Fifth Column

What makes Fifth Column interesting is how quickly it climbed the ladder. The first career win came at Kempton Park in April 2025, and within four months the horse had won three Class 2 races — which means three of the most prestigious non-championship races in Britain. Sandown in April, Newmarket's July Course in July, then York in August. That's a summer campaign that reads like a highlight reel. York in particular is one of the most respected tracks in the country, often called the Ascot of the North, so winning there at this level is no small thing.

The dry ground factor is worth flagging. On fast, dry ground, Fifth Column has won 2 of just 4 races — a 50% win rate. That's extraordinary. Halve that across all surfaces and you see a horse that genuinely thrives when conditions suit. When the ground firms up in summer, this is a horse to pay attention to.

William Buick, one of the best jockeys in Britain, has ridden Fifth Column in 8 of its 13 races and won 2 of them — winning 1 in every 4 rides together. That's a meaningful partnership, and the fact that a jockey of Buick's standing keeps coming back tells you something about how the horse is regarded at the Gosden yard.

The recent form has dipped — two blank runs since the York win in August — but Fifth Column raced just yesterday, so this is a horse in the thick of a busy campaign. Three Class 2 wins before the age of five, a partnership with a top jockey, and a trainer firing on all cylinders: there's plenty here to suggest the next win might not be far away, especially when the sun comes out.