Pergamon

What makes Pergamon's story particularly compelling is where he came from. Trainer Jennie Candlish picked him up at a horses-in-training sale from the yard of André Fabre — one of the most decorated trainers in French racing — and had him gelded on arrival. He didn't even make his debut until the back end of winter, first winning at Plumpton in May 2025. Candlish had flagged him as a serious staying prospect worth keeping an eye on, and that early confidence looks well placed. Her yard at Basford in Staffordshire has sent out 64 winners this season alone, so this is not a small operation getting lucky — it is a well-run team firing on all cylinders.

The numbers around Pergamon on normal ground are genuinely striking. In 6 races on standard conditions, he has won 5 of them — that's 83%, which is an extraordinary hit rate and tells you he is a horse who knows exactly what he's doing when the ground suits him. When conditions change, so do his results, which means keeping an eye on the forecast before getting too excited. His recent form of three straight wins follows a patch where he finished fifth and sixth, so there was a moment where things weren't clicking — but whatever Candlish adjusted, it worked.

He currently races mostly at Class 4 level, winning 2 of his 6 races there, and there is a reasonable case that a horse winning this consistently could soon be tested in better company. Three wins on the spin, trained by someone having a big season, and absolutely thriving on decent ground — Pergamon is exactly the kind of horse a knowledgeable friend would quietly tip you to watch.