Sport
THURSDAY 17 – SUNDAY 20 US Open , Torrey Pines , California
THURSDAY 24 – SUNDAY 27 BMW International Open , Munich , Germany
THURSDAY 3 – SATURDAY 6 Epsom Derby Festival , Epsom Downs Feature races ( flat ): The Oaks , The Derby
Although there are no details in the archives concerning the foundation of the Derby , history has passed on the tale that the 12th Earl of Derby and Sir Charles Bunbury ( the “ perpetual president ” of the Jockey Club , who was a guest at Lord Derby ’ s house , itself called The Oaks ) spun a coin as to whether the race should be called the Derby Stakes or the Bunbury Stakes .
The first running of the Derby Stakes on Thursday , 4 May 1780 , was open to three-year-old colts ( 8st 0lb ) and fillies ( 7st 11lb ), at 50 guineas each , run over a mile . There were nine runners , and although Lord Derby won the toss of the coin , it was Sir Charles Bunbury who owned the first winner – Diomed , the 6- 4 favourite . Note : The Derby distance was extended to a mile and a half from 1784 .
At the Epsom May Meeting in 1778 , Lord Derby , who often acted as a steward at the meeting , invited a party of friends to his house , including General John Burgoyne , Richard Sheridan the playwright and Charles Fox , the prominent Whig politician .
Burgoyne , impressed with Anthony St Leger ’ s previous one-off sweepstakes at Cantley Common ( forerunners of the St Leger ), suggested to Lord Derby , that since the four-day race programme consisted solely of heats of either two or
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