Derby entry rules changed to allow 'more flexibility for owners and trainers'

The yearling entry stage for the Derby has been scrapped for 2024 onwards with there no longer being a requirement to enter before potential contenders turn three.

A yearling entry stage was first brought in for the 1993 Derby allowing owners to enter their horses for a small fee. A total of 279 horses have been entered for next year’s Derby at a cost of £560 each and the next confirmation is due in March.

However, this year’s Derby, won by Desert Crown, did not feature a yearling entry stage in 2020 due to uncertainties created by the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, 91 three-year-olds were entered for the Classic in February with a final field of 17 lining up.

Andrew Cooper, head of racing and clerk of the course at Epsom, said: “The yearling entry system is something we have always considered annually before confirming, as we are constantly striving to ensure all aspects of the Derby are optimised for changing behaviours and trends within the sport and the wider world.

“The pandemic gave us an opportunity to test whether a three-year-old system would work, and having consulted participants prior to, during and since it took place earlier this year, our view is that the increased flexibility that removing the yearling stage brings is more reflective of how trainers and owners now tend to operate.”

Next year’s Derby will be run for a prize fund of £1.5 million and impressive Vertem Futurity Trophy winner Auguste Rodin heads the betting at 3-1.

Those not engaged in the Derby at the yearling stage are able to be entered at a second entry stage in April at a cost of £9,000, or can be supplemented at the six-day confirmation point for £85,000.

Details, including the prize fund, for the 2024 Derby “will be available via the usual process and publications next year”, according to Epsom’s owner, the Jockey Club, who are seeking a sponsor for the Classic after Cazoo ended its backing just 16 months after its sponsorship.

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