There are few races quite like the Epsom Derby. Demanding speed, stamina, class, and balance – the flagship event of the British flat season provides the ultimate test.
£1.5m in prize money (2024), untold riches at stud, and a place in the annals of racing history make this the race they all want to win, but, of course, only one talented colt may do so. The victor quite rightly hogs the headlines, but should we simply forget about those who finish behind? Or are those Epsom also-rans worth paying close attention to over the remainder of their careers?
Here, we look back at the 2022 and 2023 editions of the great race and highlight the subsequent exploits of those who didn’t quite manage to enter the Winner’s Enclosure on the big day.
Epsom Derby 2023
Let’s see how those who missed out in 2023 fared later on.
King Of Steel
- Derby Finishing Position – 2nd
- Trainer – Roger Varian
- Sire – Wootton Bassett
Only half a length away from recording a 66/1 shock in the 2023 Derby, the giant King Of Steel bounced back with wins in the King Edward VII Stakes and the Group 1 Qipco Champion Stakes during his three-year-old campaign.
White Birch
- Derby Finishing Position – 3rd
- Trainer – John Joseph Murphy
- Sire – Ulysses
Doing the best of those to come from off the pace, White Birch failed to win in two subsequent starts at three. However, his four-year-old campaign proved to be a different story, with his first three starts producing wins in the Alleged Stakes, Mooresbridge Stakes, and Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.
Waipiro
- Derby Finishing Position – 6th
- Trainer – Ed Walker
- Sire – Australia
Raced only once more following the Derby, dropping into Group 3 company worked the oracle for Waipiro, who landed the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot in impressive style.
Adelaide River
- Derby Finishing Position – 8th
- Trainer – Aidan O’Brien
- Sire – Australia
Never in contention at Epsom, Adelaide River performed much better to finish second in the Irish Derby and the Grand Prix De Paris before getting his nose in front in the Group 3 Kilternan Stakes.
Arrest
- Derby Finishing Position – 10th
- Trainer – John & Thady Gosden
- Sire – Frankel
Already appearing unbalanced before losing a shoe at Epsom, it appeared safe to draw a line through Arrest’s Derby effort. The stamina-laden colt rebounded later in the season with a win in the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes and a solid second in the St Leger.
Passenger
- Derby Finishing Position – 12th
- Trainer – Sir Michael Stoute
- Sire – Ulysses
Passenger failed to handle the track at Epsom but quickly put that outing behind him to land the Group 3 Winter Hill Stakes on his only subsequent three-year-old outing and the Group 2 Huxley Stakes on his first start at four.
Dear My Friend
- Derby Finishing Position – 13th
- Trainer – Charlie Johnston
- Sire – Pivotal
Priced at 100/1 at Epsom, not much was expected of Dear My Friend and not much was delivered. The remainder of 2023 was similarly underwhelming, but he has found his level in 2024 – picking up three wins on the All-Weather, including the Listed Tandridge Stakes.
Military Order
- Derby Finishing Position – 14th
- Trainer – Charlie Appleby
- Sire – Frankel
Stone cold last, despite starting as second favourite in the Derby, Military Order never quite lived up to the hype but did win the Group 3 Winter Derby around Southwell’s All-Weather track.
Epsom Derby 2022
Now let’s look back a further year to those who missed out in 2022.
Hoo Ya Mal
- Derby Finishing Position – 2nd
- Trainer – Andrew Balding
- Sire – Territories
Belying his 150/1 odds to finish a fine second behind Desert Crown, Hoo Ya Mal remains without a Group 1 success (as of May 2024) but did win the Group 3 March Stakes at Goodwood.
Westover
- Derby Finishing Position – 3rd
- Trainer – Ralph Beckett
- Sire – Frankel
An unlucky loser in the eyes of many, having found all sorts of trouble in running, Westover promptly righted matters by winning the Irish Derby by seven lengths. Further top-level success followed in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, in addition to second-place finishes in the Dubai Sheema Classic, the Coronation Cup, the King George, and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Changingoftheguard
- Derby Finishing Position – 5th
- Trainer – Aidan O’Brien
- Sire – Galileo
Not good enough to hand Galileo another Derby success, Changingoftheguard found the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot more to his liking – clinging on to score by a short head.
Nation’s Pride
- Derby Finishing Position – 8th
- Trainer – Charlie Appleby
- Sire – Teofilo
Well beaten at Epsom, Nation’s Pride has developed into a globetrotting superstar, with wins in the Saratoga Derby, Jockey Club Derby, Dubai Millennium Stakes, Grosser Dallymayr-Preiss and Canadian International.
West Wind Blows
- Derby Finishing Position – 9th
- Trainer – Simon & Ed Crisford
- Sire – Teofilo
Much as was the case at Epsom, West Wind Blows continues to be found wanting in Group 1 company but is capable at a lower level, with wins in the Listed Glasgow Stakes and two French Group 3s.
El Habeeb
- Derby Finishing Position – 10th
- Trainer – Kevin Philippart De Foy
- Sire – Al Rifai
For a 250/1 shot, El Habeeb ran respectably in the Derby and again when sixth at 150/1 in the St Leger. The pick of his two wins in 2022 came in the Listed Noel Murless Stakes.
Grand Alliance
- Derby Finishing Position – 11th
- Trainer – Charlie Fellowes
- Sire – Churchill
Another to find his stride in a lower grade, Grand Alliance lost out to Changingoftheguard in the King Edward VII Stakes but went one better in the 2023 edition of the Group 3 John Porter Stakes at odds of 18/1.
Piz Badile
- Derby Finishing Position – 12th
- Trainer – Donnacha O’Brien
- Sire – Ulysses
Down the field at Epsom, Piz Badile fared better when second in the Irish Derby but had to wait over a year for his next win, which came in the Listed Dubai Diamond Stakes at Dundalk.
Star Of India
- Derby Finishing Position – 13th
- Trainer – Aidan O’Brien
- Sire – Galileo
Immediately leaving the O’Brien yard following his Derby defeat, Star Of India’s sole success before retirement came in an Australian handicap contest in October 2022.
Sonny Liston
- Derby Finishing Position – 15th
- Trainer – Charles Hills
- Sire – Lawman
You needed a good memory to recall that Sonny Liston ran in the 2022 Derby. 10 runs and 10 defeats followed before he popped up to bag a handicap at Newbury almost two years later.
Royal Patronage
- Derby Finishing Position – 16th
- Trainer – Charlie & Mark Johnston
- Sire – Wootton Bassett
Miles off the pace at Epsom, Royal Patronage’s final outing for the Johnstons came with a fifth-placed effort in the Belmont Derby. Now permanently based in the US, he picked up a win in a small event at Keeneland in 2023.