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Passion remains at Derby but empty spaces among Epsom spectators are growing

Lambourn’s victory lacked the atmosphere of previous years which are unlikely to return to the glory days of early centuryA yellow weather warning put a lid on the walk-up attendance on the Hill at Epsom on Saturday, and though the Derby itself avoided the worst of the rain, when it did finally arrive, about half an hour after the big race, it sent many spectators scurrying for an early exit. At the end of a three‑month period with historically low rainfall, it was horribly bad luck.But there was still something else missing throughout the afternoon at what was once Britain’s greatest public sporting event. Aidan O’Brien put his finger on it, albeit obliquely, after Lambourn’s all-the-way victory in the Classic. “Chester [where Lambourn trialled for Epsom in the Chester Vase] is a great place for putting an edge on a horse,” he said. “It wakes them up, there’s a great atmosphere there.” Continue reading...

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