuro Cherry - 1st Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (2001)
• Miss Secreto - 1st Premio Regina Elena (1989)
• Staunch Friend - 1st Bula Hurdle (1993)

At Talaq (4th)

• Star Of Maple - 1st Rosehill Guineas (1994)
• Skating - 1st Winfield Classic (1993)
• Toledo - 1st Newmarket Handicap (2001)
• Al Mansour - 1st George Ryder Stakes (2000)

Sires of Group/Grade One winners

Elegant Air (12th)

• Dashing Blade - 1st Dewhurst Stakes (1989), Leading sire in Germany (1998)
• Air de Rien - 1st Prix Saint-Alary (1990)
• Ocean Air - 2nd Premio Lydia Tesio (1991)
• Montpelier Lad - 1st Anniversary Hurdle (1991)

Sires of National Hunt horses

Alphabatim (5th)

• Golden Alpha - 1st Red Rum Handicap Chase (2003)
• Mr Nosie - 1st Deloitte Novice Hurdle (2006)
• Nosie Betty - Dam of Cole Harden

Cataldi (17th)

• Trouble Ahead - 1st AGFA Diamond Handicap Chase (2000)
• Betty's Boy - 1st National Hunt Handicap Chase (1999)

Other Stallions

Claude Monet (13th) - Artistic Reef (3rd King George Stakes 1992), Sweet Revival (dam of Sweet Return) - Later exported to South Africa
Telios (6th) - Exported to Japan - Mejiro Lambada (1st Nikkei Shinshun Hai 1997)
Long Pond (7th) - Midnights Daughter (dam of One Knight)
Kaytu (8th) - Sired minor jumps winners
Ilium (10th) - Sired minor jumps winners
Mighty Flutter (3rd) - Exported to Spain
Sheer Heights (9th) - Exported to Saudi Arabia
My Volga Boatman (14th) - Exported to Turkey
Northern Fred (16th) - Exported to Australia

References

1. Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 978-1-901570-15-1.
2. Ikerrin, David, ed. (1985). Ladbrokes Flat Racing Companion 1985. Presteigne: Aesculus Press. p. 65. ISBN 0-9509338-1-3.
3. Timeform staff (1984). Racehorses of 1983. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-40-5.
4. Timeform (1985). Racehorses of 1984. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-40-5.
5. "Stammtafeln". Galopp Sieger. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
6. "Profiles Search". Racing Post. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
7. "Progeny Reports". Pedigree Query. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
8. "SAUDI ARABIAN STUD BOOK FOR THOROUGHBREDS" (PDF). ksasb.com. THE EQUESTRIAN CLUB. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 15 April 2020.

External links

• Colour Chart – Derby 1984

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