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Story highlights
- Wings of Eagles, 40-1, wins Epsom Derby
- Winning jockey Padraig Beggy defies odds in first Derby ride
- Sixth Derby win for trainer Aidan O'Brien
(CNN)Rank outsider Wings of Eagles stunned the field in Saturday's Epsom Derby, winning the 238th edition of Britain's richest horse race.
The 40-1 shot, ridden by Padraig Beggy, flew from the rear of the field to edge Cliffs of Moher and favorite Cracksman in a race of changing fortunes.
Renowned trainer Aidan O'Brien now has six winners to his name in the past 17 runnings -- just one off the all-time record -- but few expected Wings of Eagles to emerge victorious.
The three-year-old colt, son of 2011 Derby winner Pour Moi, is the biggest priced winner of the Derby since Snow Knight (50-1) in 1974.
"When you're riding for Aidan O'brien you don't worry about the price," Begg told broadcaster ITV. "They always have a chance!
"I don't get to sit on too many beasts like this at the races so I'm going to enjoy it."
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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Photos: The Derby. The Bunbury. What's in a name?
A full cross section of society still attends to this day. Queen Elizabeth II has only missed two races since 1946.
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Photos: The Derby. The Bunbury. What's in a name?
"There's no occasion that gets to you like the Derby," said two-time champion Frankie Dettori. "It's stressful and nerve-racking. You feel the tension, but that's a good thing -- if you arrived at Epsom and you didn't feel it, that would mean the Derby didn't matter. And believe me, it does."
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Photos: The Derby. The Bunbury. What's in a name?
This year's event takes place Saturday June 3. The Derby. The Bunbury. What's in a name?
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It was the jockey's first ever ride, and the O'brien pairing of Douglas Macarthur and The Anvil had looked the more likely in the early stages, opening up a three-length lead.
They were reined in by the bookie's favorites as the race approached the closing stages, with Ryan Moore's Cliffs Of Moher (5-1) and Frankie Dettori's Cracksman (7-2) striding ahead.
But with just two horses behind him with three furlongs to run, Beggy defied the odds to burst through the center.
"Paddy Beggy is a brilliant rider" enthused winning trainer O'Brien. "He's strong, he's got a great mind and is tactically very aware.
"What can I say? An absolutely world class rider. I can't tell you how delighted we are to have him working with us. I couldn't be happier"
It's a result that means Wings of Eagles joins the ranks of Galileo (2001), High Chaparral (2002), Camelot (2012), Ruler of the World (2013), and Australia (2014) -- all O'Brien winners.
It's a win that puts Beggy in the Derby history books.
"I'd probably given up on the big days," he said. "But Aidan O'Brien, bless him, has made it happen."
Dettori: Epsom Derby 'like football's World Cup' 05:48
