Kentucky Derby Museum takes off to the Epsom Derby

Replica Derby Trophy will be on display at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 3rd June 2023

London. (1st June 2023) – Kentucky Derby Museum and Louisville Tourism are partnering with The Jockey Club to bring an iconic piece of the Kentucky Derby back to where it all began - the Epsom Derby in England. In 1875, when the first Kentucky Derby was run at Louisville's brand-new flat racetrack, Churchill Downs, The Jockey Club in England was preparing for the 95th running of the Epsom Derby.

The replica Kentucky Derby Trophy will be on display at the Epsom Downs Racecourse, just 20 miles south of London, for the 244th running of the Epsom Derby on Saturday, 3rd June 2023. The Epsom Derby was the inspiration for the Kentucky Derby, which will celebrate its 150th running in May 2024.

Katrina Helmer, Director of communications of the Kentucky Derby Museum will be in attendance at the Epsom Derby to engage with guests and media to highlight the unique ties between British and American racing. The trophy's maiden journey to England will launch the Museum's line-up of celebrations leading up to Kentucky Derby 150. 

"The Kentucky Derby Museum is honoured to be a guest at the Epsom Derby," said Patrick Armstrong, Kentucky Derby Museum President and CEO. "We're excited to travel back to our Derby roots and share how the greatest two minutes in sports is an integral part in Louisville's story and Kentucky's success. We believe a trip to Derby 150 will be a bucket-list item for British horseracing fans, and we're excited for the Museum to be part of Louisville's continued growth in international tourism."

The iconic Churchill Downs and Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville pay homage to the thoroughbred horse and are diligently working to bring Derby history to life for the 150th Run for the Roses with a new exhibit and exciting events.

"We're thrilled to be welcoming the Kentucky Derby trophy and the team from Louisville to Epsom Downs this weekend for The Derby Festival," said Matt Woolston, Assistant Racing and International Director at The Jockey Club. "We're keen to do more to link up with the different Derbys around the world that can trace their origins back to Epsom in 1780, and initiatives like this can only help in growing the international audience for this iconic event." 

Louisville is an entirely different type of Southern. With a booming bourbon renaissance, over 120 iconic attractions, world-class hotels & venues and a renowned culinary scene, Louisville is an experience like no other city. Louisville is a city that combines heritage with innovation, authenticity with originality, and quirkiness with friendliness in a way that's completely unique to the region. In addition to horse racing, Louisville is just as proud of its other great sporting history, as the birthplace of Muhammad Ali and the famed Louisville Slugger.

Now, with new British Airways direct flights from London Heathrow to the Cincinnati region launching on 5thJune – the only direct flight between the UK and all of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, Louisville and Kentucky are now even easier to reach, creating incredible new opportunities for tourism and business across both sides of the pond. The flight will operate five times per week in the summer season and four in the winter.

To learn more about the history of the Kentucky Derby and its ties to the Epsom Derby, go to DerbyMuseum.org/Derby150. 

For more travel tips and information about places to stay and experience in Louisville KY, visit GoToLouisville.com

MEDIA NOTE: Interviews with Kentucky Derby Museum and The Jockey Club can be coordinated upon request. Archival images from both Derbys and pictures from the replica trophy's trip can also be provided. Katrina Helmer, KDM's Director of Communications, will be traveling with the trophy and can be reached by emailing khelmer@derbymuseum.org or lucy@mdsg.eu for more specific Louisville Tourism enquiries.