The Mirror was given exclusive behind-the-scenes access to see the preparations taking shape ahead of Saturday’s Betfred Derby at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey21:18, 02 Jun 2026Building the mini city at Epsom Race CourseThe builders have been in at Epsom to create a new ‘mini-city’ ready in time for Saturday’s Derby - and they only had three weeks to do it. Because of a strict act of Parliament race bosses can only start building many of the vital structures 21 days before the big race. Mirror Online was given exclusive behind the scenes access to watch the progress ahead of Saturday’s Betfred Derby. The Jockey Club has invested an extra £6million this year. During our visit as hospitality units were being hastily erected on one side of the track sprinklers on the other were ensuring the grass in the world’s most famous winning enclosure was of the highest quality. Some of the famous horses in history have come in here including Shergar, Nijinsky, Sir Ivor and Galileo.‌‌General manager, Jim Allen, told the Mirror: "We recognise the Derby is not as firmly in the wider public's consciousness as it once was, so we have a five-year plan in place to rejuvenate the Derby Festival, starting with a £6million investment over the two days to improve and enhance everything from prize money to the racegoer experience.” They have even signed a partnership deal with O Beach Ibiza which will bring partying to the track - and trying to appeal to younger racegoers. Allen said: “This partnership mark an exciting step in how we continue to evolve the Betfred Derby Festival.‌“Working with O Beach allows us to enhance the Grandstand experience with high quality entertainment that appeals to a young audience while remains true to the heritage of the event.”As we walked around dozens of builders joined in to sing Sweet Caroline as it came on the radio. A spokesman for the Jockey Club said: “As part of a project to reinvigorate the world’s most famous race a host of enhancements are being introduced this year.‌“We are installing banks of bleacher style covered seating along the final furlong on ‘The Hill’ giving racegoers a Birds Eye view of the action like never before. The changes are the result of a six month review process.”Allen said: “My own passion for the Derby and Epsom Downs goes back many years, to my own childhood, and while I was extraordinarily proud to have overseen my first Derby last year, I couldn’t wait to address some of the things that the team and I knew could be improved.‌“The changes we are making, both on and off the track, would not have been possible without crucial input from racegoers, annual members, the local community, a number of stakeholders. from right across the sport all of which have helped shape this painstaking review process.“It is so important for us to be continually evolving and improving to give everyone the best possible experience across the two days.” He added: "The Derby is an iconic, British institution and one that everyone in racing and the Epsom community are not only proud of but want to see thrive for generations to come.Article continues below"Most trainers, owners and jockeys will tell you it’s the one race they all want to win and it remains the most important two and a half minutes in the racing and breeding year, so it's up to us to provide an experience for racegoers which is befitting of The Derby’s status as a world class and prestigious event."There's no other day in the calendar like Derby Day, in that you have racing fans in their top hat and tails in one enclosure, others dressed to feel their best in another, and then tens of thousands enjoying the day for free on The Hill, which simply doesn't happen at Wimbledon, the FA Cup or Test match cricket for instance."