1985 Epsom Derby Slip Anchor

Great performance by the winner under superb ride

[@elta6241]

Probably the most perfectly ridden Derby I've ever seen. He knows his horse, knows his qualities and knows exactly what pace he needs to run at.

[@kevincramwell4648]

Derby Day on a Wednesday should never of changed great days

[@Sunburst75]

A masterclass by one of the best jockeys ever. There was nothing better than punishing the bookies in the mid 80s by backing the Cecil/Cauthen combination. Great memories, thanks for uploading!

[@phobsdsr4326]

Sunburst75 I’m only 36 but my dad tells me this all the time. You could trust the combo!

[@robertsanders8371]

Best Derby winning performance by horse and jockey ever. Magical to watch.

[@soothsayer9216]

Phardante, Petoski and Supreme Leader...serious sires in the field.

[@robertevans8010]

Theatrical as well

[@robertevans8010]

Not forgetting Law Society

[@barbaradyson6951]

Before his knee injury you could say he was the Frankel of his day.

[@alioucisse1548]

Never crack the whip. The most impressive derby winner on any planet.

[@shannontaylor3725]

My friend Dave Goodwin was Slip Anchors stable lad at the late great Henry Celics here at Warren Towers in Newmarket. It was a great day for Dave and the whole of Newmarket.

[@JSB-IZ-ME]

Some horse, jockey and trainer combination this was, pure gold

[@derekgrieveson6011]

Steve cauthen Americas finest jockey conquered England the good old days ❤🐕👌

[@mrk24107]

I still think he was the most impressive Derby winner I've seen... this was a much better than average Derby and it was all over so far out... amazing to think he never won another race.

[@fedlad]

Same for me, he beat a very good field very easily. This is the one I normally give as my favourite.

[@Sunburst75]

Agreed. I've been trying to remember why he never won again, but I can't. Need to do some research. I had a large bet on Slip Anchor that day. The feeling when he put them to the sword swinging for home and powered down the straight was ecstacy, I do remember that and having a hoarse voice for a week after it!

[@elgransenor1472]

Did he have treatment for a wind problem after the derby? Then he ran in two unsuitable races in the Autumn. His second to Pebbles in the Champion Stks was a performance full of merit. Then he ran second in his one start at 4 and was retired. I think they should have kept him in training. It took him a couple of runs to hit his best at 3.

[@burkhillcomedy]

He picked up and injury and wasn't the same when he returned

[@glenharrison4311]

Pebbles made him look slow

[@tintins4021]

This is one of The Most classic (Famous) examples of an American Jockey riding to the "Clock".

[@gazowen7310]

Thank you sir Henry so many memories

[@nozmoz1563]

I had an ante post bet of £10 on him at 16/1. I was flat broke when Derby day came around and that £160 was a life saver. I'll never forget that day.

[@edmondscott7444]

When racing on tv was worth watching.

[@jcanyiam8309]

Thank You for sharing!

[@tomlardner2708]

Yes the master jockey and the master trainer as well. Rip sir henry cecil top man and the greatest trainer of all time in my opinion

[@steveb3bmwm5]

Slip Anchor's hugely impressive performance in the 1985 Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes is now up on youtube - to say Peter O'sullivan and Julian Wilson were impressed is an understatement. The race gave the strongest possible pointer to the Derby itself. So impressed was Steve Cauthan with that performance - he repeatedly told the team looking after him at Henry Cecil's yard that Slip Anchor is a "f*cking dead cert for the Derby" . When it was politely pointed out to Steve that no horse had made all the running in the Derby for more than 40 years - it did't concern Steve in the slightest, he just kept saying "Slip Anchor is a f*cking dead cert for the Derby!" How right he was! Particularly for those that backed his judgement heavily! To this day, Slip Anchor stands alone as the only horse since WW2 to have made all the running in the Derby - that he won so spectacularly, while having subsequent King George, Irish Derby and Breeders Cup winners a long, long way behind him that day, provides valuable perspective and only adds to the scale of the achievement.

[@Formula1Madx]

Slip Anchor was outstanding in this Derby, you couldn't help but be impressed. You said that he is the only front runner to have won since WWII but I'm almost certain that Reference Point made all the running when he won his Derby in 1987.

[@phobsdsr4326]

That left handed sweeping bend. Steve knew what he was talking about. Wins the Derby easier than the Lingfield trials. Incredible

[@phobsdsr4326]

Formula1Madx he did pretty much. And to be fair, that’s probably the best looking Derby race I seen. Had the clear advantage off the bend but it was great to see a dozen or so horses scrambling behind trying to make ground, all those jockeys riding away but they just couldn’t peg him back. Reference Point was another great

[@nickhanlon9331]

It was Steve's 2nd Derby winner.He won a small race called the Kentucky Derby in 1978 aboard Affirmed.

[@signoresantinoburnett1169]

THE Derby is at Epsom.

[@steveo7165]

Their is the Kentucky Derby Then there is THE DERBY..☺

[@steveo7165]

WOW...Killed them before he got into the straight. Steve Cauthen one of the best at making all and Henry one of the best at training them. How did it never win again

[@steveb3bmwm5]

Unfortunately, Slip Anchor sustained a serious knee injury in his box following this race and sadly, despite the best efforts of Henry Cecil and his team was never able to fully recover his former brilliance - perhaps best displayed here and at the Lingfield Derby Trial where he demolished another good field in contemptuous style by about 10 lengths. Interestingly, Henry Cecil when asked after the Derby if Slip Anchor would likely meet his Oaks and subsequent triple crown winning filly Oh So Sharpe - replied "no, Slip Anchor would gallop her into the ground".

[@steveo7165]

Thanks for the Information Mount Teide, I know that up to that point Steve Cauthen had said that Slip Anchor was the Best horse he'd ever ridden & he'd won the Triple Crown in America on Affirmed. So it's a shame we never got to see what heights the horse could have reached.

[@josephdakin4559]

Brilliant derby winner and an even more brilliant jockey in Steve Cauthen.

[@glynnevans1851]

@@josephdakin4559 Sure was Joseph but Light years behind Lester .Roberto winning in 72 Momentous sir and Sir Ivor pure class. Kind regards Glynn n greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands UK 🤝

[@PaulGibbons13]

Great horse and a great race.

[@richardhenry7841]

Slip Anchor's moment of glory

[@tallest5396]

9/4 Fav WTF 🤐 How things have changed lol.

[@Kevin-lf4xx]

The era of the Derby being run on a Wednesday meant it had huge profile. Moving to a Saturday was a terrible call.

[@bigbirdcage753]

A race stacked with horses that boosted the NH breeding industry for decades.

[@steveb3bmwm5]

An incredible and unforgettable performance from horse and jockey - left subsequent King George, Irish Derby and Breeders Cup winners, and a two time Irish Horse of the Year spreadeagled - the distances were more like the finish of gruelling 3 mile steeplechase in heavy going, rather the the greatest prize in flat racing!

[@tricklessmagic]

he killed them!

[@andrewwilliams4283]

Wow Theatrical and Supreme Leader in the field also.... stallion heavy derby.

[@MarcHenriDupont]

Bravo Steve

[@Catherineone]

Backed him at 20/1 ante post after I saw him win at Newmarket.

[@phobsdsr4326]

Catherineone well in!!

[@decoratedhero3525]

Yeah after a slow run race at newmarket backed him at 16-1,raceform gave him a 94 speed figure after Lingfield so knew he would go close on that form.

[@rileycullum4163]

Almost a forgotten Derby winner and yet so much more impressive than Shergar. So many top horses beaten out of sight.

[@robertdelacy3434]

How was he more impressive than shergar

[@signoresantinoburnett1169]

Slip Anchor and Lammtarra, the two best Derby winners.

[@gazowen7310]

Good call I will put erhaab in there two

[@darrenremington6422]

How lammtarra won from the position he was in, was unbelievable,brilliant ride from Walter swinburn R.I.P. 🙏🙏🙏

[@mrvillan6951]

That was a very long looking "seven" lengths.

[@facethetruth9843]

Proper jockey proper horse proper everything actually the good old days.unlike the bunch of cheating dirt we have today along with that all weather rubbish. Racing in died nowadays

[@katewild2194]

I backed him to win after he won at Newmarket @ 20/1 picked up three large.

[@olearysgrave]

I've had those dreams too, Kate. A shame one has to wake up.

[@gary1961]

So you stuck £150 win on it? If so, well done. I love seeing a bookie having to pay out big.

[@katewild2194]

I told my friend to come with me to Lingfield as I had a horse that was sure to win after it won you could still get 8/1 for a time

[@MB-zm8lc]

Reminds me of serpentine in the 'covid derby'😀

[@phobsdsr4326]

And I thought he won the trial at Lingfield easy.. I mean eased down at a canter. But to do this in the Derby proper, make the field look silly, they may as well have stayed home. No horse has won the Derby with minimum fuss like this and I can’t see it happening like that again either. What a champ.. and Cauthen a legend

[@jamesvaughan7697]

Dont you remember Shergar? Was like an exercise canter.

[@darrensmith4279]

Shergar

[@normansmithers7631]

slip anchor's time, like shergar, troy & see the stars, was slower than serpentine's.

[@EddieCr]

Not saying Serpentine wont prove to be a smart Derby winner in time I hope he does but as yet nothing he has beaten has even proved Group 1 Class at 3 where as all those stated did and that's how he will be rated at the end of the season. Shergar and Slip Anchor would not have been 20 lengths behind from the home bend and both won on the bridle. Troy on the other hand may have been beaten by tactics in this years Derby but he did win one of the best in depth Derbies in modern times and no winner has travelled down the Epsom straight with the power he did also put Serpentine in Troys Derby and too many would be on his quarters turning in.

[@normansmithers7631]

@@EddieCr thank you for your comments, i was only pointing out that serpentine's time was faster than these superstars, while he was only fractionally slower than love, of whom the so called experts said she was so wonderful but then again, she did have pacemakers to help her, serpentine didn't. i admit i backed the derby winner but i did it on form; kameko is essentially another roaring lion, somewhat over rated; english king is the horse that would give serpentine a good race if they meet again; the st leger is there for the taking for serpentine & it could be a small field - love will not run in it if she goes for the arc; o'brien has a headache in the leger with serpentine because he also has santiago & i don't think he will want to run them against each other; he might run the derby winner in a more prestigious race somewhere & skip the final classic with him. all the best. ps, delphi's win yesterday in ireland, boosted the derby form - tomorrow is the irish oaks, so we'll see if the oaks form is also franked by the runner up.

[@glynnevans1851]

@@normansmithers7631 Quite agree with you sir but Light years behind Roberto, Sir Ivor n Nijinsky. Kind regards Glynn n greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands UK 🤝

[@gregl6527]

@@glynnevans1851 what about sea bird Glyn ?

[@glynnevans1851]

@@gregl6527 Hi Greg, thanks for your reply sir. Sea Bird in my view was Momentous and his record remarkable. In general there is a lean to comparison from my era which is 1968 from myself. my late Dad was a keen race goer and that is how I became hooked. He ust to say it is very difficult to compare one era to another and sometimes impossible to judge too and ifs buts n may be s don't win races especially Grand National 1967 he was referring to. My comparison was the late 60s n early 70s Derby winners 'were far superior to 81 n 85 mainly because the opposition fields were exstreamly high class however my late Dad ust to say there is no such statement as a bad Derby!. May I also say our greatest ever miler must be Brigadier Gerard. These are only my views and I respect anyone else s comments and views with great interest sir. Kind regards Glynn n greetings from Stourbridge West Midlands UK🤝

[@kevinflaherty9669]

Petoski won a classic king George slip made him look pedestrian

[@WESSERPARAQUAT]

i think Law Society might win it

[@sweetkees]

Impressive, respect!

[@steveo7165]

Great performance on the day by horse & jockey 🏇