In pictures: Here’s what to expect at Epsom on Derby weekend

Aside from being one of the biggest flat races in the British calendar, the Derby at Epsom brings together those quintessential aspects of Britishness together with the love of the ‘Sport of Kings’.

Golden Horn heads to Surrey as the standout 6/4 favourite for the blue riband event, and while John Gosden’s charge may steal the headlines there will be plenty of other things scrapping for their column inches.

So without further ado, here’s what you can expect to see on Friday and Saturday across Epsom’s Derby meeting.

Royalty…

June is always a busy month for ‘Liz with Epsom preceding the Royal Ascot meeting.

The Downs haven’t been a successful place for our monarch in recent years though, with well fancied favourite Carlton House going closest when finishing third despite losing a shoe in 2011.

Celebrities…

Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins sang the National Anthem in 2012, while the likes of Sir Geoff Hurst, Kenny Dalglish, Jodie Kidd and Katie Price have all been photographed enjoying the action.

Fashion…

With plenty of snappers about, it isn’t just the rich and famous that like to dress to impress on Derby weekend.

Fashion takes centre stage in between races at the course, with a plethora of colours adorning the visiting public.

Every year the drive to go bigger and wackier in the hat department also never fails to amaze.

Pimms…

It’s fair to say the watching racegoers like to get into the spirit of things when it comes to the consuming of beverages.

The drink of choice on Derby day seems to be Pimms, the fruit-based spirit seen as more of a refined alternative to beer and vodka.

How refined you can be after an afternoon polishing the stuff off remains to be seen though.

Party buses

Visitors can hire out the open-topped party venues to enjoy the best views as the runners come thundering around Tattenham Corner.

They remain the place to be for a good time on the first weekend of June.

This man smiling a lot…

Few trainers work their magic quite as well as Aidan O’Brien does at the Derby meeting.

Not only has he won the big race four times and the Oaks five times, but he has also landed the Group 1 Coronation Cup in seven of the last 10 years.

The well-backed Giovanni Cannoletto looks his best chance for another success this year.

And a few decent horses along the way…

The undoubted stars of the show, Derby weekend has seen some of the greatest ever strut their stuff.

In fact, eight of Timeform’s 15 highest rated horses of all time ran in the Derby, with four taking the big prize, the most recent being Sea The Stars in 2009.

We’ve seen some dominant performances over the years, including Workforce’s track record-breaking victory in 2010.

Who knows? We could see something similar this year.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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