1987 Epsom Derby
The 1987 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Wednesday 3 June 1987. It was the 208th running of the Derby, and it was won by the pre-race favourite Reference Point. The winner was ridden by Steve Cauthen and trained by Henry Cecil.[1][2]
| Derby | |
| Location | Epsom Downs Racecourse | 
|---|---|
| Date | 3 June 1987 | 
| Winning horse | Reference Point | 
| Starting price | 6/4f | 
| Jockey | Steve Cauthen | 
| Trainer | Henry Cecil | 
| Owner | Louis Freedman | 
| 1-2-3 | ||
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| Reference Point | Most Welcome | Bellotto | 
| Also Ran | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4-5-6 | ||
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| Sir Harry Lewis | Entitled | Mountain Kingdom | 
| 7-8-9 | ||
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| Groom Dancer | Sadjiyd | Ajdal | 
| 10-11-12 | ||
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| Persifleur | Legal Bid | Water Boatman | 
| 13-14-15 | ||
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| Romantic Prince | Love The Groom | Ibn Bey | 
| 16-17-18 | ||
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| Gulf King | Ascot Knight | Angara Abyss | 
| 19 | ||
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| Alwasmi | 19 Ran | 2m 33.90s | 
Race details
    
- Sponsor: Ever Ready
 - Winner's prize money: £282,025
 - Going: Good
 - Number of runners: 19
 - Winner's time: 2m 33.90s
 
Full result
    
| * | Horse | Jockey | Trainer † | SP | |
| 1 | Reference Point | Steve Cauthen | Henry Cecil | 6/4 fav | |
| 2 | 1½ | Most Welcome | Paul Eddery | Geoff Wragg | 33/1 | 
| 3 | shd | Bellotto | Pat Eddery | Jeremy Tree | 11/1 | 
| 4 | 2 | Sir Harry Lewis | John Reid | Barry Hills | 66/1 | 
| 5 | ½ | Entitled | Cash Asmussen | Vincent O'Brien (IRE) | 11/1 | 
| 6 | nk | Mountain Kingdom | Michael Roberts | Clive Brittain | 33/1 | 
| 7 | 1 | Groom Dancer | Dominique Boeuf | Tony Clout (FR) | 16/1 | 
| 8 | nk | Sadjiyd | Yves Saint-Martin | Alain de Royer-Dupré (FR) | 11/2 | 
| 9 | 1 | Ajdal | Ray Cochrane | Michael Stoute | 25/1 | 
| 10 | 1½ | Persifleur | Tony Cruz | Patrick Biancone (FR) | 33/1 | 
| 11 | ¾ | Ascot Knight | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | 25/1 | 
| 12 | 3 | Love the Groom | Willie Carson | John Dunlop | 33/1 | 
| 13 | 1 | Ibn Bey | Richard Quinn | Paul Cole | 40/1 | 
| 14 | 1 | Legal Bid | Tony Ives | Henry Cecil | 8/1 | 
| 15 | 4 | Gulf King | Paul Cook | Paul Kelleway | 100/1 | 
| 16 | 6 | Water Boatman | Brian Rouse | Barry Hills | 150/1 | 
| 17 | 2½ | Angara Abyss | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | 100/1 | 
| 18 | 5 | Alwasmi | Richard Hills | Harry Thomson Jones | 150/1 | 
| 19 | 8 | Romantic Prince | Willie Ryan | Chris Wall | 150/1 | 
* The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter. shd = short-head; nk = neck.
† Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.
Winner's details
    
Further details of the winner, Reference Point:
- Foaled: 26 February 1984, in Great Britain
 - Sire: Mill Reef; Dam: Home on the Range (Habitat)
 - Owner: Louis Freedman
 - Breeder: Louis Freedman
 - Rating in 1987 International Classifications: 135
 
Form analysis
    
    Two-year-old races
    
Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 1986.
- Reference Point – 1st Futurity Stakes
 - Most Welcome – 5th Middle Park Stakes
 - Bellotto – 1st Acomb Stakes
 - Groom Dancer – 1st Prix Herod, 8th Prix de la Salamandre, 1st Prix de Condé, 3rd Critérium de Saint-Cloud
 - Ajdal – 1st Dewhurst Stakes
 - Love the Groom – 3rd Futurity Stakes
 - Gulf King – 8th Chesham Stakes, 6th Prix de la Salamandre, 1st Beresford Stakes
 
The road to Epsom
    
Early-season appearances in 1987 and trial races prior to running in the Derby.
- Reference Point – 1st Dante Stakes
 - Most Welcome – 3rd Craven Stakes, 13th 2,000 Guineas (finished 3rd, placed last)
 - Bellotto – 3rd Greenham Stakes, 2nd 2,000 Guineas
 - Sir Harry Lewis – 1st Dee Stakes
 - Entitled – 2nd Irish 2,000 Guineas
 - Mountain Kingdom – 3rd Easter Stakes, 2nd Lingfield Derby Trial
 - Groom Dancer – 1st Prix Omnium II, 1st Prix de Guiche, 1st Prix Lupin
 - Sadjiyd – 1st Prix Noailles, 1st Prix Hocquart
 - Ajdal – 1st Craven Stakes, 4th 2,000 Guineas (finished 5th, placed 4th), Irish 2,000 Guineas (finished 3rd, disqualified)
 - Persifleur – 1st Prix Greffulhe, 3rd Dante Stakes
 - Ascot Knight – 2nd Dante Stakes
 - Love the Groom – 4th Craven Stakes
 - Ibn Bey – 5th Lingfield Derby Trial, 1st Predominate Stakes
 - Legal Bid – 1st Feilden Stakes, 1st Lingfield Derby Trial
 - Gulf King – 6th Craven Stakes, 1st Sandown Classic Trial, 5th Dante Stakes
 - Water Boatman – 3rd Feilden Stakes, 6th Lingfield Derby Trial, 2nd Gallinule Stakes
 - Alwasmi – 2nd Predominate Stakes
 - Romantic Prince – 4th Dante Stakes
 
Subsequent Group 1 wins
    
Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.
- Reference Point – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1987), St. Leger (1987)
 - Sir Harry Lewis – Irish Derby (1987)
 - Ajdal – July Cup (1987), William Hill Sprint Championship (1987)
 - Ibn Bey – Gran Premio d'Italia (1987), Preis von Europa (1989), Deutschland-Preis (1990), Irish St. Leger (1990)
 
Subsequent breeding careers
    
Leading progeny of participants in the 1987 Epsom Derby.[3][4][5][6][7]
Sires of Classic winners
    
Reference Point (1st)
- Ivyanna - 1st Oaks d'Italia (1992) - Dam of Snowflake (2nd Nassau Stakes 2001)
 - Hill of Snow - Dam of Preseli (1st Moyglare Stud Stakes 1999) and Snowfire (2nd 1000 Guineas Stakes 2002)
 - Sand Reef - 2nd Prix Jean de Chaudenay (1995)
 - Racing Blue - 3rd Deutsches St. Leger (1993)
 
Groom Dancer (7th)
- Groom Tesse - 1st Derby Italiano (2004)
 - Pursuit Of Love - 3rd 2000 Guineas Stakes (1992)
 - Le Balafre - 1st Prix Jean Prat (1993)
 - Lord Of Men - 1st Prix de la Salamandre (1995)
 
Ascot Knight (11th) - Exported to Canada
- Bahamian Knight - 1st Derby Italiano (1996)
 - Influent - 1st Man o' War Stakes (1997)
 - Plenty Of Sugar - 2nd Coaching Club American Oaks (1994)
 - Ladies' Day - Dam of He's No Pie Eater (1st Rosehill Guineas, 1st Chipping Norton Stakes 2007)
 
Sires of Group/Grade One winners
    
Most Welcome (2nd)
- Arctic Owl - 1st Irish St. Leger (2000)
 - Suances - 1st Prix Jean Prat (2000)
 - Star - Dam of Pastoral Pursuits and Goodricke
 - Kissair - 1st Triumph Hurdle (1995)
 
Bellotto (3rd) - Exported to Australia
- Bullwinkle - 1st South Australian Derby (1994)
 - My Brightia - 1st Crown Oaks (1996)
 - Littorio - 1st The BMW (2010)
 - Clang - Dam of Calaway Gal (1st Golden Slipper Stakes 2002), Clangalang (1st Australian Derby 2003) and Black Piranha (1st Stradbroke Handicap 2009,2010)
 
Ajdal (9th)
- Cezanne - 1st Irish Champion Stakes (1994)
 - Garah - 3rd Temple Stakes 1993 - Dam of Olden Times (1st Prix Jean Prat 2001) and Festoso (3rd Cheveley Park Stakes 2007)
 - Avila - Dam of Dilshaan and Darrfonah (2nd Prix Marcel Boussac 2006)
 - Homage - Dam of Mark Of Esteem
 
Sires of National Hunt horses
    
Sir Harry Lewis (3rd)
- Mighty Man - 1st Long Walk Hurdle (2006)
 - Diamond Harry - 1st Hennessy Gold Cup (2010)
 - Harry Topper - 1st Denman Chase (2014)
 - Unowhatimeanharry - 1st Champion Stayers Hurdle (2017, 2019)
 
Other Stallions
    
Love The Groom (12th) - Exported to Italy - Maktub (thrice placed in Italian Group One contests)
Ibn Bey (13th) - Exported to Japan - Damsire of Big Grass (3rd February Stakes 2007)
Entitled (5th) - Minor flat and jumps winners - Damsire of River Charm
Persifleur (10th) - Minor jumps winners in France
Sadjiyd (8th) - Exported to Saudi Arabia
Legal Bid (14th) - Exported to Canada - Exported to Germany
Alwasmi (18th) - Exported to Canada - Exported to Germany - Exported to Italy
References
    
- Derby Days. Tempus. 2004. p. 117. ISBN 0-7524-3202-8.
 - Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1988. Aesculus Press. 1988. p. 59. ISBN 0-9509338-8-0.
 - "Stammtafeln". Galopp Sieger. Galopp Sieger. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
 - "Profiles Search". Racing Post. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
 - "Progeny Reports". Pedigree Query. Pedigree Query. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
 - "Fiche Etalon - Persifleur". france-galop.com. France Galop. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
 - "Ascot Knight Dead". bloodhorse.com. Bloodhorse. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
 
External links
    
- Colour Chart – Derby 1987
 



















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