Ruby Walsh: Has there ever been a more low-key build-up to the Derby?

Being drawn in stall one makes the challenge facing City Of Troy all the harder

WHIP HAND: Chris Hayes savours the moment after partnering the Dermot Weld-trained Ezeliya to victory in the Betfred Oaks at Epsom yesterday. Picture: Steven Paston/PA

Sat, 01 Jun, 2024 - 08:03

Ruby Walsh is one of the most successful jump jockeys in racing history and is now a high‑profile analyst and broadcaster.

I can clearly remember coming home from primary school on the first Wednesday in June just in time to see the Derby. The sitting room in our house would be filled with whoever was working for my grandfather, each person getting 20 minutes off work to watch one of horse racing’s greatest races.

That was the magic of a Derby run midweek, with little or no competition for newspaper inches or airtime. It was the only show in town on a Wednesday, but racing finances fuelled by betting turnover, which drives media rights payments, opened the door for a change to be made. Saturday is the key betting day of the week, but for a showpiece event like this, going to the weekend has backfired.