Which was the last horse to win the Chester Vase and the Derby?

The Chester Vase is a Group Three contest, run over an extended mile and a half at the Deeside venue during its May Festival. The race was established in 1907, but was restricted to three-year-old colts and geldings in 1959, since when it has been considered a Derby trial. Chester Racecourse does not feature a ‘Tattenham Corner’ per se, but is not wholly dissimilar to Epsom Downs insofar that there is a sharp, left-handed turn into the straight and crowds assemble on both sides of the track.

Undoubtedly the most famous winner in the history of the Chester Vase was Shergar who, in 1981, won by 12 lengths en route to his record-breaking 10-length win in the Derby. No Chester Vase won the Derby again until 2013, when Ruler Of The World, trained by Aidan O’Brien, easily justified odds-on favouritism on the Roodeye before following up at Epsom. The Galileo colt was the last horse to win both races but, in 2017, Wings Of Eagles finished runner-up to stable companion Venice Beach in the Chester Vase before springing a huge 40/1 surprise in the Derby.