World Racing Weekly: Ancient Egypt, David Egan & Behrayna

Ancient Egypt And David Egan Aim To End Derby Famine

Last Sunday we had the Tokyo Yushun and Prix du Jockey Club, Tuesday was the Derby Italiano, and this Saturday we have the oldest of them all, the Derby itself, the original at Epsom, on a weekend that also features the Oaks and Coronation Cup, the Gold Challenge in South Africa, the Yasuda Kinen in Japan and the last leg of the U.S. Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes.

It’s a Group 1 feast. But one horse aiming to end a long famine is Ancient Egypt, trained in North Yorkshire by Charlie Johnston. You have to go back to 1945, to Dante, for the last time a horse trained in England’s northern region won the Derby. 

Ancient Egypt is around a 16-1 shot, behind the likely favourite, Coolmore’s Aidan O’Brien-trained Benvenuto Cellini and Juddmonte’s unbeaten Item from the Andrew Balding yard. But the AMO Racing-owned Ancient Egypt has won three of four career starts, including the Listed Newmarket Stakes over 10 furlongs on May 1.

The Frankel colt galloped on the lead and drew away for a two-length success that day under Rowan Scott, but it will be AMO’s number one jockey David Egan aboard in the Derby, just as he was last week when Ancient Egypt had a preparatory gallop on the undulating Epsom track.

“He did that work very well,” Egan told Idol Horse. “He ticked all the boxes and gave the team more confidence that he’d handle Epsom. He’s a very well-balanced horse, he’s gonna stay the Derby trip and the undulations and the whole test shouldn’t be a problem.”

Egan’s only time race-riding Ancient Egypt so far came in his third and last start as a juvenile, when seventh in the G2 Royal Lodge Stakes.  

“That wasn’t a true reflection of his ability,” Egan said. “He was beaten from a long way out and probably just didn’t give a true account of himself. So you put a line through that and it’s three very strong runs going into a classic.

“In the Newmarket Stakes he looked like a horse that would get a mile and a half. The way he hit the line and showed a lot of class, he was a very nice winner and wasn’t stopping at the line, which is what you want to see in your Derby trial.”

Rain has fallen and the forecast suggests the going might be good to soft on Saturday. 

“He’s only ever run on good to firm, so I couldn’t really comment on if he’ll handle the ground, but the ground was well-watered on the gallop morning, and he came down the hill well, so we go in there riding him confident that he’s going to handle the ground, that’s all we can do.”

Last year, the Johnston-trained Lazy Griff defied odds of 50-1 to place second in the Derby. And with horses trained in England’s north going 81 years without a win, Egan understands what victory would mean for him, for the stable and for racing in the north.

“The world is watching, the Derby gets worldwide attention,” he said. “The race has such prestige and obviously some great horses have won it throughout the years. Horses that win the Derby have gone on to be so important to our bloodlines, here in Europe especially, it has such importance for the breed itself.

“It’s a race held in very high regard, so (for me) it would be like an up-and-coming jockey in Japan winning the Japan Cup. It’s great that there’s such a strong field. It’s an open race and I feel I’ve got a very good horse to compete.”

The day before the Derby, the fillies will race in the Oaks. It’s been a long time since a northern England-trained horse won that, too: Pia in 1967. Then on Saturday Calandagan will head a top-class edition of the G1 Coronation Cup over 12 furlongs for older horses.

Meanwhile, in Japan it’s an open Yasuda Kinen. And in New York, there’s the rematch in the Belmont Stakes between the Kentucky Derby first and second Golden Tempo and Renegade, ridden by the brothers Jose and Irad Ortiz. With the race distance reduced to 10 furlongs this time, it promises to be another thriller.“Golden Tempo does a little better with a little bit more distance,” Cherie DeVaux told Idol Horse. “He needs to have the race set up, there has to be pace and then he comes with his run.”

This Week In Horse Racing History

June 4, 1913 stands as one of the most infamous and tragic days in the sport’s history. It was the day Emily Davison, a suffragette, stepped into the oncoming Derby runners as they came down Tattenham Corner at full gallop. She was struck by the king’s horse Anmer (debate continues as to whether she intentionally targeted the monarch’s horse to attach a suffragette flag or made a fatal misjudgement as she crossed the track) and died of her injuries four days later. Anmer fell and jockey Herbert Jones was knocked unconscious but was fit to ride Anmer at Royal Ascot two weeks later.

Meanwhile, there was more drama at the finish line as the 6-4 favourite Craganour and the 100-1 outsider Aboyeur fought a close finish with Johnny Reiff on the former and Edwin Piper on the latter both driving, leaning their mounts into each other and Aboyeur even attempting to bite Craganour. It was Craganour who passed the post in front of Aboyeur in a blanket finish. But for the first time, the Derby winner was disqualified and Aboyeur took the spoils. 

Steve Cauthen made history on June 5 1985 when he became the first jockey to win the Kentucky Derby and the Derby at Epsom. Cauthen’s Kentucky Derby win in 1978 was achieved with the Triple Crown winner Affirmed, while his 1985 Derby success in England was on Slip Anchor.

Idol Horse Reads Of The Week

Cherie DeVaux’s world changed forever when Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby. The history-making trainer spoke to David Morgan about the media whirlwind that saw her on prime national TV and pitching at Yankee stadium, as well as the tough times and the determination to always achieve high.

David Morgan

Cherie DeVaux: Suddenly Famous

Michael Cox and Frank Chang spoke to trainer Katsuhiko Sumii and jockey Yasunari Iwata this week and this compelling feature tells the comedic story of the day Iwata rode Sumii’s Delta Blues to win the Melbourne Cup. It was Iwata’s first time riding overseas, he had two rides that day, the first got him a roasting from an Australian great and the second was an imperfect, improbable victory. 

Michael Cox, Frank Chang

“Rode Like A Clown”: The Accidental Melbourne Cup Legend Yasunari Iwata

Epsom racecourse has been working to revitalise its Derby day experience since last year’s dismal washout when a sparse crowd of around 20,000 people and very few young faces endured a rainy afternoon with a flat atmosphere. David Morgan was there and his report from the day is worth revisiting.

David Morgan

Lordan Shows There’s Derby Magic On A Sparse, Wet Day On The Downs

Racing Photo Of The Week

Date
31 May, 2026

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@Tezo39919290 (X user)

Location
Tokyo Racecourse

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Global Blackbook

There was plenty of potential on display at Chantilly before last Sunday’s G1 Prix du Jockey Club, with the sharp juvenile gelding Tokaido winning the Listed Prix La Fleche and surely destined for better still, and the three-year-old filly Behrayna mightily impressive in winning the G3 Prix de Royaumont.

We’re going to focus on the latter because while the Amy Murphy-trained Tokaido is one to keep an eye on, Behrayna is surely destined for the top grade after she won by two lengths eased down at the end of the 2400m contest. She is now unbeaten in three after making her debut as recently as April 5. 

The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained filly is from a good family that often imbues class and stoutness: her granddam Behkara was a Group 2 winner who produced the G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Behkabad, while her third dam Behera won the G1 Prix Saint-Alary. Behrayna already holds an entry to the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October.

She could be special! 😍

Behrayna makes it three from three in the Group Three Prix de Royaumount with a sparkling display at Chantilly… 🇫🇷@GraffardRacing | @AgaKhanStuds pic.twitter.com/L6ytUwGdTG

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 31, 2026

World Horse Racing Calendar: What’s Coming Up

Oaks Day
Epsom, England, June 5

Heavy rain this week will impact the going conditions and quite likely the shape of the fields, with trainer Aidan O’Brien’s recent G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Precise not certain to take her chance if the ground is soft. Stablemate Amelia Earhart, still at the head of the antepost betting for the fillies’ classic after her win in the Listed Cheshire Oaks last time, should not be affected. Legacy Link, trained by John and Thady Gosden to win the G3 Musidora Stakes at York, is prominent in considerations, while the Charlie Johnston stable’s G1 1,000 Guineas third Venetian Lace is also set to take her chance.

Derby Day
Epsom, England, June 6

G3 Chester Vase winner Benvenuto Cellini heads the Derby market but he’s another that might not love juice in the ground. His trainer Aidan O’Brien is seeking a French-English Derby double after he had the first three home in last Sunday’s G1 Prix du Jockey Club. Meanwhile, trainer Andrew Balding is chasing an Italian-English Derby double with his G2 Dante Stakes winner Item aiming to follow up stablemate Venetian Prince’s win in Rome on Tuesday.

The afternoon also has a top renewal of the G1 Coronation Cup, with last year’s ‘World’s Best’ Calandagan facing last year’s Derby hero Lambourn, as well as last year’s Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel and the high-class Convergent and Sea The Fire.

Gold Challenge Day
Greyville, South Africa, June 6

The G1 Gold Challenge is a prime lead-in to the G1 Durban July and Dave The King is aiming for a hat-trick of wins in the mile contest. But he faces stiff opposition in the forms of See It Again, winner of the G1 Cape Town Met and the G1 Premier’s Champions Challenge this term, the top-class Eight On Eighteen, the in-form Questioning and The Real Prince, winner of the G1 King’s Plate back in January.

The Stradbroke & Q22
Eagle Farm, Australia, June 13

The 1400m G1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm is one of the highlights of Brisbane’s winter carnival and last year War Machine landed the spoils. New Zealand star Rough Habit won the race back-to-back in 1991 and 1992, while other notable victors are Dane Ripper, Daybreak Lover, Tofane and Alligator Blood. The day also features the G2 Q22 over 2200m and the G1 JJ Atkins Stakes over a mile for two-year-olds.

Royal Ascot
Ascot, England, June 16-20

The five-day Royal Ascot meeting features a wealth of high-class racing, the highlights being the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes in which last year’s winner Ombudsman could clash with the Arc winner Daryz, the G1 Queen Anne Stakes, G1 Gold Cup, G1 St James’s Palace Stakes, G1 Coronation Stakes, G1 King Charles III Stakes, G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and G1 Commonwealth Cup. 

Irish Derby Day 
Curragh, Ireland, June 28

The Irish Derby was first run in 1866 and it is not uncommon to see the Derby winner at Epsom head to Ireland to attempt the Derby double. Orby in 1907 was the first to achieve that feat and last year saw Lambourn become the latest. Lambourn’s trainer Aidan O’Brien has won the Irish Derby an incredible 17 times, the first being Desert King in 1997.

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