# 1980 Epsom Derby

The 1980 Epsom Derby was the 201st annual running of the Derby horse race. It took place at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 4 June 1980.
The race was won by Etti Plesch's American bred Henbit at odds of 7/1. Ridden by Willie Carson and trained at West Ilsley by Dick Hern, Henbit would be the second Derby winner in two years for the trainer/jockey duo. While the winning margin of just three quarters of a length was unremarkable, that Henbit returned with a fractured cannon bone in his off-fore leg, thought to have occurred a furlong and a half from the finish led his trainer to describe him as a "very brave horse". Furthermore, the winning time of 2:34.77 was the fastest since Nijinsky won in 1970.

## Race details

* Sponsor: none
* Winner's prize money: £166,820
* Going: Fast
* Number of runners: 24
* Winner's time: 2 minutes, 34.77 seconds

## Full result

| Finish | Horse | Bred | Jockey | Trainer | Trained | SP |
| 1st | Henbit | USA | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | UK | 77/1 |
| 2nd | Master Willie | GB | Philip Waldron | Henry Candy | UK | 2222/1 |
| 3rd | Rankin | FR | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | UK | 1414/1 |
| 4th | Pelerin | FR | Pat Eddery | Harry Wragg | UK | 1818/1 |
| 5th | Garrido | ITY | Philippe Paquet | François Boutin | FR | 2828/1 |
| 6th | Hello Gorgeous | USA | Joe Mercer | Henry Cecil | UK | 99/1 |
| 7th | Julius Caesar | FR | Paul Cook | Serge Boullenger | FR | 5050/1 |
| 8th | Nikoli | GB | Christy Roche | Paddy Prendergast | IRE | 44/1 |
| 9th | Star Way | GB | Yves Saint-Martin | Paul Kelleway | UK | 2222/1 |
| 10th | Water Mill | GB | Tony Murray | Dick Hern | UK | 1414/1 |
| 11th | Moomba Masquerade | GB | Geoff Baxter | Jeremy Hindley | UK | 4040/1 |
| 12th | Tyrnavos | GB | Edward Hide | Bruce Hobbs | UK | 99/1 |
| 13th | Saint Jonathon | GB | Steve Cauthen | Barry Hills | UK | 3333/1 |
| 14th | Monteverdi | GB | Lester Piggott | Vincent O'Brien | IRE | 88/1 |
| 15th | Prince Spruce | USA | John Matthias | John Dunlop | UK | 200200/1 |
| 16th | Bozovici | USA | Brian Taylor | Ryan Price | UK | 77/1 |
| 17th | Braughing | GB | Kipper Lynch | Clive Brittain | UK | 200200/1 |
| 18th | Blast Off | USA | Maurice Philipperon | John Fellows | FR | 6666/1 |
| 19th | Noble Shamus | GB | George McGrath | M Fogarty | IRE | 100100/1 |
| 20th | Ribo Charter | GB | Tommy Carberry | Paul Kelleway | UK | 100100/1 |
| 21st | Running Mill | GB | Tony Kimberley | Michael Stoute | UK | 100100/1 |
| 22nd | Pimpont | FR | Georges Doleuze | Charles Milbank | FR | 4040/1 |
| 23rd | Marcello | FR | Brian Rouse | Clive Brittain | UK | 200200/1 |
| 24th | Majestic Star | GB | John Reid | Gavin Pritchard-Gordon | UK | 3333/1 |

## Winner details

Further details of the winner, Henbit:
* Foaled: 28 March 1977, in America
* Sire: Hawaii; Dam: Chateaucreek (Chateaugay)
* Owner: Etti Plesch
* Breeder: Helen Drake Jones

## Form analysis
### Two-year-old races

Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 1979:
* Blast Off - 2nd in Prix Greffulhe
* Bozovici - 2nd in Seaton Delaval Stakes
* Braughing - 3rd in Gimcrack Stakes
* Hello Gorgeous - 1st in Futurity Stakes, 1st in Royal Lodge Stakes
* Master Willie - 2nd in Acomb Stakes
* Moomba Masquerade - 3rd in Futurity Stakes
* Monteverdi – 1st in National Stakes, 1st in Dewhurst Stakes
* Noble Shamus – 1st in Railway Stakes, 3rd in National Stakes
* Rankin - 1st in Solario Stakes
* Ribo Charter – 3rd in Prix de Condé
* Star Way - 1st in Chesham Stakes, 2nd in Royal Lodge Stakes, 3rd in Seaton Delaval Stakes
* Tyrnavos - 2nd in Dewhurst Stakes, 1st in Roberre Trophy Stakes
* Water Mill - 2nd in Horris Hill Stakes

### The road to Epsom

Early-season appearances in 1980 and trial races prior to running in the Derby:
* Garrido - 1st in Derby Italiano
* Hello Gorgeous - 1st in Dante Stakes
* Henbit - 1st in Guardian Classic Trial, 1st in Chester Vase
* Julius Caesar - 1st in Prix Noailles
* Master Willie - 1st in Easter Stakes, 2nd in Dante Stakes
* Monteverdi – 2nd in Greenham Stakes, 2nd in McCairns Trial Stakes
* Moomba Masquerade - 2nd in Chester Vase
* Nikoli - 1st in Irish 2000 Guineas, 1st in McCairns Trial Stakes
* Pelerin - 1st in Glasgow Stakes
* Rankin - 2nd in Predominate Stakes
* Ribo Charter - 2nd in Lingfield Derby Trial
* Running Mill - 1st in Heath Stakes
* Saint Jonathon - 1st in Roseberry Stakes
* Star Way - 2nd in Craven Stakes
* Tyrnavos - 1st in Craven Stakes
* Water Mill - 3rd in Dante Stakes

### Subsequent Group 1 wins

Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.
* Master Willie - Benson and Hedges Gold Cup (1980), Coronation Cup (1981), Eclipse Stakes (1981)
* Pelerin - Grosser Preis von Baden (1981)
* Tyrnavos – Irish Derby (1980)

## Subsequent breeding careers

Leading progeny of participants in the 1980 Epsom Derby.

### Stallions of Classic winners

Star Way (9th) Exported to New Zealand - Sire of 18 Group One winners
* Shankhill Lass - 1st The Thousand Guineas (1985)
* Waverley Star - 2nd Cox Plate (1986)
* Nimue - 1st New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1992)
* Shoal Creek - Dam of Encosta De Lago

### Stallions of Group/Grade One winners

Master Willie (2nd)
* Hollywood Dream - 1st Premio Presidente della Repubblica (1996), 1st Deutschland-Preis (1996)
* Make A Stand - 1st Champion Hurdle (1997)
* Jungle Gold - 3rd Irish 1000 Guineas (1988)
* Be My Master - 2nd Derby Italiano (1986

### Stallions of National Hunt horses

Henbit (1st)
* Kribensis - 1st Champion Hurdle (1990)
* Sybillin - 2nd Christmas Hurdle (1990)
Julius Caesar (7th)
* Soir de Mai - 1st Prix Georges de Talhouët-Roy (1988)
* Runway Romance - 2nd Anniversary Hurdle (1991)

### Other Stallions

Tyrnavos (12th) - Dihistan (1st 1986 Hardwicke Stakes), Andrios (2nd 1984 Chesham Stakes), Akaaleel (2nd 1985 Chesham Stakes), Tartamuda (Dam of Tartak) Hello Gorgeous (6th) - Libertine (3rd 1987 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches), Franco Forte (2nd 1987 Premio Parioli) - later exported to Brazil Monteverdi (14th) - Exported to America - Exported to Venevuela - Concert Hall (2nd 1984 National Stakes), Laird Of Montrose (3rd 1985 Middle Park Stakes) Nikoli (8th) - Exported to America - Exported to Uruguay - Air Display (2nd 1986 Hollywood Derby) Water Mill (10th) - Exported to Australia - Innocent Lady (Dam of Justice Prevails) Moomba Masquerade (11th) - Exported to South Africa Saint Johnathon (13th) - Exported to Australia Prince Spruce (15th) - Exported to Italy Blast Off (18th) - Exported to Venezuela Noble Shamus (19th) - Exported to America Running Mill (21st) - Exported to Turkey Marcello (23rd) - Exported to Argentina