UK newspaper The Guardian reported that The Tote's off-course betting turnover on the Derby was down by around a quarter on last year, while William Hill and Coral reported drops of around 20 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. The BBC said viewing for Saturday's television coverage of the event peaked at 1.9m, compared to 2.8m last year.

“How much more of a wake-up call does racing need before genuine reform takes place?” said Ralph Topping, the chief executive of William Hill.

“That level of turnover means there was more interest shown on the Cheltenham Gold Cup – note, run on a Friday – than in the Derby, by a factor of nearly three. Racing has to learn that it definitely cannot compete on Saturdays with football and more popular televised sports for the public's attention.”