RACING

Epsom Derby start time changed to avoid clash with FA Cup final

Race on June 3 will be run at 1.30pm after football’s showpiece fixture was moved to 3pm kick-off
Desert Crown won the Derby last year
Desert Crown won the Derby last year
DAVID DAVIES/PA WIRE

The Derby will be run at 1.30pm this summer, the earliest time in its 240-year history, to avoid a TV clash with the FA Cup final.

The race, at Epsom on June 3, had been due to start at 4.30pm. However, with both events being screened live by ITV — which is the only terrestrial station with rights to cover British racing — the Jockey Club, which owns Epsom, has moved the start time forward.

The timings clash had been caused by safety concerns raised by the Metropolitan Police once it was confirmed that the FA Cup final would be contested between Manchester City and Manchester United. As a result, the kick-off has been moved forward to a start time of 3pm. That meant a