07:15 It has been dry overnight and a hot, sunny day is forecast.

The official going is Good, Good to Firm in places and the action gets underway this afternoon at 13:40.

There are currently no non-runners.

Our suggestions are:-

10:29 Good morning from a gloriously sunny Epsom Downs and day one of the Investec Derby Festival.

Whilst the main focus is on tomorrows Investec Derby it must not be forgotten we have two big races this afternoon with the Investec Oaks and Investec Coronation Cut, the latter looking to be a very decent race, I am looking forward to it more than The Derby myself.

The going remains Good, Good to Firm in Places.

We currently have one non-runner, with Clowance out of the Coronation Cup due to the going.

I had something of a shock when I arrived as they announced racing was suspended and all the stands must be evacuated immediately – I worried for nothing as it turns out it was a practice.

10:37 Very quiet at the moment - very much the lull before the storm.

10:49 The winners enclosure, room for just the winner - who will be the new stars today and tomorrow? Also, new for this year, there are some temporary steepings to aid viewing of the parade ring.

11:14 It is still 2½ hours until the first race and the crowds are already arriving. The first open top busses have parked up  and the first wisps of barbecue smoke are rising on the hill.

11:41 This is not a job for a hot day!!!

12:10 More scenes from Ladies Day .... just before I go off and do some real work.

12:59 Interestingly Kieren Fallon has just said if he could have chosen any horse to ride in tomorrows big race then he would have opted for Midas Touch.

13:08 I have just walked the final couple of furlongs and the course is in perfect condition. A good covering of grass will take some of the sting out of the ground.

13:14 Our opening contest is the extended mile Investec Diomed Stakes, in which nine face the starter.

13:29 Classic Colori is a big negative in the parade ring for the opener. He is really on his toes and getting worked up.

Alexandros is the clear pick, looking nice and relaxed.

Bushman is slightly on his toes.

13:35 Classic Colori also very unimpressive going down to the start – Richard Kingscote having to take his feet out of the irons.

The Cheka looks warm going down.

Mabait and Ordnance Row were both keen to post.

Alexandros went down beautifully.

13:39 Classic Colori is being kept apart from his rivals at the start.

13:55 Something of a shock result in our opening race which was deceptive as the pace looked slow but the clock suggested it was run at a decent pace.

That pace was set by Ordnance Row, with Harrison George and Bushman in close attendance.

Alexandros settled in just behind the leading bunch, with the favourite Penitent settled mid-division..

As they broached Tattenham Corner Ordnance Row still had the advantage and a clear one as well.

Bushman made sure he did not get too big a lead. Alexandros just looked to be a bit tapped for toe as they lined up.

Ordnance Row still had the advantage a furlong out but William Buick then sent Bushman into the lead.

After seemingly not liking the camber Frankie Dettori was finally able to get Alexandros going and he was soon upsides Bushman.

It turned into a tight battle and the line came just in time for Bushman who held on to win by a diminishing head.

Mabait was running on well and took third spot.

14:08 Another mile contest for race two, the Investec Mile, our first handicap of the day, and 14 line up.

Deadly Secret was very keen to post.

Sunnyside Tom is being a real so and so going to start.

14:25 Last year’s winner Tartan Gigha opened the betting as favourite but was usurped for that spot by Set The Trend, who went off the very clear favourite.    

The market turned out to be a good guide as after a mile, run at a decent pace, the pair were locked together as they passed the line.

There was a seemingly eternal delay as judge Nick Bostock deliberated and eventually pronounced that Tartan Gigha had prevailed by a short head, giving him victory for the second year running.

Set The Trend lost nothing in defeat.

Vainglory came home third.

The pace was set by the fired up Sunnyside Tom, with Osteopathic Remedy and Audemar in second rank.

The eventual first and second were settled around mid-division before Set The Trend made progress and set off for home inside the final two furlongs.

He looked to have snatched victory but Kieren Fallon came with a late charge on Tartan Gigha to hit the front just where it mattered.

14:37 The first of our feature races next, the Investec Coronation Cup over the Derby course of 1½ miles.

14:42 Sariska looked good going down to the start.

14:47 Vainglory is heading for Royal Ascot.

15:07 On paper this looked to be a classic Coronation Cup and the purists were not to be disappointed.

Things did not seem to go according to plan at the beginning of the race as the pacemaker Dixie Music  initially seemed reluctant to do his job but after a furlong he was in front.

Jukebox Jury, South Easter and Fame And Glory tracked with Sariska a little further behind.

By the top of the hill it was all too much for South Easter and he was in reverse.

Approaching Tattenham Corner Dixie Music still had the advantage but both Fame And Glory and Sariska were poised to pounce. Also in the leading group were Jukebox Jury, Cavalryman and Yomzain.

In the home straight Johnny Murtagh took Fame And Fortune to the front but Jamie Spencer on Sariska, about whom there were ground doubts, stuck on his quarters.

Approaching two out Youmzain looked poised to join the front two but was unable to close.

Fame And Glory and Sariska led the charge down the home straight and although the filly battled Fame And Glory always seemed to have her measure and came home the 1½ length winner.

Sariska was second but third spot went to the running on High Heeled, who relegated Youmzain out of the places into fourth.  

15:14 Back to handicaps next and the Investec Challenge over 12f, in which 12 like up.

15:19 Ramona Chase was very keen to post, Leceile was pulling hard going to post and Victoria Sponge was having to be restrained by Royston Ffrench.

15:43 Kieren Fallon may have been away from Epsom on an enforced absence but he is making sure everyone knows he is back as he rides Fiery Lad to victory with a perfectly timed run in the Investec Challenge.

Swift Chap set the pace, something of a surprise as Australia Day is one who normally likes to lead and who had to settle running behind the leader.

Also to the fore were Leceile, Kings Destiny and Thin Red Line.

However this was destined to be a race where it was all going to change in the closing stages and half way down the home straight any one of half a dozen could have won the contest.

However it was Fallon who charged down the centre of the course to hit the front in the final few yards, coming home three-parts of a length ahead of Ramona Chase, for whom the field parted like the Red Sea to allow him to hit the front.

It was very close for third with Thin Red Line just getting the better of Red Jade.

16:26 Snow Fairy was supplemented for  The Oaks after an impressive run at Goodwood last month and it turned out to be an inspired decision as the filly gave trainer Ed Dunlop his second Oaks win and jockey Ryan Moore his first Classic success.

Akdarena set out in front, bidding to become the first runner to win the Oaks wearing headgear.

Marie De Medici and Gertrude Bell settled behind the leader, with Champangelifestyle and favourite Aviate in next rank.

There was little change in the order up front until the field swung for home, at which point both remember when and Meeznah came with challenges.

Meeznah hit the front and it looked as though there may be a 25/1 shock, however Moore weaved his way through the field, to take up the running with an inspired ride, to record a neck victory.

Winning jockey Ryan Moore said, "It was a very rough race. We just decided to take her back and give her a chance. There was a lot of bumping around.

"The gaps opened up nicely and she quickened well.

"The pace slackened up in the middle part of the race and allowed us to stay the trip."

16:47 Jockeys Robbie Walsh, Seamie Heffernan, Johnny Murtagh, Royston Ffrench, Ryan Moore, William Buick and Jamie Spencer have all been fined for being late into the parade ring for the Coronation Cup.
Spencer was fined £560 as this was his third offence in 12 months, Buick was fined £280 for a second offence and the remainder were fines £140.

17:01 We have seen a few late running wins here this afternoon but in the seven furlong Investec Surrey Stakes Frankie Dettori made all to win, quite impressively, on Shakesperian.

Coming out of Tattenham Corner it looked as though as though he fellow co-favourite Kaptain Kirkup would give him a run for his money, but the challenge came to nothing.

As Dettori blazed ahead it was Mon Cadeaux and Yaa Wayl who set off in pursuit, albeit never looking to be a serious threat.

Yaa Wayl managed to win the battle for second.

17:15 Another six furlong contest to end day one, the Investec Opportunity Handicap, with ten lining up.

Treadwell is unhappy in the parade ring, very much on his toes with the occasional fly-kick.

17:16 The crowd estimate for this afternoon is 23,500, up on the estimated 17,800 last year.

17:18 Once this final race is over I shall start making sense of the quotes from this afternoon.

17:41 Another cracking finish for our final race on opening day of the Investec Derby meeting.

Favourite Al Farahdi set the early pace under Frankie Dettori but dropped out like a stone in the home straight, eventually coming home a tailed off last and looking as though he was not liking the very hot conditions.

Kajima was well placed two out but then Treadwell, who had been with the early pace before seemingly taking a breather, ran on again hitting the front inside the final half furlong.

However, Cansili Star was rattling home like an express train under Philip Robinson and he grabbed a neck victory on the line.

Kajima took third spot.

17:52 For those of you who think we have a soft, easy life working in the press room following racing, can I just say it isn’t all luxury.

The media centre here at Epsom is a large glass fronted marquee, facing the sun. It is the facing the sun bit which is key as it works like a greenhouse.

Add to that a couple of hundred laptops and bodies, all generating heat, it gets very warm in here.

Now we have state of the art wi-fi but what we do not have is air-conditioning, just two ceiling fans which simply recirculates the hot air – so you may well get some idea where I am coming from here.

It is very hot and stuffy  in here and, I almost forgot, we also have a plague of flying beetles to contend with as well.

17:59 Let’s catch up on some of the quotes from this afternoon.

Winning trainer of Bushman, winner of our opener, David Simcock said, "I am delighted with him. He has seemed to improve this year and we've been a little braver regarding the ground.

"He was unraced at two and three and had a few issues so we have had to be careful. He is lightly-raced and his issues have been ironed out so we're far more confident with him.

"Being patient has paid off but we're taking it one race at a time and I really couldn't tell you where he'd go - there's no real race for him at Ascot."

Deirdre Johnston, representing husband Mark commented on Tartan Gigha’s win, the first leg of a Kieren Fallon double, "You could see him coming there with every stride and we were just willing him to get there.

"I am sure Kieren would tell you that he timed it to perfection!

"He has had a great season already and we will just wait and see how he is reassessed by the handicapper."

The second leg of Fallon’s double came on the Luca Cumani trained  Fiery Lad.

The winning trainers wife, Sara, said, "He never really came to himself physically while he was in Dubai.

"He never pleased Luca in his condition and we don't know why.

"We had been told that he's a horse who doesn't show a lot at home and that has proven to be the case.

"He's looked fantastic though and has been training OK and we knew the track and fast pace would suit him today.

"He couldn't be bothered to lay up early but has come through them well and I'm delighted for the owners as this is one of three horses we bought for them."

Godolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford was very pleased with Shakesperian’s Godolphing debut,
"That was a really good effort and he handled the track very well.

"We might now have a look at the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, but he's well entered up."

18:07 Well that is it from day one of the 2010 Investec Derby Festival where racegoers have been treated to a great afternoons racing.

The highlights came in the two feature contests.

The Coronation Cup where Fame And Glory, without Sea The Stars to beat him, showed how good a horse he is and it showed he was unlucky to have been around alongside a once in a generation superstar. Sariska did not let the girls down on Ladies day, running a great race against the boys and not being disgraced behind Fame And Glory.

Snow Fairy justified the decision to supplement her for the Oaks, as trainer Ed Dunlop succinctly put it “we paid £20,000 to win £208,000, not a bad investment.” Not a bad investment indeed.

Tomorrow is the big day and if the forecast is correct and we have another hot day we can expect somewhere approaching 100,000 for the Investec Derby.

Return to race archive:

Non-Runners

The time in brackets is the time the horse was officially declared a non-runner.

SC - Self Certificate
VC - Vet's Certificate

Non-runners

14:45
8 Clowance (going - 08:35)

Results

13:40 Diomede Stakes 1m 114yds

14:10 Handicap 1m 114yds

14:45 Coronation Cup 1m 4f 10yds

15:25 Handicap 1m 2f 18 yds

16:05 Investec Oaks 1m 4f 10yds

16:50 Surrey Stakes 7f

17:25 Opportunity Stakes 7f