Robin Oakley

The turf: The real scandal of Emily Davison’s Derby

issue 08 June 2013

After Ruler Of The World had won the 234th Derby, the owners, the Coolmore team, were asked if it hadn’t been something of a hostage to fortune giving the horse such a name. Drily John Magnier replied, ‘Not really. There have been plenty of bad American presidents.’ Given the struggle between the two top racing empires of Coolmore and Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin, it did however look like a case of ‘anything you can do…’ Back in 1998 Sheikh Mohammed was so impressed with the two-year-old Yaazer that he renamed the horse Dubai Millennium and in 2000 Dubai Millennium duly won the World Cup for Godolphin. Now Ruler Of The World has won the race everybody wants to win.

Coolmore currently does rule the racing world and not just because of the steroids scandal that has temporarily clouded Godolphin’s reputation. Standing on the winner’s rostrum at Epsom in their dark morning suits, John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith looked like three wise old crows who have collected not just the early worm but a whole lawn-full too.

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