Epsom Derby Gets Purse Boost for 2017
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The purse for the June 3, 2017, Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-I) will be increased to £1.5 million, up 13.2% from the £1.325 million purse for the 237th running of the race on June 4, 2016.
Yearling entries for 2017 classic close at noon Dec. 1. The cost of entering a horse for the 2017 Derby as a yearling rises from £500 to £560.
"We are continuing to invest in its status and one aspect of that important both to us and to our long-term partners, Investec (an international specialist bank and asset manager), is to ensure the classic remains the richest race in Britain," said Andrew Cooper, head of racing for Jockey Club Racecourses' London Region and clerk of the course at Epsom Downs.
The entry system will be the same as before, with the yearling stage followed by two more entry opportunities. These both come in the year of the race, with an additional entry stage on April 4, 2017, costing £9,000 (previously £8,000) and the supplementary entry stage, five days beforehand, on Monday, May 29, 2017, rising to £85,000 from £75,000.