Andrew Balding’s Kameko headed the betting for the 2020 edition of the big race having already claimed the season’s opening Classic of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. With Ed Walker’s English King next in the market, the British trainers looked to boast a pretty strong chance of keeping the prize on home soil.
The Irish raiders were however out in force, with Aidan O’Brien responsible for no fewer than six of the 16-runner field, with Hampton Court Stakes winner, Russian Emperor deemed the most likely to prevail.
Result
- 1st – Serpentine 25/1, Jockey: Emmet McNamara, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
- 2nd – Khalifa Sat 50/1, Jockey: Tom Marquand, Trainer: Andrew Balding
- 3rd – Amhran Na Bhfiann 66/1, Jockey: William Buick, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Prize Money Breakdown
- 1st – £283,550
- 2nd – £107,500
- 3rd – £53,800
- 4th – £26,800
- 5th – £13,450
- 6th – £6,750
Tote and Forecast Payouts
- Tote Win – £32.50
- Tote Places – 1st – £6.50, 2nd – £15, 3rd – £14.20
- Exacta – £1,643.90
- Computer Straight Forecast (CSF) – £896.62
- Trifecta – £55,977.83
- Tricast – £29,882.90
Recap
With no spectators in the stands, the 2020 Derby was held in a strangely eerie atmosphere. However, even had the track been full to the brim, you would likely still have been able to hear a pin drop when the winner crossed the line.
With so many entries in the race, many expected that at least one of the Aidan O’Brien runners would be used to force the pace. It was therefore no surprise to see outsider Serpentine quickly make his way to the front. However, what began as a slight lead soon became quite a big lead, and by the time they rounded Tattenham Corner, Serpentine was fully 12-lengths clear, as all 15 other jockeys waited for the mount of Emmet McNamara to come back to the pack.
It soon became apparent that Serpentine would be doing no such thing, as the son of Galileo hit the line 5½l clear of the field. Andrew Balding’s Khalifa Sat won the separate race for second, with the biggest-priced of the O’Brien runners, Amhran Na Bhfiann, hitting the line in third.
This was clearly a surprise result, to say the least, offering a huge Trifect payout. However, it was also a significant one for Aidan O’Brien who moved on to eight Derby wins. This put him out in front as the outright most successful trainer in the history of the race.
Runners
- 1. Amhran Na Bhfiann – SP: 66/1, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: William Buick
- 2. Emissary – SP: 40/1, Trainer: Hugo Palmer, Jockey: Jim Crowley
- 3. English King – SP: 100/30, Trainer: Ed Walker, Jockey: Frankie Dettori
- 4. Gold Maze – SP: 150/1, Trainer: Jessica Harrington, Jockey: David Egan
- 5. Highland Chief – SP: 20/1, Trainer: Paul & Oliver Cole, Jockey: Ben Curtis
- 6. Kameko – SP: 150/1, Trainer: Andrew Balding, Jockey: Oisin Murphy
- 7. Khalifa Sat – SP: 50/1, Trainer: Andrew Balding, Jockey: Tom Marquand
- 8. Max Vega – SP: 33/1, Trainer: Ralph Beckett, Jockey: Harry Bentley
- 9. Mogul – SP: 7/1, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Ryan Moore
- 10. Mohican Heights – SP: 25/1, Trainer: David Simcock, Jockey: Declan McDonough
- 11. Mythical – SP: 14/1, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: James Doyle
- 12. Pyledriver – SP: 16/1, Trainer: William Muir, Jockey: Martin Dwyer
- 13. Russian Emperor – SP: 6/1, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Seamie Heffernan
- 14. Serpentine – SP: 25/1, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Emmet McNamara
- 15. Vatican City – SP: 17/2, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Paddy Beggy
- 16. Worthily – SP: 40/1, Trainer: John Gosden, Jockey: Martin Harley
Non Runners
All Ran