Derby Italiano
Group 2 race
LocationCapannelle Racecourse
Rome, Italy
Inaugurated1884
Race typeFlat / Thoroughbred
WebsiteCapannelle
Race information
Distance2,200 metres (1m 3f)
SurfaceTurf
TrackRight-handed
QualificationThree-year-olds
excluding geldings
Weight58 kg
Allowances
1½ kg for fillies
Purse€523,800 (2022)
1st: €291,000

The Derby Italiano is a Group 2 flat horse race in Italy open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Capannelle over a distance of 2,200 metres (about 1 mile and 3 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.

It is Italy's equivalent of The Derby, a famous race in England.

History

The event was established in 1884, and it was originally run in the district of Capannelle over 2,400 metres. It was initially called the Derby Reale, and most of the prize money for the inaugural running was donated by King Umberto I.[1]

The race was transferred to its current venue in 1926. It was known as the Gran Premio del Re in the 1930s, and for a brief period it was titled the Gran Premio del Re Imperatore. It was renamed the Derby Italiano in 1946.[2]

The present system of race grading was introduced in the early 1970s, and the Derby Italiano was initially classed at Group 1 level. It was opened to horses born and bred outside Italy in 1981.

The Derby Italiano was cut to 2,200 metres in 2008, and it was downgraded to Group 2 status in 2009. With a current prize fund of €814,000, it is the most valuable horse race in Italy.[3]

Records

Leading jockey (8 wins):

Leading trainer (21 wins):

Leading owner (20 wins): (includes part ownership)

  • The only winner trained but not owned by Federico Tesio was Torbido, owned by his wife Lydia.
  • The twenty winners he owned include eleven owned outright, four owned by Tesio-Incisa and five by Razza Dormello-Olgiata.
  • Razza Dormello-Olgiata, founded by Tesio, owned seven more winners after his death in 1954.
  • Tesio bred twenty-two winners of the race – all of those he trained plus Braque, the winner in 1957.

Winners since 1980

Year
 Winner
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
 Time
1980 Garrido Marcel Depalmas François Boutin Razza Dormello-Olgiata 2:30.0
1981 Glint of Gold John Matthias Ian Balding Paul Mellon 2:30.9
1982 Old Country Pat Eddery Luca Cumani Mrs O. Abegg 2:35.8
1983 My Top Peo Perlanti Alduino Botti Scuderia Siba 2:28.6
1984 Welnor Lester Piggott Gaetano Benetti Scuderia Concarena 2:33.9
1985 Don Orazio Michel Jerome F. Jovine Lady M Stable 2:27.9
1986 Tommy Way Willie Carson John Dunlop Scuderia Erasec 2:27.9
1987 Zaizoom Richard Quinn Paul Cole Prince Fahd bin Salman 2:29.1
1988 Tisserand Vincenzo Mezzatesta Mario Vincis Agricola All. La Madia 2:30.6
1989 Prorutori Michael Roberts Michael Jarvis Antonio Balzarini 2:27.5
1990 Houmayoun Santiago Soto Alain de Royer-Dupré Lady M Stable 2:27.0
1991 Hailsham Steve Cauthen Clive Brittain Sheikh Mohammed 2:28.1
1992 In a Tiff Michael Kinane Dermot Weld Michael Smurfit 2:27.5
1993 White Muzzle John Reid Peter Chapple-Hyam Luciano Gaucci 2:24.5
1994 Time Star Richard Quinn Paul Cole Prince Fahd bin Salman 2:28.1
1995 Luso Michael Kinane Clive Brittain Saeed Manana 2:25.7
1996 Bahamian Knight Richard Hughes David Loder Lucayan Stud 2:26.6
1997 Single Empire David Harrison Peter Chapple-Hyam Tony Collins 2:26.2
1998 Central Park Daragh O'Donohoe Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:26.3
1999 Mukhalif Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:25.7
2000 Kallisto Andreas Boschert Hans Blume Gestüt Röttgen 2:27.1
2001 Morshdi Philip Robinson Michael Jarvis Ahmed Al Maktoum 2:26.6
2002 Rakti Mirco Demuro Bruno Grizzetti Scuderia Il Poggio 2:27.9
2003 Osorio Mario Esposito Urs Suter Newsells Park Stud 2:27.2
2004 Groom Tesse Dario Vargiu Luigi Camici Scuderia L3C 2:27.6
2005 De Sica Marco Monteriso Emilio Borromeo Emilio Borromeo 2:28.6
2006 Gentlewave Marco Monteriso André Fabre Gary A. Tanaka 2:27.4
2007 Awelmarduk Edmondo Botti A. Botti / G. Botti Scuderia Effevi 2:28.9
2008 Cima de Triomphe Silvano Mulas Bruno Grizzetti Scuderia Cocktail 2:14.6
2009 Mastery Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:16.5
2010 Worthadd Mirco Demuro Vittorio Caruso Scuderia Incolinx 2:22.1
2011 Crackerjack King Fabio Branca Stefano Botti Scuderia Effevi 2:15.8
2012 Feuerblitz Robert Havlin Michael Figge Stall Eivissa 2:19.0
2013 Biz the Nurse Andrea Atzeni Stefano Botti Scuderia Aleali 2:17.04
2014 Dylan Mouth Fabio Branca Stefano Botti Scuderia Effevi 2:17.63
2015 Goldstream Cristian Demuro Stefano Botti Scuderia Effevi 2:16.20
2016 Saent[a] Dario Vargiu Il Cavallo In Testa Incolinx 2:14.90
2017 Mac Mahon Cristian Demuro Stefano Botti Takaya Shimakawa 2:16.50
2018 Summer Festival[b] Cristian Demuro Alduino Botti Dioscuri SRL 2:17.10
2019 Keep On Fly[c] Cristian Demuro Alduino Botti Dioscuri SRL 2:22.50
2020 Tuscan Gaze Carlo Fiocchi Luciano Bietolini Mag Horse Racing Srl 2:18.64
2021 Tokyo Gold Cristian Demuro Satoshi Kobayashi Teruya Yoshida 2:14.90
2022 Ardakan Clement Lecoeuvre Markus Klug Darius Racing 2:17.40
2023 Goldena Dario Di Tocco Endo Bott Fabrizio Cameli 2:20.40

a The 2016 winner Saent was later exported to Hong Kong and renamed Super Chic.
b The 2018 winner Summer Festival was later exported to Hong Kong and renamed Party Together.
c The 2019 winner Keep On Fly was later exported to Hong Kong and renamed Generous Charity.

Earlier winners

The 1916, 1917 and 1925 runnings took place at Parioli, and the 1918, 1944 and 1945 editions were held at Milan.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Big Race Focus: The Derby Italiano". Godolphin. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
  2. ^ "Il Derby" (in Italian). Ippodromo Capannelle. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
  3. ^ Crispe, James (5 February 2009). "Italian Derby Downgraded". racingandsports.com.au. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
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