owners & trainers are intimidated by the epsom derby.

​Here’s a secret not worth knowing. I write this, whatever it is, blog, perhaps, using the font Bookman Old Style, though the default setting for Word Documents is Ariel. I should change the default setting, of course, the truth is, though, ‘settings’, as with all aspects of I.T. and modern technology, scare me to the same extent as tales of ‘The Lambton Worm’, hobgoblins and ‘things that go bump in the night’, frightened children in the days before artificial light was invented. This is pointless information as the font for the published blog is another font altogether, the name of which I have never bothered to find out as I am truly intimidated by ‘settings’.
I am easily intimidated. It is why I am not an adventurer or coach and four driver. It is also why I cannot conceive of the notion of advancing the popularity of this website by going forth and interviewing racing celebrities. Not even those jockeys and trainers who would be grateful for any small nugget of greater exposure to the public. I haven’t the platform, if I possessed the nous. I don’t do social media, outside of this obscure website, and though the questions I would want to ask would delve deeper into the souls of the interviewee than Racing Post journalists are allowed to ask, I haven’t the gall, courage or sense of worth, to approach anyone either verbally or electronically. 
So here we are, alone again, naturally.
No one is ever truly alone when there is horse racing to enjoy, are they? I have never met Frankie Dettori, and never will, most likely, yet he is as much a friend to me as he is to you. It is the same with Tom Marquand, Holly Doyle and William Buick. A one-sided friendship, I admit. Which suits me, as doubtless it suits them.
It would make a good news story if Frankie won the Derby on his final ride in the race and would take the sport, perhaps, on to the front pages of the national newspapers. Do I want Frankie to win on Arrest? Yes and no. Perhaps less than I would like Tom Marquand to win or Oisin Murphy. Personally I would prefer Daniel Muscott to win on Dubai Mile as, if I can be bothered, he'll carry my ten-bob each-way this year.
I just wish the Epsom Derby had some true pzazz about it, some expectation of history about to be created. When I was young, all those years ago, the Epsom Derby had news appeal and held on to its reputation as the horse race the world watched in awe. It is a faded glory nowadays, not even held in the same regard as Royal Ascot, even though people will disagree and continue to describe the Epsom Derby as ‘the greatest race in the world’, even though it clearly isn’t anymore.
When the description was valid and incontestable, the Arc de Triomphe did not exist, the Breeders Cup was mere fantasy, travelling a horse by air to faraway places was a pipedream, Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia were homes for camels not racehorses and the Melbourne Cup was strictly for Australians. The Epsom Derby has lost its lustre and sorely needs a good deal of love given to it.
And I don’t mean throwing seven-figure amounts of prize money at it.
Royal Ascot is the major stumbling block, in my opinion. There are colts that in the past would be Derby contenders being kept back for comparatively minor races at the royal meeting. If owners and trainer do not in their heart of hearts believe the Epsom Derby is the greatest race in the world how can the race be sold as such to a public more and more less engaged with the sport? The type of horse going to Epsom these days are the St.Leger types, not that the winner will be seen at Doncaster in the Autumn as there is greater kudos to be had in winning the Arc. The Derby soon will be as dead in the water as the St. Leger if something isn’t done about it.
The Epsom Derby is intimidating owners and trainers of top-class 3-year-old colts. I cannot summon the courage to take a chance on meddling with the settings on my laptop and the same can be said for connections of Derby types when it comes to chancing their arms at Epsom. Horses with the breeding to suggest the Derby distance is right up their ball park and have the good each-way form to contest the race, should be in contention to run in the race. Every other race for 3-year-olds in the calendar should be regarded as consolation races. It used to be the way and should be now. 
As things stand right now, for breeding purposes, for the ‘making’ of stallions, it is the 10-furlong races that matter, especially if that colt has also won over a mile. 12-furlong races on a stallions score-card make him more likely to sire jumpers than Derby winners.
With a new monarch who, perhaps, doesn’t care so much about the ‘social season’ as the late lamented Queen, this would be a good time to debate, as with Cheltenham and Aintree in the spring, a month’s separation between Epsom and Royal Ascot? For the sake of the Epsom Derby, with, perhaps, as when ‘covid’ messed up the normal, the royal meeting exchanging dates in the calendar with Epsom?
If the Epsom Derby is to regain its honoured and historic description as ‘the greatest race in the world’ it needs some love and affection. The Epsom Derby must be given priority over the St.James’ Palace and the other races at the Royal meeting that attract the Epsom Derby type. Owners, and trainers especially, need to be coaxed from their intimidation of the Derby and follow the example of their forebears and chance their arm, to run the horse whose pedigree suggests it won’t stay or whose action suggests it will not come down the hill. Winning the Epsom Derby must be the glorious way to be proven wrong.