On the first weekend in June Epsom Downs Racecourse will host one of the most iconic events in the British sporting and social calendar - The Vodafone Derby Festival. A truly unmissable two day festival of horse racing which dates back to 1780.

Vodafone Ladies Day starts the festival on Friday, 1st June and is a wonderfully stylish day out. It's the place to dress up in your best to see the finest three year old fillies competing in The Vodafone Oaks.

The Vodafone Derby is the showpiece of the flat racing season and headlines a great day of racing. It remains the race that everyone wants to win as horses and riders are pushed to their limit around the challenging course. Derby Day is a great day out and always has a very special atmosphere.

Frankie Dettori rode favourite Authorized to an emphatic win as he ended his Epsom Derby jinx in style.

The Peter Chapple-Hyam-trained colt hit the front two furlongs out and finished five lengths clear to give Dettori his first win in 15 attempts.

"It was like the whole world was shouting over the last 100 yards," Dettori told BBC Sport. "I was full of emotion. I had to pinch myself."

Eagle Mountain was second, with Aqualeem third out of the 17 runners.

Chapple-Hyam celebrated his second win in the Derby, after Dr Devious triumphed in 1992.

"He's a very good horse. I've always thought he was from day one," he told BBC Sport.

"He's never let me down and has a serious turn of foot. He travels and you can do most things with him.

"Frankie was probably a bit further back than I wanted him to be but Authorized has got so much class."

Authorized went off as the 5-4 market leader, having shown he was a genuine contender for top honours with victory in the Dante Stakes at York.

Dettori's popularity, coupled with the colt's form, meant money poured in for Authorized ahead of Saturday's race and bookmakers had predicted a £20m payout should the pair win.

However, the last odds-on favourite to win the Derby was the legendary Shergar in 1981 and there were some early nerves for Authorized's backers as he sat well off the early pace set by Kid Mambo.

Authorized was 10th of the 17 runners as the field approached the descent to Tattenham Corner but he cruised through the field with two furlongs remaining and a few gentle reminders from his jockey put the race to bed.

Former champion jockey Jamie Spencer appeals on Monday against a riding ban which would rule him out of the Epsom Derby meeting on 1 and 2 June.

Spencer is due to ride second favourite Dalvina in the Oaks and 16-1 chance Regime in the Derby.

He is fighting a 10-day ban for careless riding on Excellent Art in the French 2000 Guineas at Longchamp.

The French suspension effectively rules him out of Epsom as it came on top of a two-day penalty imposed in Britain.

Spencer lost his appeal last week to the Horseracing Regulatory Authority over the earlier Ascot ban.

It ruled him of action on 23 and 24 May, but the Irish rider then picked up a separate 10-day riding ban in France.

Unless his appeal against the French suspension is successful, he will miss the Epsom fixture, featuring the famous fillies Classic, the Oaks on 1 June, and the colts' equivalent, the Derby a day later.

The 26-year-old rider was found guilty of not riding out for sixth place aboard High Heel Sneakers at Ascot on 12 May.

Having heard evidence from the jockey and viewed video recordings of the race, the HRA's disciplinary panel upheld the decision of the Berkshire stewards.

A day later Spencer was handed a 10-day suspension at Longchamp for careless riding aboard fourth-placed Excellent Art in the French Guineas.

That ban was due to run from 22-31 May inclusive and the HRA informed the French authorities that the two suspensions coincided.

In that case, new dates will be put forward for the 10-day ban should Spencer's appeal to France Galop fail.

It is thought Spencer's second suspension would begin the day after his Ascot ban ends and run until 4 June, ruling him out of both Epsom Classics.

He has ridden four times in the Derby, with his best finish of third coming on Moon Ballad in 2002.

Authorized is the hot Derby favourite, and Frankie Dettori has been booked to ride the Dante Stakes winner.

The Italian-born jockey will be having his 15th ride in the world's most famous Flat race, but is seeking his first victory.

Frankie Dettori has been granted permission to ride hot favourite Authorized in the Vodafone Derby at Epsom on Saturday, 2 June.

The Italian has been released by Sheikh Mohammed from his Godolphin duties to continue his association with Peter Chapple-Hyam's colt.

"It's very kind of his Highness to let me off," said Dettori, who is seeking an elusive first success in the race.

Dettori, who rode Authorized to victory in the Dante Stakes at York, has failed to win the world's most famous flat race in 14 previous.

His best finish was second on Tamure in 1995, but trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam has tasted Derby success with Dr Devious in 1992.

"We would like to extend our thanks to Sheikh Mohammed for allowing this," said Chapple-Hyam.

"It is a sporting and kind gesture and we are very grateful to him."

Godolphin still have three of the 22 horses - Eastern Anthem, Jalil and Mythical Kid - left in the Derby at the second forfeit stage.

Five horses have been added to the Vodafone Derby at the second entry stage at a cost of £8,000 each.
They are the Godolphin pair Dijeer and Mythical Kid; the Barry Hills-trained Dubai Twilight; Finicius, trained in Ireland by Eoin Griffin; and Kid Mambo, trained locally by Terry Mills. The race is run at Epsom on June 2.