Epsom Downs

Epsom Downs is home to the Derby - the most famous Flat race in the world, and the middle leg of the historic Triple Crown - run every June on a course unlike anywhere else in the sport.

The track

Epsom is unique: a left-handed, horseshoe-shaped course with a steep climb in the first half mile, a sharp turn at Tattenham Corner, and then a significant downhill run to the finish. Balance and the ability to handle sharp cambers matter as much as raw speed - it's a course that catches out horses who can't settle or handle the undulations, which is part of why Derby form can be genuinely hard to predict.

Derby Festival

Held over two days in June, the Derby Festival pairs the Derby itself (for three-year-old colts and fillies) with the Oaks (the fillies' equivalent) the day before - both run over the same demanding mile-and-a -half.

Betting angle

Epsom's undulations and camber genuinely eliminate some horses that look superior on pure form elsewhere - a horse needs balance and a racing-savvy jockey as much as pure class. Course experience (or a similarly shaped track elsewhere) is a real form angle here that doesn't apply at flatter, more conventional courses.