Derby name altered to honour the Aga Khan

Next month’s Betfred Derby will be run in honour of the late Aga Khan IV, the Jockey Club has announced.

A prolific breeder and owner, the Aga Khan IV came from a line of great racing enthusiasts and was successful in the Derby on five occasions.

Before his death in February at the age of 88, the Aga Khan IV witnessed Shergar win the race by a record 10 lengths in 1981, followed by victories for Shahrastani (1986), Kahyasi (1988), Sinndar (2000) and Harzand (2016).

The race, which takes place at Epsom on June 7, will this year be run as the Betfred Derby (in honour of His Highness Aga Khan IV).

The Aga Khan’s daughter, Princess Zahra, said: “My family and I are incredibly grateful to Epsom and the Jockey Club for running the race in honour of my father.

“The Derby is an iconic event that he deeply loved and winning it for the first time with Shergar brought him immense pride and joy. It gave him the sense that the work his father and grandfather had accomplished with the breeding operation was being carried forward.

“He eventually matched the record of my great-grandfather when Harzand secured his fifth Derby victory – a wonderful achievement.”

Jim Allen, General Manager of Epsom Downs Racecourse, said: “His Highness the Aga Khan’s enormous contribution to racing in Europe is one which spans not only decades but generations and we wanted to pay tribute to him in the most fitting way possible.

“His famous silks were a familiar sight at Epsom Downs for more than 40 years and were worn by jockeys in some of the most famous renewals of the Derby of all time, from the breathtaking and record-breaking success of Shergar in 1981 to the very poignant moment in 2016 when Harzand’s victory equalled his grandfather’s total of five Derby winners.

“I would like to thank the Aga Khan’s family for supporting us in our decision to rename this year’s race and look forward to welcoming Princess Zahra Aga Khan on Saturday 7th June as our guest.

“We are also grateful to our sponsor, Betfred, for their help in making this possible and all of us at Epsom Downs Racecourse hope that we witness a race that is worthy of his memory next month.”