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Your first Derby memories

Ian_Davies

Ian_Davies

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Some forumites will pre-date me but, being from a non-racing family, the first Derby I recall being properly aware of was when my racing-mad Maths teacher Keith Rogers, who used to cover Doncaster for local radio, encouraged me to run a paper trade book on the race in class.

No one wanted the French fav, Green Dancer, and Freddie "Scenic Route" Head and, apart from classmate Michael Powdrell, who had a family connection with Anne's Pretender, they all wanted to be with Grundy.

We listened to the race on Rogers's transistor radio, as he furtively looked outside the window as the officious Deputy Head was hovering around.

I first watched the race live on TV in 1976 when Empery and Lester Piggott won it and I first attended (proudly sporting my shiny press badge by then) in 1985, when I had it right off in the race having bet Slip Anchor (ridden by my personal idea of the GOAT, Steve Cauthen) at 33/1 after he broke the clock in the Heathorn (now Newmarket) Stakes.

50th anniversary of Grundy's year today
 
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Ian_Davies said:
Some forumites will predate me but, being from a non-racing family, the first Derby I recall being properly aware of was when my racing-mad Maths teacher Keith Rogers, who used to cover Doncaster for local radio, encouraged me to run a paper trade book on the race in class.

No one wanted the French fav, Green Dancer, and Freddie "Scenic Route" Head and, apart from classmate Michael Powdrell, who had a family connection with Anne's Pretender, they all wanted to be with Grundy.

We listened to the race on Rogers's transistor radio, as he furtively looked outside the window as the officious Deputy Head was hovering around.

I first watched the race live on TV in 1976 when Empery and Lester Piggott won it and I first attended (proudly sporting my shiny press badge by then) in 1985, when I had it right off in the race having bet Slip Anchor (ridden by my personal idea of the GOAT, Steve Cauthen) at 33/1 after he broke the clock in the Heathorn (now Newmarket) Stakes.

50th anniversary of Grundy's year today
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I must have been dogging school, because Grundy was the first Derby I recall watching live, too!
 
archie said:
60 years ago was the best, in my opinion, Derby winner in my lifetime. I wasn't interested in racing at the time but Sea Bird II penetrated even my bubble. This enhanced Pathe report is interesting and one that I'd not seen before.

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I often think I was born too late - I was two when Sea Bird won it, and I wish I'd been 22.

I've seen this footage before, but it's well worth watching again - thank you.

The word "great" is so overused - but Sea Bird deserved the label.
 
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Sea BIrd was a beast. There's footage of his Arc which enthrals me every time I see it. It looks like he's on one of those moving walkways at an airport compared to those around him.
 
I was allowed to have a 20 pence bet on the Derby and I can remember running home from school to watch Troy and Henbit.I thought the game was easy -just back Willie Carson.
I thought El Gran Senor was the best I had ever seen and I spent months thinking about his defeat.
I had 16 pounds on Nashwan at 13/8 on the morning on the 1988Derby -by far the biggest bet ever by one of my punting circle.I was warned that I was on the slippery slope.
These days I hate Epsom with a passion and have been known not to have a bet at the meeting.
 
My late mother lambasting my late father for backing Mon Fils in the 2000 guineas at 50/1 in an each-way double instead of a single.
Her mood definitely changed when Eddie Hide booted home Morston in the Derby.
 
Ian_Davies said:
Some forumites will predate me but, being from a non-racing family, the first Derby I recall being properly aware of was when my racing-mad Maths teacher Keith Rogers, who used to cover Doncaster for local radio, encouraged me to run a paper trade book on the race in class.

No one wanted the French fav, Green Dancer, and Freddie "Scenic Route" Head and, apart from classmate Michael Powdrell, who had a family connection with Anne's Pretender, they all wanted to be with Grundy.

We listened to the race on Rogers's transistor radio, as he furtively looked outside the window as the officious Deputy Head was hovering around.

I first watched the race live on TV in 1976 when Empery and Lester Piggott won it and I first attended (proudly sporting my shiny press badge by then) in 1985, when I had it right off in the race having bet Slip Anchor (ridden by my personal idea of the GOAT, Steve Cauthen) at 33/1 after he broke the clock in the Heathorn (now Newmarket) Stakes.

50th anniversary of Grundy's year today
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I was told before he'd ever run that he was "catching pigeons" at home so his Derby win was, in many ways, special to me. My earliest memory though would have been mid to late 60's although I seem to remember being wowed by Psidium's finishing burst. (where has the time gone?)
 
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2017diary said:
I was told before he'd ever run that he was "catching pigeons" at home so his Derby win was, in many ways, special to me. My earliest memory though would have been mid to late 60's although I seem to remember being wowed by Psidium's finishing burst. (where has the time gone?)
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Was just watching Henbit on YouTube -didn't realise the owner also owned Psidium.
 
Was on holiday in Cornwall with my parents and siblings, stayed in a Caravan near Lizard Point and I remember listening to Troy's win on the radio. Had no interest in Racing at that time but I knew about Night Nurse et al because of Grandstand. Today's youngsters don't have that.
 
Not my earliest memory of the race but Galileo will always be a special one as he won on my wedding day. There were one or two who mysteriously went missing on the day for 10 minutes at race time 😀
 
Ive no idea what won the race or what year it was but I know it was on a Wednesday. I watched it on the BBC. What year did it switch to a Saturday?
 
viking said:
Not my earliest memory of the race but Galileo will always be a special one as he won on my wedding day. There were one or two who mysteriously went missing on the day for 10 minutes at race time 😀
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Ion my wedding day my cousin had got a red hot tip for a horse running at Windsor at an evening meeting.The speeches were delayed by 20minutes aa the local bookies took a hammering.
 
viking said:
Not my earliest memory of the race but Galileo will always be a special one as he won on my wedding day. There were one or two who mysteriously went missing on the day for 10 minutes at race time 😀
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Great race - I was working at Flutter.com betting exchange in North London on Derby Day that year and those were exciting days for intenet betting.

Galileo beating Golan was a cracker.
 
LUKE said:
1995 at a guess.
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Spot on. If you gave me a million quid I couldn't tell what year I first watched it but must have been 1994. Sakhee was the first horse I ever bet in a Derby. I had 5 Irish punts at 7/1. I got the value...
 
I remember Mill Reef's derby for all the wrong reasons.

On the bus into school that morning I laid a couple of my mates 3/1 because I thought it was between Linden Tree and Irish Ball. I thought this could be the start of my bookmaking career. I was obviously worse than McCririck.
 
I laid a friend of mine 100/1 for a euro on Anthony van Dyke.We went double or quits a few times and by October I owed him €600.Ultimately I backed a couple of winners with him and I gave him €300cash.
 
Grundy was the first winner I backed, 5p win at 5/1.
Hooked ever since, I finally got to Epsom in 1995 for first Saturday Derby .
1997 I went to see a Sadler's Wells colt bring off the 2000/Derby double in memory of my dad who died 2000 Gns weekend.
That didn't happen.
Back in 1999, 2004, 2007 to see Frankie finally make it happen.
A bucket list event for anyone with a racing interest, the history there is overpowering.
 
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