title: 1987 Epsom Derby
text: # 1987 Epsom Derby
  
  The 1987 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Wednesday 3 June 1987. It was the 208th running of the Derby, and it was won by the pre-race favourite Reference Point. The winner was ridden by Steve Cauthen and trained by Henry Cecil.
  
  ## Race details
  
  * Sponsor: Ever Ready
  * Winner's prize money: £282,025
  * Going: Good
  * Number of runners: 19
  * Winner's time: 2m 33.90s
  
  ## Full result
  
  | | * | Horse | Jockey | Trainer $^†$ | SP |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | | Reference Point | Steve Cauthen | Henry Cecil | 6/4 fav |
  | 2 | 1½ | Most Welcome | Paul Eddery | Geoff Wragg | 33/1 |
  | 3 | shd | Bellotto | Pat Eddery | Jeremy Tree | 11/1 |
  | 4 | 2 | Sir Harry Lewis | John Reid | Barry Hills | 66/1 |
  | 5 | ½ | Entitled | Cash Asmussen | Vincent O'Brien (IRE) | 11/1 |
  | 6 | nk | Mountain Kingdom | Michael Roberts | Clive Brittain | 33/1 |
  | 7 | 1 | Groom Dancer | Dominique Boeuf | Tony Clout (FR) | 16/1 |
  | 8 | nk | Sadjiyd | Yves Saint-Martin | Alain de Royer-Dupré (FR) | 11/2 |
  | 9 | 1 | Ajdal | Ray Cochrane | Michael Stoute | 25/1 |
  | 10 | 1½ | Persifleur | Tony Cruz | Patrick Biancone (FR) | 33/1 |
  | 11 | ¾ | Ascot Knight | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | 25/1 |
  | 12 | 3 | Love the Groom | Willie Carson | John Dunlop | 33/1 |
  | 13 | 1 | Ibn Bey | Richard Quinn | Paul Cole | 40/1 |
  | 14 | 1 | Legal Bid | Tony Ives | Henry Cecil | 8/1 |
  | 15 | 4 | Gulf King | Paul Cook | Paul Kelleway | 100/1 |
  | 16 | 6 | Water Boatman | Brian Rouse | Barry Hills | 150/1 |
  | 17 | 2½ | Angara Abyss | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | 100/1 |
  | 18 | 5 | Alwasmi | Richard Hills | Harry Thomson Jones | 150/1 |
  | 19 | 8 | Romantic Prince | Willie Ryan | Chris Wall | 150/1 |
  
  * The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter. shd = short-head; nk = neck. † Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.
  
  ## Winner's details
  
  Further details of the winner, Reference Point:
  
  * Foaled: 26 February 1984, in Great Britain
  * Sire: Mill Reef; Dam: Home on the Range (Habitat)
  * Owner: Louis Freedman
  * Breeder: Louis Freedman
  * Rating in 1987 International Classifications: 135
  
  ## Form analysis
  
  ### Two-year-old races
  
  Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 1986.
  
  * Reference Point – 1st Futurity Stakes
  * Most Welcome – 5th Middle Park Stakes
  * Bellotto – 1st Acomb Stakes
  * Groom Dancer – 1st Prix Herod, 8th Prix de la Salamandre, 1st Prix de Condé, 3rd Critérium de Saint-Cloud
  * Ajdal – 1st Dewhurst Stakes
  * Love the Groom – 3rd Futurity Stakes
  * Gulf King – 8th Chesham Stakes, 6th Prix de la Salamandre, 1st Beresford Stakes
  
  ### The road to Epsom
  
  Early-season appearances in 1987 and trial races prior to running in the Derby.
  
  * Reference Point – 1st Dante Stakes
  * Most Welcome – 3rd Craven Stakes, 13th 2,000 Guineas (finished 3rd, placed last)
  * Bellotto – 3rd Greenham Stakes, 2nd 2,000 Guineas
  * Sir Harry Lewis – 1st Dee Stakes
  * Entitled – 2nd Irish 2,000 Guineas
  * Mountain Kingdom – 3rd Easter Stakes, 2nd Lingfield Derby Trial
  * Groom Dancer – 1st Prix Omnium II, 1st Prix de Guiche, 1st Prix Lupin
  * Sadjiyd – 1st Prix Noailles, 1st Prix Hocquart
  * Ajdal – 1st Craven Stakes, 4th 2,000 Guineas (finished 5th, placed 4th), Irish 2,000 Guineas (finished 3rd, disqualified)
  * Persifleur – 1st Prix Greffulhe, 3rd Dante Stakes
  * Ascot Knight – 2nd Dante Stakes
  * Love the Groom – 4th Craven Stakes
  * Ibn Bey – 5th Lingfield Derby Trial, 1st Predominate Stakes
  * Legal Bid – 1st Feilden Stakes, 1st Lingfield Derby Trial
  * Gulf King – 6th Craven Stakes, 1st Sandown Classic Trial, 5th Dante Stakes
  * Water Boatman – 3rd Feilden Stakes, 6th Lingfield Derby Trial, 2nd Gallinule Stakes
  * Alwasmi – 2nd Predominate Stakes
  * Romantic Prince – 4th Dante Stakes
  
  ### Subsequent Group 1 wins
  
  Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.
  
  * Reference Point – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (1987), St. Leger (1987)
  * Sir Harry Lewis – Irish Derby (1987)
  * Ajdal – July Cup (1987), William Hill Sprint Championship (1987)
  * Ibn Bey – Gran Premio d'Italia (1987), Preis von Europa (1989), Deutschland-Preis (1990), Irish St. Leger (1990)
  
  ## Subsequent breeding careers
  
  Leading progeny of participants in the 1987 Epsom Derby.
  
  ### Sires of Classic winners
  
  Reference Point (1st)
  
  * Ivyanna - 1st Oaks d'Italia (1992) - Dam of Snowflake (2nd Nassau Stakes 2001)
  * Hill of Snow - Dam of Preseli (1st Moyglare Stud Stakes 1999) and Snowfire (2nd 1000 Guineas Stakes 2002)
  * Sand Reef - 2nd Prix Jean de Chaudenay (1995)
  * Racing Blue - 3rd Deutsches St. Leger (1993)
  
  Groom Dancer (7th)
  
  * Groom Tesse - 1st Derby Italiano (2004)
  * Pursuit Of Love - 3rd 2000 Guineas Stakes (1992)
  * Le Balafre - 1st Prix Jean Prat (1993)
  * Lord Of Men - 1st Prix de la Salamandre (1995)
  
  Ascot Knight (11th) - Exported to Canada
  
  * Bahamian Knight - 1st Derby Italiano (1996)
  * Influent - 1st Man o' War Stakes (1997)
  * Plenty Of Sugar - 2nd Coaching Club American Oaks (1994)
  * Ladies' Day - Dam of He's No Pie Eater (1st Rosehill Guineas, 1st Chipping Norton Stakes 2007)
  
  ### Sires of Group/Grade One winners
  
  Most Welcome (2nd)
  
  * Arctic Owl - 1st Irish St. Leger (2000)
  * Suances - 1st Prix Jean Prat (2000)
  * Star - Dam of Pastoral Pursuits and Goodricke
  * Kissair - 1st Triumph Hurdle (1995)
  
  Bellotto (3rd) - Exported to Australia
  
  * Bullwinkle - 1st South Australian Derby (1994)
  * My Brightia - 1st Crown Oaks (1996)
  * Littorio - 1st The BMW (2010)
  * Clang - Dam of Calaway Gal (1st Golden Slipper Stakes 2002), Clangalang (1st Australian Derby 2003) and Black Piranha (1st Stradbroke Handicap 2009,2010)
  
  Ajdal (9th)
  
  * Cezanne - 1st Irish Champion Stakes (1994)
  * Garah - 3rd Temple Stakes 1993 - Dam of Olden Times (1st Prix Jean Prat 2001) and Festoso (3rd Cheveley Park Stakes 2007)
  * Avila - Dam of Dilshaan and Darrfonah (2nd Prix Marcel Boussac 2006)
  * Homage - Dam of Mark Of Esteem
  
  ### Sires of National Hunt horses
  
  Sir Harry Lewis (3rd)
  
  * Mighty Man - 1st Long Walk Hurdle (2006)
  * Diamond Harry - 1st Hennessy Gold Cup (2010)
  * Harry Topper - 1st Denman Chase (2014)
  * Unowhatimeanharry - 1st Champion Stayers Hurdle (2017, 2019)
  
  ### Other Stallions
  
  Love The Groom (12th) - Exported to Italy - Maktub (thrice placed in Italian Group One contests) Ibn Bey (13th) - Exported to Japan - Damsire of Big Grass (3rd February Stakes 2007) Entitled (5th) - Minor flat and jumps winners - Damsire of River Charm Persifleur (10th) - Minor jumps winners in France Sadjiyd (8th) - Exported to Saudi Arabia Legal Bid (14th) - Exported to Canada - Exported to Germany Alwasmi (18th) - Exported to Canada - Exported to Germany - Exported to Italy
  
  