1987 Epsom Derby
# 1987 Epsom Derby

The 1987 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Wednesday 3 June 1987. It was the 208th running of the Derby, and it was won by the pre-race favourite Reference Point. The winner was ridden by Steve Cauthen and trained by Henry Cecil.

## Race details

* Sponsor: Ever Ready
* Winner's prize money: £282,025
* Going: Good
* Number of runners: 19
* Winner's time: 2m 33.90s

## Full result

| | * | Horse | Jockey | Trainer $^†$ | SP |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | | Reference Point | Steve Cauthen | Henry Cecil | 6/4 fav |
| 2 | 1½ | Most Welcome | Paul Eddery | Geoff Wragg | 33/1 |
| 3 | shd | Bellotto | Pat Eddery | Jeremy Tree | 11/1 |
| 4 | 2 | Sir Harry Lewis | John Reid | Barry Hills | 66/1 |
| 5 | ½ | Entitled | Cash Asmussen | Vincent O'Brien (IRE) | 11/1 |
| 6 | nk | Mountain Kingdom | Michael Roberts | Clive Brittain | 33/1 |
| 7 | 1 | Groom Dancer | Dominique Boeuf | Tony Clout (FR) | 16/1 |
| 8 | nk | Sadjiyd | Yves Saint-Martin | Alain de Royer-Dupré (FR) | 11/2 |
| 9 | 1 | Ajdal | Ray Cochrane | Michael Stoute | 25/1 |
| 10 | 1½ | Persifleur | Tony Cruz | Patrick Biancone (FR) | 33/1 |
| 11 | ¾ | Ascot Knight | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | 25/1 |
| 12 | 3 | Love the Groom | Willie Carson | John Dunlop | 33/1 |
| 13 | 1 | Ibn Bey | Richard Quinn | Paul Cole | 40/1 |
| 14 | 1 | Legal Bid | Tony Ives | Henry Cecil | 8/1 |
| 15 | 4 | Gulf King | Paul Cook | Paul Kelleway | 100/1 |
| 16 | 6 | Water Boatman | Brian Rouse | Barry Hills | 150/1 |
| 17 | 2½ | Angara Abyss | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | 100/1 |
| 18 | 5 | Alwasmi | Richard Hills | Harry Thomson Jones | 150/1 |
| 19 | 8 | Romantic Prince | Willie Ryan | Chris Wall | 150/1 |

* The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter. shd = short-head; nk = neck. † Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.

## Winner's details

Further details of the winner, Reference Point:

* Foaled: 26 February 1984, in Great Britain
* Sire: Mill Reef; Dam: Home on the Range (Habitat)
* Owner: Louis Freedman
* Breeder: Louis Freedman
* Rating in 1987 International Classifications: 135

## Form analysis

### Two-year-old races

Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 1986.

* Reference Point – 1st Futurity Stakes
* Most Welcome – 5th Middle Park Stakes
* Bellotto – 1st Acomb Stakes
* Groom Dancer – 1st Prix Herod, 8th Prix de la Salamandre, 1st Prix de Condé, 3rd Critérium de Saint-Cloud
* Ajdal – 1st Dewhurst Stakes
* Love the Groom – 3rd Futurity Stakes
* Gulf King – 8th Chesham Stakes, 6th Prix de la Salamandre, 1st Beresford Stakes

### The road to Epsom

Early-season appearances in 1987 and trial races prior to running in the Derby.

* Reference Point – 1st Dante Stakes
* Most Welcome – 3rd Craven Stakes, 13th 2,000 Guineas (finished 3rd, placed last)
* Bellotto – 3rd Greenham Stakes, 2nd 2,000 Guineas
* Sir Harry Lewis – 1st Dee Stakes
* Entitled – 2nd Irish 2,000 Guineas
* Mountain Kingdom – 3rd Easter Stakes, 2nd Lingfield Derby Trial
* Groom Dancer – 1st Prix Omnium II, 1st Prix de Guiche, 1st Prix Lupin
* Sadjiyd – 1st Prix Noailles, 1st Prix Hocquart
* Ajdal – 1st Craven Stakes, 4th 2,000 Guineas (finished 5th, placed 4th), Irish 2,000 Guineas (finished 3rd, disqualified)
* Persifleur – 1st Prix Greffulhe, 3rd Dante Stakes
* Ascot Knight – 2nd Dante Stakes
* Love the Groom – 4th Craven Stakes
* Ibn Bey – 5th Lingfield Derby Trial, 1st Predominate Stakes
* Legal Bid – 1st Feilden Stakes, 1st Lingfield Derby Trial
* Gulf King – 6th Craven Stakes, 1st Sandown Classic Trial, 5th Dante Stakes
* Water Boatman – 3rd Feilden Stakes, 6th Lingfield Derby Trial, 2nd Gallinule Stakes
* Alwasmi – 2nd Predominate Stakes
* Romantic Prince – 4th Dante Stakes

### Subsequent Group 1 wins

Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.

* Reference Point – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1987), St. Leger (1987)
* Sir Harry Lewis – Irish Derby (1987)
* Ajdal – July Cup (1987), William Hill Sprint Championship (1987)
* Ibn Bey – Gran Premio d'Italia (1987), Preis von Europa (1989), Deutschland-Preis (1990), Irish St. Leger (1990)

## Subsequent breeding careers

Leading progeny of participants in the 1987 Epsom Derby.

### Sires of Classic winners

Reference Point (1st)

* Ivyanna - 1st Oaks d'Italia (1992) - Dam of Snowflake (2nd Nassau Stakes 2001)
* Hill of Snow - Dam of Preseli (1st Moyglare Stud Stakes 1999) and Snowfire (2nd 1000 Guineas Stakes 2002)
* Sand Reef - 2nd Prix Jean de Chaudenay (1995)
* Racing Blue - 3rd Deutsches St. Leger (1993)

Groom Dancer (7th)

* Groom Tesse - 1st Derby Italiano (2004)
* Pursuit Of Love - 3rd 2000 Guineas Stakes (1992)
* Le Balafre - 1st Prix Jean Prat (1993)
* Lord Of Men - 1st Prix de la Salamandre (1995)

Ascot Knight (11th) - Exported to Canada

* Bahamian Knight - 1st Derby Italiano (1996)
* Influent - 1st Man o' War Stakes (1997)
* Plenty Of Sugar - 2nd Coaching Club American Oaks (1994)
* Ladies' Day - Dam of He's No Pie Eater (1st Rosehill Guineas, 1st Chipping Norton Stakes 2007)

### Sires of Group/Grade One winners

Most Welcome (2nd)

* Arctic Owl - 1st Irish St. Leger (2000)
* Suances - 1st Prix Jean Prat (2000)
* Star - Dam of Pastoral Pursuits and Goodricke
* Kissair - 1st Triumph Hurdle (1995)

Bellotto (3rd) - Exported to Australia

* Bullwinkle - 1st South Australian Derby (1994)
* My Brightia - 1st Crown Oaks (1996)
* Littorio - 1st The BMW (2010)
* Clang - Dam of Calaway Gal (1st Golden Slipper Stakes 2002), Clangalang (1st Australian Derby 2003) and Black Piranha (1st Stradbroke Handicap 2009,2010)

Ajdal (9th)

* Cezanne - 1st Irish Champion Stakes (1994)
* Garah - 3rd Temple Stakes 1993 - Dam of Olden Times (1st Prix Jean Prat 2001) and Festoso (3rd Cheveley Park Stakes 2007)
* Avila - Dam of Dilshaan and Darrfonah (2nd Prix Marcel Boussac 2006)
* Homage - Dam of Mark Of Esteem

### Sires of National Hunt horses

Sir Harry Lewis (3rd)

* Mighty Man - 1st Long Walk Hurdle (2006)
* Diamond Harry - 1st Hennessy Gold Cup (2010)
* Harry Topper - 1st Denman Chase (2014)
* Unowhatimeanharry - 1st Champion Stayers Hurdle (2017, 2019)

### Other Stallions

Love The Groom (12th) - Exported to Italy - Maktub (thrice placed in Italian Group One contests) Ibn Bey (13th) - Exported to Japan - Damsire of Big Grass (3rd February Stakes 2007) Entitled (5th) - Minor flat and jumps winners - Damsire of River Charm Persifleur (10th) - Minor jumps winners in France Sadjiyd (8th) - Exported to Saudi Arabia Legal Bid (14th) - Exported to Canada - Exported to Germany Alwasmi (18th) - Exported to Canada - Exported to Germany - Exported to Italy

