| Location | Epsom Downs Racecourse |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 June 2004 |
| Winning horse | North Light |
| Starting price | 7/2 jf |
| Jockey | Kieren Fallon |
| Trainer | Sir Michael Stoute |
| Owner | Ballymacoll Stud |
| 1–2–3 | ||
| North Light | Rule of Law | Let The Lion Roar |
| Also Ran | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4–5–6 | ||
| Percussionist | Salford City | American Post |
| 7–8–9 | ||
| Snow Ridge | Hazyview | Pukka |
| 10–11–12 | ||
| Gatwick | Massif Centrale | Coming Again |
| 13 14 | ||
| Elshadi | Meath | 14 Ran |
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The 2004 Epsom Derby was a horse race that took place at Epsom Downs on Saturday 5 June 2004. It was the 225th running of the Derby, won by the pre-race joint favourite North Light. The winner was ridden by Kieren Fallon and trained by Sir Michael Stoute. The other joint favourite Snow Ridge finished seventh.
Race details
- Sponsor: Vodafone
- Winner's prize money: £788,220
- Going: Good
- Number of runners: 14
- Winner's time: 2m 33.72s
Full result
| * | Horse | Jockey | Trainer † | SP | |
| 1 | North Light | Kieren Fallon | Sir Michael Stoute | 7/2 jf | |
| 2 | 1½ | Rule of Law | Kerrin McEvoy | Saeed bin Suroor | 20/1 |
| 3 | hd | Let the Lion Roar | Michael Kinane | John Dunlop | 14/1 |
| 4 | hd | Percussionist | Kevin Darley | John Gosden | 7/1 |
| 5 | 3 | Salford City | Johnny Murtagh | David Elsworth | 8/1 |
| 6 | 1½ | American Post | Richard Hughes | Criquette Head-Maarek (FR) | 13/2 |
| 7 | 1¾ | Snow Ridge | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | 7/2 jf |
| 8 | hd | Hazyview | Eddie Ahern | Neville Callaghan | 40/1 |
| 9 | 1½ | Pukka | Darryll Holland | Luca Cumani | 10/1 |
| 10 | 2½ | Gatwick | Richard Quinn | Mick Channon | 16/1 |
| 11 | nk | Massif Centrale | Dane O'Neill | David Elsworth | 100/1 |
| 12 | 19 | Coming Again | Michael Hills | Barry Hills | 80/1 |
| 13 | 1¼ | Elshadi | Martin Dwyer | Marcus Tregoning | 25/1 |
| 14 | 7 | Meath | Jamie Spencer | Aidan O'Brien (IRE) | 16/1 |
* The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter. hd = head; nk = neck.
† Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.
Winner's details
Further details of the winner, North Light:
- Foaled: 1 March 2001 in Ireland
- Sire: Danehill; Dam: Sought Out (Rainbow Quest)
- Owner: Ballymacoll Stud
- Breeder: Ballymacoll Stud Farm Ltd
- Rating in 2004 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings: 122
Form analysis
Two-year-old races
Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 2003.
- Rule of Law – 1st Acomb Stakes, 3rd Royal Lodge Stakes
- Let the Lion Roar – 2nd Haynes, Hanson and Clark Stakes
- American Post – 1st Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, 1st Racing Post Trophy
- Snow Ridge – 1st Royal Lodge Stakes, 9th Dewhurst Stakes
- Elshadi – 1st Haynes, Hanson and Clark Stakes, 4th Autumn Stakes
The road to Epsom
Early-season appearances in 2004 and trial races prior to running in the Derby.
- North Light – 1st Dante Stakes
- Rule of Law – 2nd Dante Stakes
- Let the Lion Roar – 3rd Dante Stakes
- Percussionist – 1st Lingfield Derby Trial
- Salford City – 1st Greenham Stakes, 6th 2,000 Guineas
- American Post – 1st Prix Omnium II, 1st Prix de Fontainebleau, 1st Poule d'Essai des Poulains
- Snow Ridge – 2nd 2,000 Guineas
- Hazyview – 1st Newmarket Stakes, 2nd Lingfield Derby Trial, 1st Fairway Stakes
- Gatwick – 1st Haydock Silver Bowl
- Meath – 2nd Leopardstown 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes, 2nd Amethyst Stakes, 1st Gallinule Stakes
Subsequent Group 1 wins
Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.
- Rule of Law – St. Leger (2004)
Subsequent breeding careers
Leading progeny of participants in the 2004 Epsom Derby.
Sires of Classic winners
North Light (1st)
- Arctic Cosmos - 1st St Leger Stakes (2010)
- Celtic New Year - 2nd Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap (2011)
Sires of Group/Grade One winners
American Post (6th)
- Robin Of Navan - 1st Critérium de Saint-Cloud (2015)
- Ana Americana - 3rd Prix Saint-Alary (2009)
- Liliside - 1st(disqualified) Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (2010) dam of Lys Gracieux (Japanese Horse of the Year 2019)
- Got Away - 1st Charnwood Forest Mares' Chase (2018)
Other Stallions
Let The Lion Roar (3rd) - Nautical Nitwit (1st West Yorkshire Hurdle 2018)
Rule Of Law (2nd) - Exported to Japan before relocating to Ireland - Minor jumps winners
Rule Of Law (2nd) - Exported to Japan before relocating to Ireland - Minor jumps winners
References
- 2004
- sportinglife.com
- Derby Days. Tempus. 2004. p. 188. ISBN 0-7524-3202-8.
- ^ "Stammtafeln". Galopp Sieger. Galopp Sieger. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
- ^ "Profiles Search". Racing Post. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
- ^ "Progeny Reports". Pedigree Query. Pedigree Query. Retrieved 27 April 2020.