The 2025 Epsom Derby was the 246th annual running of the Derby horse race and took place at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 7 June 2025. The race was won by the third favourite, Lambourn, an Irish-bred bay colt, owned by Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor, trained at Ballydoyle in Ireland by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Wayne Lordan. The colt's win was the first for his jockey and a record-extending eleventh win for O'Brien.

The contenders Nineteen three-year-old colts were declared for the Derby but the 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court was withdrawn on the morning of the race as his connections felt that he would be unsuited by the ground conditions. The favourite for the race was Delacroix, trained in Ireland by Aidan O'Brien, a colt who had looked impressive in winning both his races of 2025. O'Brien also saddled Lambourn, the winner of the Chester Vase and The Lion In Winter who had been favourite for the race over the winter but run poorly on his previous start. The fourth Irish entry, trained by O'Brien's son Joseph, was Tennessee Stud, the winner of the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud. The two French challenegers were the Prix Greffulhe winner Midak, representing the stable of the late Aga Khan IV and the Juddmonte-owned outsider New Ground.

The two best-fancied of the English runners came from the Hampshire stable of Ralph Beckett: Pride of Arras had won the Dante Stakes while Stanhope Gardens had run second to Delacroix in the Autumn Stakes. The only others to start at odds of less than 50/1 were Tornado Alert (fourth in the 2000 Guineas), Nightwalker (third in the Autumn Stakes) and Tuscan Hills (Silver Tankard Stakes).

Race card NoHorseWeight (st–lb)JockeyTrainerOwner 1 Al Wasl Storm (IRE) 9–0 David Probert Owen Burrows Green Team Racing 2 Damysus 9–0 James Doyle John & Thady Gosden Wathnan Racing 3 Delacroix (IRE) 9–0 Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien (IRE) Tabor / Smith / Magnier 4 Green Storm (IRE) 9–0 Billy Loughnane Charlie Johnston Ahmad Al Shaikh 5 Lambourn (IRE) 9–0 Wayne Lordan Aidan O'Brien (IRE) Tabor / Smith / Magnier 6 Lazy Griff (GER) 9–0 Christophe Soumillon Charlie Johnston Middleham Park Racing & G Griffiths 7 Midak (FRA) 9–0 Mickael Barzalona Francis-Henri Graffard (FRA) Aga Khan Studs 8 New Ground 9–0 Alexis Pouchin Henri Francois Devin (FRA) Juddmonte 9 Nightime Dancer (IRE) 9–0 Jamie Spencer Richard Hannon Jr. Stall Perlen 10 Nightwalker 9–0 Tom Marquand John & Thady Gosden Juddmonte 11 Pride of Arras (IRE) 9–0 Rossa Ryan Ralph Beckett Mrs David Aykroyd 12 Rogue Impact 9–0 Luke Morris James Owen The Rogues Gallery 13 Ruling Court 9–0 William Buick Charlie Appleby Godolphin 14 Sea Scout (IRE) 9–0 Harry Davies Simon & Ed Crisford Abdulla Al Mansoori 15 Stanhope Gardens (IRE) 9–0 Hector Crouch Ralph Beckett Marcstown Ltd And New Chelsea 16 Tennessee Stud (IRE) 9–0 Dylan Browne McMonagle Joseph Patrick O'Brien (IRE) Westerberg / Tabor / Smith / Magnier 17 The Lion In Winter (IRE) 9–0 Colin Keane Aidan O'Brien (IRE) Tabor / Smith / Magnier 18 Tornado Alert (IRE) 9–0 Oisin Murphy Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 19 Tuscan Hills (FRA) 9–0 David Egan Raphael Freire Amo Racing Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.

The race The Derby was run on a cloudy, wet day on ground officially described as good in front of an unusually small paying crowd of 22,312. Lambourn took the lead soon after the start and set the pace from Sea Scout with Lazy Griff and Midak settled just behind the leaders. The leading positions remained unchanged until the turn into the straight when Sea Scout and Midak began to struggle, allowing Lambourn to open up a clear lead with Lazy Griff moving into second place. Lambourn never looked in any danger and stayed on strongly to win by three and three quarter lengths from Lazy Griff. Stanhope Gardens moved into third place inside the final quarter mile but was overtaken by Tennessee Stud and New Ground in the final strides. The favourite Delacroix was never in contention and finished ninth.https://www.racingpost.com/results/17/epsom/2025-06-07/887145 In describing the race the Racing Post's David Jennings commented "Can you remember a less dramatic Derby? Literally nothing happened. Anywhere. At any stage. Lambourn broke well, made all, unchallenged."

Full result Dist * Horse Jockey Trainer SP1 Lambourn Wayne Lordan Aidan O'Brien (IRE) 13/22 3¾ Lazy Griff Christophe Soumillon Charlie Johnston 50/13 1 Tennessee Stud Dylan Browne McMonagle Joseph Patrick O'Brien (IRE) 28/14 nk New Ground Alexis Pouchin Henri-Francois Devin (FRA) 50/15 nk Stanhope Gardens Hector Crouch Ralph Beckett 12/16 3 Tornado Alert Oisin Murphy Saeed bin Suroor 40/17 1¼ Green Storm Billy Loughnane Charlie Johnston 50/18 ½ Nightime Dancer Jamie Spencer Richard Hannon, Jr. 100/19 6 Delacroix Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien (IRE) 2/1F10 nk Midak Mickael Barzalona Francis-Henri Graffard (FRA) 9/111 ¾ Sea Scout Harry Davies Simon & Ed Crisford 125/112 6 Nightwalker Tom Marquand John & Thady Gosden 40/113 2 Rogue Impact Luke Morris James Owen 200/114 2½ The Lion In Winter Colin Keane Aidan O'Brien (IRE) 7/115 13 Al Wasl Storm David Probert Owen Burrows 50/116 2¼ Tuscan Hills David Egan Raphael Freire 40/117 7½ Pride of Arras Rossa Ryan Ralph Beckett 4/118 1¾ Damysus James Doyle John & Thady Gosden 16/1

* The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter; hd = head.† Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.

Winner details Further details of the winner: Foaled: 24 April 2022 Sire: Australia Owner: Tabor / Smith / Magnier Breeder: Coolmore Stud

Form analysis Two-year-old races Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 2024 Delacroix – 1st in Autumn Stakes, 2nd in Futurity Trophy, 2nd in Juvenile Stakes. Green Storm – 2nd in Zetland Stakes, 2nd in Critérium de Saint-Cloud. Lambourn – 1st in Criterium de l'Ouest. Lazy Griff – 1st in Prix de Conde. Nightwalker – 3rd in Autumn Stakes. Stanhope Gardens – 2nd in Autumn Stakes. Tennnessee Stud – 1st in Critérium de Saint-Cloud, 2nd in Beresford Stakes. The Lion In Winter – 1st in Acomb Stakes. Tuscan Hills – 1st in Silver Tankard Stakes.

Road to Epsom Early-season appearances in 2025 and trial races prior to running in the Derby: Damysus – 2nd in Sandown Classic Trial, 3rd in Dante Stakes. Delacroix – 1st in Ballysax Stakes, 1st in Leopardstown Derby Trial. Lambourn – 1st in Chester Vase. Lazy Griff – 2nd in Chester Vase. Midak – 1st in Prix Greffulhe. New Ground – 3rd in Prix La Force, 3rd in Prix de Suresnes. Nightime Dancer – 3rd in Lingfield Derby Trial. Nightwalker – 3rd in Feilden Stakes. Pride of Arras – 1st in Dante Stakes. Sea Scout – 1st in Blue Riband Trial Stakes. Tennnessee Stud – 3rd in Leopardstown Derby Trial. Tornado Alert – 4th in 2,000 Guineas.

Subsequent Group 1 wins Delacroix - Eclipse Stakes (2025), Irish Champion Stakes (2025) Lambourn – Irish Derby (2025) Tornado Alert – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (2025)

References