General / Malcolm Pannett / 17 March 2009 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

After soaring over the Cheltenham hurdle, Malcolm Pannett remains in the saddle to continue his histories of the most cherished events in the British racing calendar...

The Winter Derby, the first bespoke group race to be run on the all-weather, has only been in the programme book for just over a decade but has quickly become established as a valuable showpiece for the new branch of the sport staged just before the turf flat season kicks in.

Run over a mile-and-a-quarter, and open to four-year-olds and above, the race was introduced in 1998 as a class B event and was won by the Philip Mitchell-trained Running Stag. The four-year-old, with Ray Cochrane up, collared Refuse To Lose a furlong from home and then collected thousands of air miles running in prestigious races like the Breeders' Cup Classic and Dubai World Cup.

In 2006 the event was elevated to Group 3 status with Sri Diamond, trained by Sylvester Kirk, winning in the hands of Jamie Spencer. Although this was the first pattern race designed for the all-weather it was not the first group race to be run on the surface. That honour went to the 2005 renewal of the Silver Trophy Stakes (now the Summer Mile) which like the 2006 renewal was transferred to Lingfield from its usual Ascot home during the redevelopment of the Berkshire track.

All-weather racing was originally introduced in the UK in 1989 to ensure that the sport continued during cold spells in the winter when turf racing might be abandoned for several days at a time. Steeplechasing and hurdle racing on the artificial surface was called to a halt after some unfortunate high profile fatalities and flat races over staying distances were brought in to replace them aimed at jump horses.

Gradually flat trainers started keeping small teams of horses suited to the new surfaces in training after the end of the conventional flat turf season. Races were reframed and now, apart from a few bumpers, all-weather racing is entirely undertaken by flat horses with the programme expanded to cover the whole year. The quality of the horses competing in the top end all-weather races is improving all the time.

The 2005 Winter Derby-victor, Eccentric, went on to win the Rose Bowl at Epsom and the Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor before setting off across the world finishing up winning three races in Canada.

The other winners so far, that are not mentioned above or below, are Zanay (2000), Sergeant York (2001), Adiemus (2002) and Gentleman's Deal (2007).

Sportingbet.com sponsors the Winter Derby this year for the first time taking over from Littlewoods Bet Direct who have been involved in one form or another since 2000. Prior to that Teletext and Mitsubishi Shogun sponsored the first and second runnings respectively.

10 years ago: Peter Harris' Supreme Sound, normally a resolute front runner, came from just off the pace to land the spoils in the hands of Gary 'The Angry Ant' Bardwell. Towards the end of the season Supreme Sound crossed the pond to take up residence with Michael Dickinson winning the Hawthorne Gold Cup before signing off with a quixotian tilt at the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Five years ago: The Italian connections of Caluki, a 12-time winner at Capannelle, wasted no time in booking Frankie Dettori for their seven-year-old. Always with the pace the son of Kris stayed on resolutely to hold Bourgainville by a neck with half-a-length back to Pugin in third. It was a second win in a row for Frankie Dettori who had taken the previous year's race on David Loder's Parasol.

Last Year: Hattan, who as a three-year-old had won the Chester Vase and finished sixth in the Derby, was one of a handful who engulfed the pacesetter Dream Lodge at the quarter-mile post. Clive Brittain's son of Halling got to the lead in the final furlong holding Silver Pivotal and Great Hawk by two lengths and a neck. The six-year-old added to his all-weather group race haul later in the season holding on to win the September Stakes from the fast finishing Illustrious Blue.