The Stanley family, Earls of Derby, had a long history of horse-racing, and
James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, who gained the Lordship of Mann in 1627, instituted horse-racing on the
Langness Peninsula on the
Isle of Man, donating a cup for what became known as the "
Manx Derby". The Derby originated at a celebration following the first running of the
Oaks Stakes in 1779. A new race was planned, and it was decided that it should be named after either the host of the party, the
12th Earl of Derby, or one of his guests,
Sir Charles Bunbury (the
Bunbury Cup run at Newmarket would later be named in his honour). According to legend the decision was made by the toss of a coin, but it is probable that Bunbury, the Steward of the
Jockey Club, deferred to his host. The inaugural running of the Derby was held on Thursday 4 May 1780. It was won by
Diomed, a colt owned by Sir Charles Bunbury, who collected prize money of £1,065 15s. The first four runnings were contested over the last mile of the old Orbicular course , this extended in line with the Oaks to the current distance of 1½ miles in 1784. Lord Derby achieved his first success in the event in 1787, with a horse called
Sir Peter Teazle. The 1897 race, which was called the Jubilee Derby in honour of the
Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, was won easily by
Galtee More, causing bonfire celebrations all over Ireland. The starting point of the race was moved twice during the 19th century. The first move, suggested by
Lord George Bentinck, was in 1848, and the second was in 1872. It was discovered in 1991 that the exact length of the race was one mile, four furlongs and 10 yards. Initially, the Derby was run on a Thursday in late May or early June, depending on when Easter occurred. In 1838 the race was moved to a Wednesday to fit in with the railways'
timetables, but still followed the moveable feast of Easter. The
North London Railway's Secretary, 14 April 1863, reported its arrangements for the conveyance of passengers for Epsom races on 16th & 17th. In the 20th century, the race was run mainly on a Wednesday in late May or early June until 1994, after which it was changed to a Saturday in early June. From 1915 to 1918 (during
World War I), it was on a Tuesday, with the race's latest ever date being 31 July 1917. From 1942 to 1945 (during
World War II), 1947 to 1950, and in 1953, the race was run on a Saturday. The Derby has inspired many similar events around the world. European variations include the
Irish Derby, the
Prix du Jockey Club (often known as the "French Derby"),
Derby Italiano and the
Deutsches Derby. Several races in the United States include the "Derby" name, including the oldest, the
Kentucky Derby. Other national equivalents include the
Australian Derby, the
New Zealand Derby, the
Japanese Derby and the
Romanian Derby. In 1931, the Derby became the world's first outdoor sporting event to be televised. There is a maximum of 20 runners allowed in the race. Since 1993, the Derby has introduced the option of yearling entry. In 2025, The Jockey Club, who own and operate Epsom Downs Racecourse, announced a number of significant changes to the 2026 Betfred Derby Festival, both on and off the track. As part of a project to reinvigorate the world's most famous race, these enhancements included an increase to prize money, customer experience improvements and alterations to the race programme. ==Epsom Fair==