The Betfred Derby will be run at 1.30pm instead of its usual mid-afternoon slot in order to avoid a clash with the FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Manchester United; the race was initially set to be run at 4:30pm
Wednesday 26 April 2023 14:50, UK
The Betfred Derby is set to be run at 1.30pm at Epsom on June 3 in order to avoid a clash with the FA Cup Final, which will now kick off at 3pm.
The premier Classic was originally due to be run at 4.30pm, but has been brought forward to avoid a clash with the FA Cup final, which itself is set to be brought forward following safety concerns.
Manchester City and Manchester United will meet in Wembley's showpiece fixture for the first time, and that will reportedly kick-off at 3pm on the advice of police.
The Derby has been run at 4.30pm on all but one occasion since 2015, while the last three FA Cup finals have kicked off between 4.30pm and 5.30pm.
Aidan O'Brien's star two-year-old Auguste Rodin heads the market for the Classic at this stage at 2/1, whilst The King's Slipofthepen currently rates a 20/1 shot.
James Crespi, general manager of Epsom, said: "This year, the first Saturday in June will play host to two Derbys and two of Britain's great sporting events.
"In order to give fans of both horse racing and football the opportunity to enjoy the Betfred Derby and the FA Cup final and to maximise the publicity and exposure of these two iconic sporting occasions, which will both be broadcast live on ITV1, we have made some changes to our usual schedule.
"We are grateful to our partners at ITV and our generous sponsors Betfred for their help in facilitating the move, and we can't wait for what is sure to be a great afternoon for British sport."
