# 1984 Epsom Derby

The 1984 Epsom Derby was the 205th annual running of the Derby horse race. It took place at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 6 June 1984. It was the first edition of the race to be commercially sponsored and was known as the Ever Ready Derby. The sponsorship meant that the first prize of £227,680 was the biggest in the history of the race.
The race was won by Luigi Miglietti's Secreto at odds of 14/1, ridden by Christy Roche and trained in Ireland by David O'Brien. The favourite El Gran Senor, trained by David O'Brien's father Vincent finished second by a short head. The colt's win was a first success in the race for owner, trainer and jockey. At the age of 27, David O'Brien was one of the youngest men to have trained a Derby winner.

## Race details

* Sponsor: Ever Ready
* Winner's prize money: £227,680
* Going: Good
* Number of runners: 17
* Winner's time: 2 minutes, 39.12 seconds

## Full result

Race result
| | Dist * | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | SP |
| 1 | | Secreto | Christy Roche | David O'Brien (IRE) | 14/1 |
| 2 | shd | El Gran Senor | Pat Eddery | Vincent O'Brien (IRE) | 8/11 |
| 3 | 3 | Mighty Flutter | Brian Rouse | David Elsworth | 66/1 |
| 4 | 1½ | At Talaq | Richard Hills | Harry Thomson Jones | 250/1 |
| 5 | 1½ | Alphabatim | Lester Piggott | Guy Harwood | 11/2 |
| 6 | 1½ | Telios | Geoff Baxter | Bruce Hobbs | 100/1 |
| 7 | 1½ | Long Pond | George Duffield | Paul Kelleway | 150/1 |
| 8 | 5 | Kaytu | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | 12/1 |
| 9 | 1 | Sheer Heights | Paul Cook | Paul Cole | 100/1 |
| 10 | 2 | Ilium | Tony Murray | Harry Thomson Jones | 16/1 |
| 11 | 6 | Pigwidgeon | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | 150/1 |
| 12 | 7 | Elegant Air | Bruce Raymond | Ian Balding | 50/1 |
| 13 | 3 | Claude Monet | Steve Cauthen | Henry Cecil | 12/1 |
| 14 | 4 | My Volga Boatman | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | 33/1 |
| 15 | 7 | Sassanoco | Trevor Rogers | Harry Thomson Jones | 500/1 |
| 16 | 1 | Northern Fred | Gary Moore | Charles Milbank (FR) | 150/1 |
| 17 | | Cataldi | Tony Clark | Guy Harwood | 250/1 |

## Winner details

Further details of the winner, Secreto:
* Foaled: 12 February 1981, in Maryland, United States
* Sire: Northern Dancer; Dam: Betty's Secret (Secretariat)
* Owner: Luigi Miglietti
* Breeder: E. P. Taylor

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

Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 1983:
* Alphabatim - 1st in William Hill Futurity
* El Gran Senor - 1st in Railway Stakes, 1st in National Stakes, 1st in Dewhurst Stakes
* Elegant Air - 2nd in Lanson Champagne Stakes, 1st in Horris Hill Stakes
* Ilium - 3rd in William Hill Futurity
* My Volga Boatman - 2nd in Horris Hill Stakes

### The road to Epsom

Early-season appearances in 1984 and trial races prior to running in the Derby:
* Alphabatim – 1st in Sandown Classic Trial, 1st in Lingfield Derby Trial
* El Gran Senor – 1st in Gladness Stakes, 1st in 2000 Guineas
* Claude Monet – 1st in Heathorn Stakes, 1st in Dante Stakes
* Ilium - 1st in Predominate Stakes
* Kaytu – 1st in Chester Vase
* Long Pond – 1st in Blue Riband Trial Stakes
* Northern Fred – 2nd in Premio Presidente della Repubblica
* Pigwidgeon - 3rd in Heathorn Stakes
* Secreto – 1st in Tetrarch Stakes, 3rd in Irish 2000 Guineas
* Telios – 3rd in Craven Stakes

### Subsequent Group 1 wins

Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.
* Alphabatim – Hollywood Turf Cup (1984, 1986)
* At Talaq – Grand Prix de Paris (1984), Melbourne Cup (1986)
* El Gran Senor – Irish Derby (1984)

## Subsequent breeding careers

Leading progeny of participants in the 1984 Epsom Derby.

### Sires of Classic winners

El Gran Senor (2nd)
* Rodrigo De Triano - 1st 2000 Guineas Stakes, 1st Irish 2,000 Guineas (1992)
* Belmez - 1st King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1990)
* Gran Alba - 1st Christmas Hurdle (1991)
* Toussaud - 1st Criterion Stakes (1992) dam of Empire Maker, Chester House and Chiselling
Secreto (1st) - Exported to USA - Later exported to Japan
* Mystiko - 1st 2000 Guineas Stakes (1991)
* Tamuro Cherry - 1st Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (2001)
* Miss Secreto - 1st Premio Regina Elena (1989)
* Staunch Friend - 1st Bula Hurdle (1993)
At Talaq (4th)
* Star Of Maple - 1st Rosehill Guineas (1994)
* Skating - 1st Winfield Classic (1993)
* Toledo - 1st Newmarket Handicap (2001)
* Al Mansour - 1st George Ryder Stakes (2000)

### Sires of Group/Grade One winners

Elegant Air (12th)
* Dashing Blade - 1st Dewhurst Stakes (1989), Leading sire in Germany (1998)
* Air de Rien - 1st Prix Saint-Alary (1990)
* Ocean Air - 2nd Premio Lydia Tesio (1991)
* Montpelier Lad - 1st Anniversary Hurdle (1991)

### Sires of National Hunt horses

Alphabatim (5th)
* Golden Alpha - 1st Red Rum Handicap Chase (2003)
* Mr Nosie - 1st Deloitte Novice Hurdle (2006)
* Nosie Betty - Dam of Cole Harden
Cataldi (17th)
* Trouble Ahead - 1st AGFA Diamond Handicap Chase (2000)
* Betty's Boy - 1st National Hunt Handicap Chase (1999)

### Other Stallions

Claude Monet (13th) - Artistic Reef (3rd King George Stakes 1992), Sweet Revival (dam of Sweet Return) - Later exported to South Africa Telios (6th) - Exported to Japan - Mejiro Lambada (1st Nikkei Shinshun Hai 1997) Long Pond (7th) - Midnights Daughter (dam of One Knight) Kaytu (8th) - Sired minor jumps winners Ilium (10th) - Sired minor jumps winners Mighty Flutter (3rd) - Exported to Spain Sheer Heights (9th) - Exported to Saudi Arabia My Volga Boatman (14th) - Exported to Turkey Northern Fred (16th) - Exported to Australia