Epsom Oaks

The event is named after The Oaks, an estate located to the east of Epsom which was leased to the 12th Earl of Derby in the 18th century. He and his guests devised the race during a party at the estate in 1778. It was first run (as the Oakes Stakes) in 1779, one year before the introduction of the Derby Stakes. The inaugural winner, Bridget, was owned by Lord Derby himself. The Oaks subsequently became one of Britain's leading events for three-year-olds. By the mid-1860s, the five leading events for this age group were referred to as "Classics". The concept was later adopted in many other countries. European variations of the Oaks include the Irish Oaks, the Preis der Diana, the Prix de Diane and the Oaks d'Italia. Other national equivalents include the AJC Oaks, the New Zealand Oaks and the Yushun Himba. Since 1892, horses have each carried 9 stone in the race. Prior to this, there were several fluctuations, from an original 8 stone 4 pounds, down to 8 stone, then progressively upwards. ==Records==

Leading jockey (9 wins): • Frank Buckle – Nike (1797), Bellissima (1798), Bellina (1799), Scotia (1802), Theophania (1803), Meteora (1805), Neva (1817), Corinne (1818), Zinc (1823) Leading trainer (13 wins): • Robert Robson – Scotia (1802), Pelisse (1804), Meteora (1805), Briseis (1807), Morel (1808), Maid of Orleans (1809), Music (1813), Minuet (1815), Landscape (1816), Corinne (1818), Pastille (1822), Zinc (1823), Wings (1825) Leading owner (10 wins): (includes part ownership) • Susan Magnier – Shahtoush (1998), Imagine (2001), Alexandrova (2006), Was (2012), Minding (2016), Forever Together (2018), Love (2020), Snowfall (2021), Tuesday (2022), Minnie Hauk (2025) Fastest winning time (at Epsom) • Love (2020), 2m 34.06s Widest winning margin • Snowfall (2021), 16 lengths Longest odds winners • Vespa (1833), Jet Ski Lady (1991) and Qualify (2015) Shortest odds winner – 8/100 • Pretty Polly (1904) Most runners • 26, in 1848 Fewest runners • 4, in 1799 and 1904 ==Winners==