Epsom is one of the most unusual flat tracks in the world, running left-handed around a pronounced camber on the Downs with a sharp downhill section into the home straight. Home of the Derby and Oaks, the undulations and gradients mean balance and agility count as much as raw ability.
Course Profile
| Direction | Left-handed |
| Surface | Turf |
| Racing | Flat (711) |
| Total races (dataset) | 711 |
Top Trainers
| Trainer | Runs | Wins | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|
| A M Balding | 236 | 36 | 15.3% |
| J R Boyle | 271 | 28 | 10.3% |
| M Johnston | 159 | 22 | 13.8% |
| R M Beckett | 137 | 22 | 16.1% |
| M R Channon | 99 | 19 | 19.2% |
| Richard Hannon | 182 | 18 | 9.9% |
| Roger Varian | 85 | 18 | 21.2% |
| A P O’Brien | 106 | 17 | 16.0% |
| Eve Johnson Houghton | 108 | 17 | 15.7% |
| G L Moore | 128 | 16 | 12.5% |
| Charlie Appleby | 68 | 15 | 22.1% |
| D O’Meara | 124 | 15 | 12.1% |
| R A Fahey | 135 | 13 | 9.6% |
| J H M Gosden | 58 | 12 | 20.7% |
| S Dow | 126 | 12 | 9.5% |
Top Jockeys
| Jockey | Runs | Wins | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|
| S De Sousa | 185 | 37 | 20.0% |
| Oisin Murphy | 214 | 35 | 16.4% |
| W Buick | 125 | 23 | 18.4% |
| R L Moore | 111 | 19 | 17.1% |
| L Dettori | 60 | 17 | 28.3% |
| Jim Crowley | 123 | 16 | 13.0% |
| Charles Bishop | 69 | 16 | 23.2% |
| David Probert | 157 | 15 | 9.6% |
| Andrea Atzeni | 107 | 15 | 14.0% |
| F Norton | 80 | 14 | 17.5% |
| P Cosgrave | 153 | 13 | 8.5% |
| Hector Crouch | 102 | 13 | 12.7% |
| Rossa Ryan | 81 | 12 | 14.8% |
| Rhys Clutterbuck | 79 | 12 | 15.2% |
| James Doyle | 93 | 11 | 11.8% |
Favourite Performance
Across 779 races in the dataset, the market favourite won 228 times — a strike rate of 29.3%.
That’s below the national average (~32%), which makes this a trickier course for favourite backers.
Going Distribution
| Going | Races | % |
|---|---|---|
| Good | 372 | 52.3% |
| Good to Soft | 125 | 17.6% |
| Good to Firm | 119 | 16.7% |
| Soft | 53 | 7.5% |
| Heavy | 42 | 5.9% |
The most common going description is Good, accounting for 52.3% of races.
Betting Angles
- A M Balding has a strong record here with 36 wins from 236 runs (15.3%). Worth noting when they have a runner.
- Roger Varian has the highest win rate in the top 10 at 21.2% (18 from 85 runs), often sending runners with a good chance.
- L Dettori rides this course well: 28.3% win rate from 60 rides.