What's in a name? How the Derby could have been the Bunbury

Photos: The Derby. The Bunbury. What's in a name?
It's the richest horse race in Britain, but the Epsom Derby only received its name on the toss of a coin.
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Photos: The Derby. The Bunbury. What's in a name?
The tale goes that during the celebrations following the inaugural running of the Oaks Stakes at Epsom in 1779, a new race was proposed. It would be named after the party's host, the 12th Earl of Derby, or one of the guests, Sir Charles Bunbury, depending on the toss.
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Photos: The Derby. The Bunbury. What's in a name?
Derby won the naming rights and the rest -- not least the Kentucky Derby -- is history.
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Photos: The Derby. The Bunbury. What's in a name?
This year's 238th edition of the Epsom Derby is worth nearly £1 million ($1.3 million) to the winning connections.
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Photos: The Derby. The Bunbury. What's in a name?
But, in the early years, drinking, carousing, gambling, cockfighting, illegal bare-knuckle boxing matches and all manner of other activities ran alongside the racing.
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Photos: The Derby. The Bunbury. What's in a name?
That didn't detract from its popularity, with the attendance swelling to around 8,000 in 1795 to 10 times that number in 1823, according to the official Epsom Derby website.
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