Prior to 1789
all English horse racing was 2 miles and over and for horses
of 4 years and older. At the "The Oaks" country house, just
outside Epsom, leased by
Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, in
May 1778 a new race was conceived, a flat horse race (a horse
race without jumps) over 1 straight mile for 3 year old fillies.
On 14th May
1779 The Oaks Stakes was first run, named
after Lord Derby’s leased house. This race was won by
Bridget Lord Derby’s horse.
In 1779 the 12th Earl of
Derby and
Sir Charles Bunbury wanted a race which
would include 3 year old colts as well as 3 year fillies run
over the same course as the Oaks Stakes. It was decided
to toss a coin to see who the race would be named after. Since
Earl Derby won the toss the race was named the
Epsom Derby Stakes, if Sir
Charles Bunbury had won it would have been named Epsom Bunbury
Stakes!
The Epsom Derby Stakes was
first run on 4th May 1780 and was won by Sir Charles
Bunbury’s
horse Diomed ridden by Sam Arnull. The
prize money was £1,065 15s so there was some consolation. The
original straight 1 mile race course was changed in 1784 to its
present location to include Tattenham Corner, the race distance
increasing to 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres). As a result
of an official measurement in 1991 the official distance was
increased by another 10 yards!
Sir Thomas Charles Bunbury
6th Baronet who went by his middle name, Sir Charles
Bunbury, was born in May 1740. He was married to Sarah Lennox
2nd June 1762. The marriage was dissolved
14th May 1776 by Act of Parliament. He married again and
died aged 81 in 1821. He was President of
The
Jockey Club, founded in 1750. He was Member of Parliament for
Suffolk 1761- 1784 and again 1790 – 1812. Between 1788 -1789 he was
the Sheriff of Suffolk. His country estate was Barton Hall,
which was in the middle of the village, was destroyed by fire
in 1914.
Sir Charles Bunbury brought the winner of the original Epsom Derby
Stakes the bright chestnut horse Diomed “the marvel” from the horse
breeder the Honorable Richard Vernon of Newmarket. Diomed started
19 times, winning 11, placed in 4, and showing in 3. He was
considered by many to be the best colt seen in Britain since the
great English Thoroughbred Eclipse.
Failing to win in the last 6 races he was put out to stud for an
initial fee of 5 guineas his fee was increased to 10 guineas in
1989. Interest in Diomed as a sire waned and the 21 year old
stallion was bought in 1798 by partners Mr. Lamb and Mr. Younger
for 50 guineas. They sold him to Hoomes and Tayloe for about 1000
guineas who took him back to America. They sold him to Colonel
Selden for a fee reputed to be 6 times their original investment.
He died in 1808 aged 31.
The Oak Stakes and the Epsom Derby
Stakes form two of the five English Classic Flat horse racing
season still run today at Epsom. The others are the 2000 guineas
and the 1000 guineas run at Newmarket, and the St. Leger run at
Doncaster.
Race horse breeding still takes place in Great Barton at
Barton
Stud.
Diomed, the first horse to win the Epsom Derby Stakes, is
remembered by Diomed Drive the spine road which runs round
Hall Park.
Diomed
Drive
Mick Brabrook
21-03-08