Derby Italiano - Italy, Rome

Races - Italy - Rome

When: 10h00, Sunday, 11 May 2008

Where: Capannelle Racecourse, Rome, Italy

Description:

The Derby Italiano, with a purse of $900 000, is making huge changes in 2008 with race date changing to a fortnight earlier, as well as reducing the course by 200m. With such changes in hand it will be interesting to see the final results.

The Derby Italiano takes place at the beautiful Capannelle Racecourse in Rome and has a capability of hosting 20 000 visitors with this being maxed usually on ‘Derby day’. The Race is characterized as a flat race which is open to both thoroughbred fillies and colts three years of age. Originally the race was run over 2400m, but has been recently reduced to 2200m.

Interestingly the Derby Italiano made its first debut run in 1884 and would for the next hundred years be a race run only by horses foaled in Italy. However in 1981 the race was extended to those horses bred outside of Italy and has carried on ever since.