Pergamon

Pergamon is trained by Jennie Candlish, whose yard in Basford, Staffordshire, has sent out 64 winners this season alone — a number that speaks to a tight, well-organised operation. Candlish picked him up at a horses-in-training sale from the renowned French trainer Andre Fabre, where he had been a Frankel-bred horse on the Flat. He was gelded on arrival and pointed towards jumping, and it is fair to say the plan has worked out rather well. He first won in May 2025 at Plumpton, and his most recent victory came at Perth just two weeks ago in early July 2026.

What makes Pergamon particularly interesting is how consistent his conditions for winning are. On normal ground, he has won 5 of his 6 races — that is 83%, a figure that borders on extraordinary. Change those conditions and the picture shifts considerably, so the team will be keeping a close eye on the weather before committing him to a race. He also has a clear sweet spot in terms of trip: over distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, he has won 3 of his 5 races, a 60% win rate that tells you this is a horse who genuinely relishes a test of stamina.

He races mainly at Class 4 level — the bread-and-butter tier of British racing, a step below the big occasions — where he has won 2 of his 6 races at that grade. There is a sense that Pergamon has been building steadily and purposefully. A horse bred by Frankel, trained by one of the more productive yards in the country, winning at the rate he currently is on his favoured ground and trip is one worth following closely. He raced just yesterday and remains in active campaign, which suggests Candlish is in no hurry to put him away for the summer.