Telhimlisten

Trained by Jennie Candlish at her yard in Basford, Staffordshire — a yard that has already sent out 61 winners this season alone — Telhimlisten has had a slightly unusual journey. He was originally part of the Candlish operation before being sold, and then assistant trainer Alan O'Keefe and Candlish bought him back at auction for just 2,500 guineas, which is about as close to a bargain bin as elite sport gets. The gamble has paid off handsomely.

Much of the credit for his recent purple patch goes to one small piece of equipment: a hood. O'Keefe was candid about the difference it made, noting that Telhimlisten barely exerts himself between races, which is why he was able to win four times in just ten days at one point. That kind of recovery rate is almost unheard of. When a horse is relaxed enough to race that frequently and keep winning, you have something genuinely special on your hands.

His most trusted partner in the saddle is Sean Quinlan, and the numbers between them are striking — 4 wins from just 7 races together, meaning they have won more than half the time they have been paired. That's the sort of partnership trainers dream about. He also has a soft spot for Sedgefield, where he has won 2 of his 3 races — a course record that suggests he finds something extra on that particular track.

His last win came at Stratford-on-Avon in late March 2026, and while he typically operates at Class 4 level — the solid, competitive middle ground of British racing — his team clearly believe there is more to come. O'Keefe has already hinted at ambitions over fences. For a horse bought back for next to nothing, Telhimlisten has become exactly the kind of story that makes racing genuinely worth following.