Meet the 80-year-old granny battling billionaires with her Derby ‘superstar' tinged with sadness
In what has been billed as the ultimate David vs Goliath showdown, this 'proud Yorkshirewoman' with just six horses is daring to dream in the world's most prestigious race.
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Vimy Aykroyd, second from right, is the 80-year-old gran taking on the billionaires with her Derby 'superstar' Pride Of Arras
Credit: Steven Cargill / Racingfotos.com
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Victory in the Derby would be a dream come true, although tinged with sadness as Vimy's husband David is in care with dementia and is unaware the horse is running in the world's most famous Flat race
Credit: PA
Meet Vimy Aykroyd, racing royalty, rebel and the owner of 5-1 chance Pride Of Arras.
At stake is the small matter of £900,000 for victory, a place in history and a lucrative, money-spinning career at stud for their three-year-old colt.
But also the realisation of a dream that started 26 years ago when Vimy first sent horses to trainer Ralph Beckett.
Their families are intertwined, with Vimy having spent time with the Becketts growing up.
When Ralph, son of trainer William, started his own yard in 1999, Vimy - Lavinia for full - was one of the first to send him horses.
In the years since Beckett has pretty much done it all.
Millions upon millions in prize money, Arc de Triomphe victory with Bluestocking last year, Group 1s galore and Royal Ascot success.
But he's never won the Derby.
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Over the past decade, the 1m4f race over the undulating, rolling Epsom track has been a happy hunting ground for the billionaire tycoons who dominate the sport.
Since 2017 it has been won by either Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed - under his Godolphin operation - or the all-conquering Coolmore group, made up of Irish racing boss John Magnier and British former bookies Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.
Only in 2017, with Desert Crown, did it go to someone else - Dubai businessman Saeed Suhail.
In fact, you have to go to diamond dealer Anthony Oppenheimer in 2015 for the last sole British owner to win the Derby, when he did it with Golden Horn.
It's a tough gig when you're literally battling those with the financial might of an entire country behind them.
But Vimy's more than used to overcoming adversity.
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Sadly Vimy's husband David - her late husband's brother - seen here with Vimy in 2021, is now in a care home with dementia
So can he win? Templegate's verdict
By Steve Mullen (Templegate)
PRIDE OF ARRAS absolutely can win the Derby.
It may not have been a vintage Dante he won at York last time but Ralph Beckett's colt showed real class to get the job done.
He really enjoyed stepping up to 1m2f and screams that he'll love the Derby distance too.
There is lots of stamina in his pedigree but no shortage of speed either.
It was good to see him accelerate once getting a gap on the Knavesmire and the Dante winning time was decent too.
That was just his second run - and it came after nine months off - so you would expect a lot more from this talented colt.
Beckett knows what it takes to win at the highest level and there is still some 5-1 about which looks an each-way bet to nothing.
I would be surprised if he was outside the first three in the big race.
Mischievous by nature, she wasn't always the best student and racing was in her blood given her grandad won the Grand National in 1891.
When women were allowed to ride in Flat races for the first time in 1972 she naturally took part and won on a horse called Old Cock.
Personal life took over when she moved to Spain with husband Richard Aykroyd - but he died from cancer in 1997.
Vimy returned to London and then Yorkshire, where she married her late husband's brother David, who has been described as 'the epitome of the English gentleman'.
Sadly, the
Pride Of Arras was 50-1 for the Derby before he won the Dante at York - the key trial for the Epsom contest - last month.
Beckett was bullish of his chances in the big one immediately after and there is no doubt he is the big British hope this year.
A fairytale story, victory and overcoming odds? Sounds like Vimy Aykroyd all over.
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