CLASSIC DERBY RACES

SHERGAR – 1981 DERBY

Even if you’ve stumbled across this page by accident or as a newcomer to horseracing, it’s an odds-on chance you’ve heard of Shergar.

Of course he’ll go down in history as the Thoroughbred stolen by thieves who demanded a £2million ransom, then disappeared forever. But his achievements on the track were just as remarkable.

Born in March 1978 in Ireland and owned by The Aga Khan, Shergar was sent to Britain to be trained by Sir Michael Stoute. As a two-year-old he ran only twice, winning once and finishing second.

However, it was as a three-year-old that his true ability was discovered, winning five of his six races, including the Derby by a record-breaking 10 lengths.

After winning the Epsom Downs Classic the Aga Khan sold 40 shares in the horse, valuing him at £10 million, and kept six for himself to create an owners’ syndicate with the other 34 members.

Two years later, in 1983, Shergar was stolen from the Aga Khan’s stud farm by an armed gang. Demands for a ransom were not paid and the legend of the turf was never found.

COMMANDER IN CHIEF – 1993 DERBY

The result of the 1993 Derby will go down as one of the biggest shocks of the modern era. Not necessarily because Commander in Chief won at odds of 15-2, but because two 150-1 shots finished in second and third and the odds-on favourite, Tenby, was way back in 10th.

Commander in Chief was trainer Sir Henry Cecil’s third of four winners of the Derby and jockey Michael Kinane’s first.

Another who raced for the first time as a three-year-old, he was the first horse to win the Derby having not raced at two since 1973, 20 years earlier.

The youngest of 16 contenders on the day, Commander in Chief stunned his stablemate Tenby and a crowd of 106,000 to win the Derby by nearly four lengths.

He went on to win the Irish Derby but was retired to stand at stud in Japan after finishing third in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

MOTIVATOR – 2005 DERBY

Trainer Michael Bell – uncle to ITV Racing presenter Oli – won the Derby in 2005 with Motivator, a third and final win in the race for jockey Johnny Murtagh.

As a two-year-old, Motivator fired two warning shots which prompted Bell to describe him as “a very, very serious horse”.

First was a six length win in a maiden race at Newmarket. Then came an impressive victory in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.

Kieren Fallon rode Motivator in 2004 but by the following season had switched to become Ballydoyle’s stable jockey, meaning Murtagh took over in the hot seat.

Trainer Bell opted not to run Motivator in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, instead sending him to York to run in the Dante, a race he won comfortably.

As a result Motivator started the Derby as 3-1 favourite, ahead of the Chester Vase winner Gypsy King and Dubawi, who had won the Irish 2000 Guineas so impressively.

Motivator and Murtagh – who had managed to overturn a three day ban to ride in the race – pushed to the front soon after taking Tattenham Corner and, despite Dubawi’s pursuit, won comfortably by six lengths. Murtagh would later describe it as the easiest of his three wins in the race.

Motivator lined up in that year’s Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park, Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but on each occasion faded after taking the lead and failed to win any of the Group One races.

He was due to fly to America to run in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Belmont Park but after ‘coughing’ at home was withdrawn from the race and immediately retired.

Motivator’s success did not end there, however. At stud he sired the dual-Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Treve.

POUR MOI – 2011 DERBY

One of the most iconic images from Derby days of the 21^st Century must surely be teenage jockey Mickael Barzalona standing up rod-straight in his irons celebrating victory.

Of course, countless other jockeys have done the same in big races, but few when the margin of victory has been so narrow that it requires a photo to separate them from placed horses.

The Irish-bred but French-trained Pour Moi was something of an unknown quantity to British racing fans when he lined up at Epsom Downs on June 4^th 2011, having only run four times previously, all of them back in France.

However, bookmakers made him the second favourite behind Her Majesty The Queen’s horse, Carlton House, who had only recently won the Dante.

In the race itself Pour Moi remained held up towards the rear and was still several lengths off the lead with a furlong to go. However, 19-year-old Barzalona pushed him forward to show a superb turn of foot, recording France’s first Derby victory since 1973.

Sadly, Pour Moi never ran again – an injury ending his short career and prompting retirement to stud.

He remains trainer Andre Fabre and jockey Barzalona’s only Derby winner.