The Jockey Club has expressed delight at the news from Buckingham Palace that the 2022 Cazoo Derby at Epsom Downs Racecourse on Saturday 4th June 2022 will form part of the official Platinum Jubilee Weekend to celebrate the historic 70 year reign of Her Majesty The Queen.
In 2022, The Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee – or 70 years of service – having acceded to the throne on February 6th 1952. The official announcement outlining details of what is planned over the course of an extended Bank Holiday next June stated that “Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, will attend The Derby at Epsom Downs”.
The 2022 Cazoo Derby Festival will take place on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th June 2022 and features the Cazoo Oaks – first run in 1779 – and the Cazoo Derby – first run a year later and the world’s most famous Flat horse race. Three days after Her Majesty’s Coronation, on Saturday 6th June 1953, The Queen achieved her best result to date in The Derby, with her horse Aureole finishing second to Pinza.
Over centuries, Derby winners have defined the next generation of Thoroughbred racehorses. Almost all Thoroughbreds alive today can be traced back to one – or several – Derby winners.
Those wishing to attend the 2022 Cazoo Derby Festival can already register their interest. With the limited tickets available for this weekend’s Cazoo Derby Festival selling out immediately, pre-registration is the best chance for racegoers to secure their place at next year’s event. This can be done by visiting https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/epsom/events-tickets/epsom-derby/.
Phil White, who runs the Cazoo Derby Festival as London Regional Director of Jockey Club Racecourses, said:
“We are incredibly grateful for the support Her Majesty The Queen has given to The Derby over several decades. To be afforded this opportunity to celebrate the contribution she has made to horseracing, to British life and the Commonwealth, is a real honour for all of us at The Jockey Club. Planning for this very special occasion has already begun, even before we have staged this year’s Cazoo Derby Festival this weekend.”