Ten Bob Tony (11-2) won the first staging of the Betfred Tattenham Corner Stakes at Epsom Downs, the opening contest on Derby Day.

The seven-furlong Group Three was previously held at Haydock Park and known as the John Of Gaunt Stakes. Ironically, the last winner of the contest at its old venue was Ten Bob Tony, who prevailed in the 2025 running.

Witness Stand (12-1) put a gallant to make but was caught close home by Ten Bob Tony, with the five-year-old prevailing by a head.

Successful trainer Ed Walker said: “He just needs these conditions, and that was mega. It was very easy watching, and Kieran gave him a peach. He just relaxed, they went a nice pace, and a few of the fancied horses never got into it. It panned out really well.

“Last year it was very quick ground all summer, but he ran great in the Foret. We’ve got to pick our battles, and annoyingly seven-furlong Group 1s and Group 2s on soft ground don’t grow on trees. The Foret is his race again, and if we did have to go any distance other than seven furlongs I’d probably rather go a mile than back to six, which we’ve tried a few times and doesn’t work. He’ll pop up in a big one some time.”

Winning jockey Kieran Shoemark said: “You couldn’t not like him, he’s so flashy. I feel like he deserves this, he’s a wonderful horse. He’s got a pretty high rating and everything just went to plan. We got a lovely tow into it, he stays the trip well, he enjoys the easy conditions underfoot. Everything went pretty tip top.”

Asked about the conditions and whether he thinks they will all come stands side in the Derby, Shoemark said: “I suspect they will do. I know it’s a little bit further to come over today compared to yesterday, but it seems pretty easy. It’s soft ground and there’s no getting away from it, the quicker ground is up against the stands-side rail.”

Jamie Insole, joint-trainer of the runner-up Witness Stand alongside Dr Richard Newland, said: “Billy (Loughnane) said he’s back to his best - probably not having run for three months found him out in the last 50 yards, but he said he felt great. Hopefully we’ve got him back to his best. We’ve tinkered with his wind a little bit - we just weren’t happy that he was finishing his races. He’s back on top of his game here today, I’m just gutted.

“He won the Lennox and was second in the Hungerford last year, second here today - he’s building up a really nice CV. We’re a fairly new yard, it’s only our third season with Flat horses. Trying to get these big ones is tough, but he’s been a revelation for us, and it was a super ride. Matt Holdsworth got him for £100,000 in the horses-in-training sales.

“Billy said we’ve got to go across, we’re going to use up a bit of petrol, but he felt that was the best course, and everything followed. It’s gutting - it’s so good to see him back at the top level and performing like he did today on one of the biggest days in the world, but sometimes… I think I’ve had eight or nine seconds in the past 10 days. This one hurts.”

Following the running of the first race, the going on the Derby Course was changed to Good to Soft all over (from Good to Soft, Good in places).

In the Group Three Princess Elizabeth Stakes (Sponsored by Chapel Down), a mile contest for fillies and mares, there was a sharp difference of opinion. While six of the seven jockeys opted to cross over to the stands’ after rounding Tattenham Corner, Laura Pearson aboard the David Loughnane-trained Sparks Fly (7-2) stuck to the far side rail up the home straight.

Pearson’s judgment was fully vindicated when the six-year-old Sparks Fly came home the comfortable eight-and-a-length winner.

The 25-year-old said: “Only a couple of rides ago here this was the place I broke my neck, so it’s great to come back with a winner instead.

“She’s aged like absolute fine wine. She’s improved every year for us. It’s massive for the team. Kayleigh, who rides her every day, says you can tell she’s a bit of a madam, she likes doing her own thing, so Kayleigh has done an absolutely incredible job with her.”

On seeing the rest of the field was so far behind, she said: “I think I questioned it, I’m pretty sure I turned around about twice to double check! I knew they were probably going to come up to the stands-side rail, and I just had to be brave. She’s such a trooper she doesn’t even need horses around her to gallop on like that.”

The jockey went on to say: "When it came down to it, it’s just not complicated for her. We do the same tactics-wise every time this filly runs. I’ve never been so confident coming into a race as I was today. It was never in doubt in my mind. I knew what I had underneath me, and I knew she’s not the type of horse that has to have other horses round her to put her best foot forward.

“I knew she’d handle the bend, it was never going to unbalance her, so I thought let’s keep it easy.

“I know my filly always hangs left, so there was no point rolling down to roll back up again. She loves being out in front - she doesn’t have to be in front, but she likes her own company, as we proved today.

“I made sure I looked round a couple of times at the others, and about a furlong and a half out I knew I had them covered, but you never know. The finishing line was all that mattered to me.

“This race last year, I probably wasn’t as hard as I needed to be early on, meaning we were shuffled back a lot further on the rail, and I didn’t want the same thing to happen again. She used to run a bit keen under me, so I never used to want to roll her out of the gates, but as she’s grown up, she’s really matured, so that wasn’t going to be a problem - I just wanted to make sure she was out in front.

“She’s probably got plenty left underneath her again after this. She’s been incredible at home. Kayley, who rides her every day, says she’s been tanking up the gallops. Today was never in doubt.

“Crossing the line, I felt relief. I had the Group Three with her in France, but I really wanted to get the monkey off my back and get it in the UK, and I think last year I was questioning whether or not hanging my boots up would be the next step, and I think today has just brought that hunger back for me.”

Successful owner-breeder David Lowe said: “I’m chuffed to bits. It’s been a long way back to the big time, but we are here! She’s very special and Laura gets on with her so well, they’re a fantastic team. I’ve always had faith in Laura from the day she sat on her, we kept the faith in her because Laura is a very under-rated rider and is very good.”

He said it was “always the plan” to go far side and added: “She hangs left anyway, she used to in her early days, she doesn’t hang as much now, but she still likes getting her own way and getting on that rail – let her do what she wants if she wins like that!”

Billy Loughnane, rider of runner-up Love Dynasty, said: “Love Dynasty ran really well and is obviously a filly who enjoys soft ground. Sparks Fly is obviously very good on it - I rode her last time and she’s a Group One filly on soft ground - but she hangs badly left and always has done, so coming across with the rest of us was never an option for Laura.”