title: 2004 Epsom Derby
text: # 2004 Epsom Derby
  
  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)
  