Epsom security stop Derby pub drinkers staging race over track
A group of pub drinkers have been thwarted in a cheeky attempt to stage a pony and trap race over the course of the £1.5million Betfred Derby at Epsom Downs.
Although the world famous racecourse is owned by the Jockey Club, the track is located in a public space with the infield area free to visitors, even on racedays. Security is always heightened in the lead-up to the Derby Festival to ensure no damage occurs to the racing surface.
A potentially serious problem was averted after there was incursion on Saturday last week, seven days before the richest race of the year.
Epsom general manager Jim Allen explained: 'Because this is all free access, there were 14 people with ponies and carts here on Saturday afternoon.
'They came around the inside road and got onto the track at about the one mile, two marker, where they were trotting down to the Derby start in preparation to race.
'A security guard spotted them, drove over in a truck and got them all off within half a furlong, near the entrance to George Baker's stables. They got off and never came back. We managed to keep them off the track apart from a furlong.'
Every year during a Derby week a section of the Downs, adjacent to the track, is occupied by travellers but Allen said they were not involved with the incident.
'It certainly wasn't the travellers here on the site,' he said. 'They came from somewhere local. They'd been drinking in the Derby Arms for a while and suddenly took off.
'There was no damage to the track. The ground was obviously quite quick and the ponies were so small. All they did was flatten the grass but they didn't pull up any divots at all.
'We did notify the police but the group disappeared quite quickly and never came back. It was purely because this site is so open, it's a constant concern that anybody can get on the track.'
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