Local Derby

The wins have come at two different West Country tracks. The first arrived at Wincanton on 29 January 2026, and the second — more recently — at Exeter on 17 March 2026. Two different venues, two convincing results, and both coming within the space of seven weeks. That kind of back-to-back winning at separate courses suggests this horse is in genuine form right now, not simply getting lucky on familiar ground. The current sequence reads 1-–-1-9-8-5, which means wins sandwiching a non-completion, and some less impressive efforts before that — the improvement over recent months is real and noticeable.

Much of that improvement has coincided with Freddie Gordon taking the ride. In 5 races together, Gordon and Local Derby have won twice, a win rate of 40% — meaning they have won 2 in every 5 races as a partnership. That is a strong number by any measure, and the kind of jockey-horse combination that trainers pay close attention to. It is worth noting that Freddie Gordon is the son of trainer Chris Gordon, which adds a family dimension to a yard that is already having a productive season: Chris Gordon's operation in Morestead, Hampshire has sent out 46 winners this season alone, making this one of the more active and effective training yards around at the moment.

One area still to crack is the step up in class. Local Derby has run 3 times at Class 4 level — the bread-and-butter tier of British racing — without a win. That 0 from 3 record is something to keep an eye on, because it means the current winning form has come elsewhere. Whether the horse can translate its recent momentum into that grade is one of the more interesting questions around it. With a race just 12 days ago, Local Derby is clearly fit and firing, and looks like a horse that could take some stopping in the right conditions.