Persica

What makes those numbers even more striking is where those wins have come from. Three of his seven victories have arrived in Class 1 races — the very top tier of the sport — at Ayr, Newmarket, and Epsom. He has also won twice at Epsom at Class 2 level and once at Sandown. These are not soft touches. The Epsom win in June 2025 came on a track that twisted and dropped in ways that unsettled even his jockey mid-race; Richard Hannon, his trainer, had to quietly remind the rider afterwards that Persica had actually been there before. The horse knew exactly what he was doing.

Hannon, whose yard at Herridge in Wiltshire has sent out 115 winners already this season, has been clear-eyed about what kind of horse he has on his hands. He believes a mile and a quarter is the sweet spot, but that Persica can be equally dangerous over a fast-run mile. The key, Hannon has said repeatedly, is getting the right ground — and on normal conditions, Persica is almost unbeatable, winning 3 of his 5 races on a standard surface, a 60% hit rate that is simply exceptional. The team follow the ground, and when it suits him, they know they have a genuine chance. The owners were reportedly offered serious money for him and turned it down flat. That decision looks smarter with every passing month.

His most frequent partner in the saddle is Sean Levey, who has ridden him in 12 of his 18 races and partnered him to 4 of his 7 wins — a partnership that works roughly 1 in every 3 times out. Persica raced just yesterday and remains in full training, with bigger targets likely ahead. Hannon has hinted at a step up in class when the moment is right. Given everything this horse has already achieved, that is less a warning than a promise.