Epsom Derby set for mega crowd as fans flock to The Hill
The attendance at this weekend’s Epsom Derby will be nearly double last year’s haul as brighter weather and entertainment evolution draws back crowds.
Attendances at the staple flat race have not been above 30,000 since 2022 and haven’t topped 40,000 since 2017 but the Jockey Club is expecting to surpass that number this weekend as Benvenuto Cellini looks to hold off Item and Pierre Bonnard across the one mile, four furlong race.
Nearly 25,000 people have also signed up for the DerbyFest, an attempt at commercialising the event with music and entertainment under the stewardship of Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.
Warren said: “DerbyFest is much ahead of schedule for Saturday – it’s going to be a fantastic day for everybody.
“We’re really, really pleased with the way it’s working. In some ways it’s new ground for us, but we are promoters, that’s what we do for a living. We’re used to delivering massive and world-class events that are shown and broadcast around the world, so getting back involved in horse racing is just fabulous for us.”
Derby delight
It is part of a £6m investment into the Epsom Derby, which includes an expanded prize pool for the main race – which now stands at £2m.
There have been scheduling changes too, with the Coolmore Coronation Cup, the Betfred Dash and the Betfred Derby now taking place back-to-back-to-back across 90 minutes on Saturday.
Last year’s Derby, sponsored by Betfred, was hit with a yellow weather warning, impacting attendances.
Jim Allen, Epsom Downs general manager, added: “I’m thrilled for the team here at Epsom to see such strong ticket sales. Betfred Derby Day took place during a yellow weather warning last year so it was understandable that people didn’t join us on The Hill, but with the numbers of sign-ups we’ve seen this year I’m confident that won’t be the case this year.
“The racing itself looks like being hugely competitive once again and we’re excited for the 247th Derby on Saturday.”