home of the derby.

​The only book on my bookshelves dedicated to racing books I have yet to read is David Hunn’s ‘Goodwood’, a volume dedicated to the history of Goodwood, not the racecourse, sadly, though I am sure it will be mentioned, but the house and the grand people to have frequented the estate down through the centuries. I enjoy reading about the history of our country, especially the landed gentry, learning the good and bad deeds they got up to, and I will enjoy David Hunn’s book when I get around to it. As yet the moment has not arrived. Sometime back in July should have been an appropriate occasion. I am, it seems, a man in need of a secretary or some kind of organising system. Perhaps next summer.
But do not despair David Hunn (or his descendants) as I have just finished ‘Epsom Racecourse. Its Story and Its People’, a book that is very much about the establishment of a racecourse, and, if I may add, as a book of its kind it is one of the best. It is a proper historical account of the decades leading to 1973 when the book was published.
Again, as I have commented many times, it is always an omission when racing books about a certain race, like the Champion Hurdle, for example, or in this case the history of a racecourse, are not updated every twenty-years or so. 1973 is a long time ago, and I dare say there are books out there recounting the Derby winners up to recent times but David Hunn’s book is about Epsom, the Downs, the racecourse, the buildings, the people, with very little in the way of the racing, except for a gallop through every Derby up to 1973 in the final chapter. Oh, if you can’t recall, the 1973 Derby was won by Morston, trained by possibly the last of the great owner/breeder/trainers Arthur Budgett and ridden by Edward Hide.
The first Derby in 1780 was won by Diomed, ridden by Sam Arnull. The race in 1781 was won by Young Eclipse, ridden by Hindley. 1782 by Sam Arnull again. 1783 by Hindley. 1784 by John Arnull. 1786 (annoyingly for the point I am making) by J.White. 1787 by Sam Arnull. 1790 by John Arnull. 1796 by John Arnull. 1798 by Sam Arnull. 1799 by John Arnull. 1804 by William Arnull. 1807 by John Arnull. 1812 by William Arnull. 1814 by William Arnull. And never again by an Arnull.
The Arnull family won twelve Derbies between them yet seemingly have no memorial to their achievements. Surely the Arnulls deserve a race, at least, run annually to remind people of their rightful place in the history of the great race? Diomed is so honoured and he only won the Derby once. Oh, perhaps a little known fact, when Diomed won the race the distance was only a mile, so technically he is not a true blue Derby winner.
What I like in a book is to learn a facet of information I have not heard or read before and in 1948 an Australian newspaper owner on holiday in Britain visited Epsom, loved the Downs so much he made a cash offer to buy them, which was rejected. He had grand plans for Epsom, keeping the Derby there, of course, but also running the Grand National there. How he was to achieve this is not, unsurprisingly, explained. Sir James Joynton Smith, for that was his name, had many ideas to improve the sporting Englishman’s lot, including turning Hyde Park into a racecourse. Wouldn’t it be great if he was around today? He might have saved Towcester or Lanark or Stockton or Manchester. Or be Kempton’s saviour!
Epsom is such a unique racecourse – is there anything like it around the world? – that I am straddled between the thought of keeping it solely for the one meeting, the Derby meeting, or using the racecourse more often than it is. I have often considered that no Epsom meeting should pass without some kind of Derby being competed for –Apprentices Derby, Amateurs Derby, Ladies Derby, International Riders Derby, Veterans Derby etc. Epsom is after all the originator of the whole Derby concept. Epsom is the Derby and the Derby is Epsom. And for ever more, we all hope.