Hickstead Derby field is wide open after reigning champion is ruled out

The leading contender for this Sunday’s Al Shira’aa Derby at Hickstead has been ruled out of this year’s class.

Reigning champion David Simpson will miss the Derby after his nine-year-old stallion Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve picked up a mild viral infection.

“It’s such bad timing, but welfare is paramount to me, and my horse has to come first,” said Irish rider David. “I was so looking forward to trying to defend my title, but the Al Shira’aa Derby is a huge challenge – it’s twice as long as any other showjumping course, with 21 jumping efforts – so horses need to be at the peak of fitness.

“Pjotr Van De Kruishoeve is still a young horse, being only eight when he won the Derby last year, so he’ll hopefully be back for many more Derbies in the future.”

When David Simpson picked up his first Hickstead Derby title 12 months ago, he denied four-time champion William Funnell a record fifth win. David’s absence in this year’s class has given William’s chances of setting a new record a real boost, with the Surrey rider now the favourite to lift the Boomerang Trophy.

In 2023, William came second with Dublon and third with Equine America Billy Diamo, who has since been sold. Having produced two superb clears with both horses – something no rider had ever managed before in the same year in the history of the Hickstead Derby – he will be hoping to repeat the feat of jumping clear with Dublon.

The reigning King George V Gold Cup winner Robert Whitaker brings two horses to Hickstead – Vermento will jump in the World Ranking classes, while the 2023 Derby Trial winner Evert could be real contender for the Al Shira’aa Derby itself. Robert has had several top 10 placings in the Derby, and this year has a good chance of becoming the fourth member of his famous family to win the class, following in the footsteps of his father John and uncle Michael (both four-time winners) and cousin William, who won in 2016.

Shane Breen produced a textbook round on Can Ya Makan to win the 60th Al Shira’aa Derby in 2022, and he could well add another Derby win to his CV. The Hickstead based rider brings forward two Hickstead Derby debutants for this year’s class – the nine-year-old Fanfan De Beaufour and the 12-year-old Nows The Time, a horse owned by former champion jockey AP McCoy and ridden by his daughter Eve.

It could be the year we finally see a lady rider win the Al Shira’aa Derby, for the first time since Tina Fletcher won on Promised Land in 2011. Ellen Whitaker has high hopes for the former eventer, Demi Louvo, while Sammie-Jo Coffin hopes to do even better than her seventh place in 2023 with Chaccomo Blue.

Olympic event rider Gemma Stevens is also hoping to build on her 2023 results, and finishing 12^th with Envoy Merelsnest Z. Fellow event rider Mathies Rüder from Germany makes his Hickstead Derby debut with For Freedom EKT.

Other contenders include former world champion Dermott Lennon, the 2010 Hickstead Derby winner Guy Williams, and Joseph Clayton with Tim Gredley’s Gentlemen Vh Veldhof.

“It really is a wide open field for this year’s Al Shira’aa Derby, and we’re looking forward to seeing which combinations are on form in Friday’s Agria Derby Trial,” said Hickstead Director Lizzie Bunn. “We are sorry not to see David Simpson come back to defend his title, but it would be an incredible feat for William Funnell to set a new record with five wins, and I don’t think there’ll be a dry eye in the house if he accomplishes this feat. But the history of the Derby is filled with surprise results, and it wouldn’t be a shock if a first-time winner lifted the Boomerang Trophy this year.”

The start list for the Al Shira’aa Derby will be confirmed on the Saturday evening. Tickets for the Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting (20-23 June) are available online, or can be purchased at the gate.

All the action from the International Arena will be livestreamed on ClipMyHorse.TV and Hickstead.TV.