Trial races for the Epsom Derby are horse races during April and May which are contested by three-year-olds likely to run in the Epsom Derby in early June.
Most Derby runners appear in at least one race in the weeks before the event, although some, such as the winners Lammtarra and Shaamit, may arrive at Epsom with no previous run as a three-year-old.
The leading trial of recent years has been the Dante Stakes, which has been contested by six subsequent winners of the Derby in the last twenty-one years. The following table shows any race classed at Listed level or above which served as a trial for a Derby winner during the period 1992 to 2012.
| Race | Derby winners from race 1992–2012 (won unless stated) |
| Prix La Force | Pour Moi (3rd) |
| Feilden Stakes | Erhaab (2nd) |
| Craven Stakes | Dr Devious (2nd) |
| Ballysax Stakes | Sinndar (2nd), Galileo, High Chaparral |
| Sandown Classic Trial | Benny the Dip (2nd) |
| 2,000 Guineas | Sir Percy (2nd), New Approach (2nd), Sea the Stars, Camelot |
| Kentucky Derby | Dr Devious (7th) |
| Dee Stakes | Oath, Kris Kin |
| Lingfield Derby Trial | High-Rise |
| Prix Greffulhe | Pour Moi |
| Chester Vase | Treasure Beach (2nd) |
| Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial | Sinndar, Galileo, High Chaparral |
| Dante Stakes | Erhaab, Benny the Dip, North Light, Motivator, Authorized, Workforce (2nd) |
| Glasgow Stakes | Commander in Chief |
| Irish 2,000 Guineas | New Approach (2nd) |
| Unraced as 3-y-o | Lammtarra, Shaamit |
Read more about Trial Races For The Epsom Derby: 2012 Derby Contenders, See Also
Famous quotes containing the words trial and/or races:
“The trial by market everything must come to.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“The so called white races are really pinko-grey.”
—E.M. (Edward Morgan)