# 2005 Epsom Derby

The 2005 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Saturday 4 June 2005. It was the 226th running of the Derby, and it was won by the pre-race favourite Motivator. The winner was ridden by Johnny Murtagh and trained by Michael Bell.

## Race details

* Sponsor: Vodafone
* Winner's prize money: £725,000
* Going: Good
* Number of runners: 13
* Winner's time: 2m 35.69s

## Full result

| | * | Horse | Jockey | Trainer $^†$ | SP |
| 1 | | Motivator | Johnny Murtagh | Michael Bell | 3/1 fav |
| 2 | 5 | Walk in the Park | Alan Munro | John Hammond (FR) | 11/1 |
| 3 | 3 | Dubawi | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | 5/1 |
| 4 | 1 | Fracas | Jamie Spencer | David Wachman (IRE) | 8/1 |
| 5 | 1½ | Gypsy King | Kieren Fallon | Aidan O'Brien (IRE) | 7/2 |
| 6 | 3 | Hattan | Seb Sanders | Clive Brittain | 25/1 |
| 7 | hd | Unfurled | Ryan Moore | John Dunlop | 40/1 |
| 8 | 1¾ | The Geezer | Richard Quinn | David Elsworth | 10/1 |
| 9 | 2 | Grand Central | Jimmy Fortune | Aidan O'Brien (IRE) | 25/1 |
| 10 | 8 | Oratorio | Michael Kinane | Aidan O'Brien (IRE) | 8/1 |
| 11 | 2 | Kings Quay | Dane O'Neill | Richard Hannon, Sr. | 150/1 |
| 12 | ¾ | Almighty | Pat Smullen | Aidan O'Brien (IRE) | 66/1 |
| 13 | 14 | Kong | Richard Hughes | John Dunlop | 20/1 |
* The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter. hd = head. † Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.

## Winner's details

Further details of the winner, Motivator:
* Foaled: 22 February 2002 in Great Britain
* Sire: Montjeu; Dam: Out West (Gone West)
* Owner: The Royal Ascot Racing Club
* Breeder: Deerfield Farm
* Rating in 2005 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings: 125

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

Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 2004.
* Motivator – 1st Racing Post Trophy
* Walk in the Park – 3rd Critérium International
* Dubawi – 1st Superlative Stakes, 1st National Stakes
* Oratorio – 7th Coventry Stakes, 1st Anglesey Stakes, 2nd Phoenix Stakes, 1st Futurity Stakes, 1st Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, 2nd Dewhurst Stakes
* Kings Quay – 12th Coventry Stakes, 1st Washington Singer Stakes, 6th Somerville Tattersall Stakes

### The road to Epsom

Early-season appearances in 2005 and trial races prior to running in the Derby.
* Motivator – 1st Dante Stakes
* Walk in the Park – 2nd Lingfield Derby Trial
* Dubawi – 5th 2,000 Guineas, 1st Irish 2,000 Guineas
* Fracas – 1st Sandown Classic Trial, 1st Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial
* Gypsy King – 1st Dee Stakes
* Hattan – 3rd Sandown Classic Trial, 1st Chester Vase
* Unfurled – 1st Predominate Stakes
* The Geezer – 2nd Dante Stakes
* Grand Central – 2nd Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes, 3rd Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial
* Oratorio – 4th 2,000 Guineas, 2nd Irish 2,000 Guineas
* Kings Quay – 5th Easter Stakes, 2nd Feilden Stakes, 6th Sandown Classic Trial, 6th Lingfield Derby Trial
* Almighty – 4th Ballysax Stakes, 2nd Chester Vase
* Kong – 1st Lingfield Derby Trial

### Subsequent Group 1 wins

Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.
* Dubawi – Prix Jacques Le Marois (2005)
* Oratorio – Eclipse Stakes (2005), Irish Champion Stakes (2005)

## Subsequent breeding careers

Leading progeny of participants in the 2005 Epsom Derby.

### Sires of Classic winners

Dubawi (3rd)
* Waldpark - 1st Deutsches Derby (2008)
* Makfi - 1st 2000 Guineas Stakes (2010)
* Night of Thunder - 1st 2000 Guineas Stakes (2014)
* New Bay - 1st Prix du Jockey Club (2015)
Motivator (1st)
* Treve - 1st Prix de Diane (2013), 1st Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2013, 2014)
* Ridasiyna - 1st Prix de l'Opéra (2012)

### Sires of Group/Grade One winners

Oratorio (10th) - Later exported to South Africa
* Beethoven - 1st Dewhurst Stakes (2009)
* Military Attack - Hong Kong Horse of the Year (2012-13)
* Mourinho - 1st Underwood Stakes (2015)
* Tidara Angel - 1st Prix Alain du Breil (2011)

### Sires of National Hunt horses

Dubawi (3rd)
* Dodging Bullets - Tingle Creek Chase (2014), 1st Clarence House Chase (2015), 1st Queen Mother Champion Chase (2015)
Motivator (1st)
* Pentland Hills - 1st Triumph Hurdle (2019)
Walk In The Park (2nd)
* Douvan - 1st Paddy Power Cashcard Chase (2016)
* Park Light - 1st Prix Hubert d'Aillieres (2016)
* Walk In The Mill - 1st Becher Chase (2018, 2019)
* Min - 1st Melling Chase (2019)
* Facile Vega – 1st Champion Bumper (2022), 1st KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle (2023)

### Other Stallions

Fracas (4th) - Fairly useful flat and jumps winners including Smash Williams (1st Round Tower Stakes 2015)