{"id":51272,"date":"2025-06-07T07:30:17","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T07:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/?p=51272"},"modified":"2025-06-07T07:49:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-07T07:49:17","slug":"how-many-times-can-a-horse-win-the-epsom-derby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/news\/how-many-times-can-a-horse-win-the-epsom-derby\/","title":{"rendered":"How Many Times Can A Horse Win The Epsom Derby?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we gear up for the 246th running of the biggest flat race in the Britain – and some even say the biggest in the world – many people often ask how many times can a horse win the Epsom Derby?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Epsom Derby Is Only For 3 Year-Olds – Meaning Horses Only Get ONE Chance To Win It<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The answer to the question – how many times can a horse win the Epsom Derby? Is a fairly easy one.<\/p>\n

With the race only for 3 year-olds – this means a horse can only ever run in the Epsom Derby ONCE.<\/p>\n

This is the same as other big Derby races around the world – including the Kentucky Derby in the US, and the Irish and French Derby.<\/p>\n

Therefore, this is one of the reasons why the Epsom Derby is billed as one of the best flat races in the world – horses only ever have one crack at winning it.<\/p>\n

This also means trainers must have their Epsom Derby runners<\/a> primed to hit peak form at the right time – knowing they can’t come back next season when the horse is aged four.<\/p>\n

The Epsom Derby holds a 2025 prize of \u00a3850,650, but the real money comes after the race. This is because many winners then go off to stud and command huge fees with the carrot for potential owners being they are breeding from a proven Derby winner.<\/p>\n

In contrast, other top UK flat races – like the Coral-Eclipse and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes – are open to horses aged 3+ so can be won more than once by the same horse.<\/p>\n

Epsom Derby The Second Leg Of The Triple Crown Series<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This week’s Epsom Derby is also the second Triple Crown race of the season for colts – with the first being the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the final one the St Leger at Doncaster in September.<\/p>\n

These races – along with the 1000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks – are called Classics, which is why the 3 year-old period of these top flat horses is also often referred to as the ‘Classic Generation’.<\/em><\/p>\n

The 2000 Guineas has already been run this season and was won by Godolphin’s Ruling Court (watch below). He’ll be trying to add to Epsom Derby to this CV on Saturday 7th June and in the process keep his Triple Crown dreams alive.<\/p>\n

With the final leg – the St Leger – on Saturday 13th September at Doncaster.<\/p>\n

What makes winning these three races hard is they all come over different distances. The 2000 Guineas is over 1m, the Derby 1m4f and the St Leger 1m 6 1\/2f – meaning to win all three requires a horse to have a mixture of speed and stamina.<\/p>\n

The last horse to win the British Triple Crown was Nijinsky in 1970 and only 12 in total have managed it.<\/p>\n

Trainer Aidan O’Brien has won the Epsom Derby ten times<\/a>, came close in 2012. His Camelot won both the 2000 Guineas and Derby but was beaten 3\/4 lengths into second in the St Leger.<\/p>\n