Warwick 4:20 Verdict

Pergamon's form string 61-111 shows a horse who has won three in a row and is clearly progressive, with a Frankel sire suggesting improving class and stamina for this longer trip. Racing off 119, he's not badly treated relative to Roger Pol (121) who has been inconsistent (7-6982) and Donnie Azoff (118) who is now a 10yo levelling off with a form of 5-2122 - solid but not improving like Pergamon. Fine Thing's -23114 also shows recent good form but her rating (117) and the fact she's toward the bottom of the weights suggests she's not quite at Pergamon's level right now. Pergamon's trainer Jennie Candlish has the confidence to keep stepping him up and he's taken every test in his stride, winning his last three starts. He was last seen 21 days ago, a sensible gap that keeps him fresh without stopping momentum. The step to 2m5f on good-to-firm ground should suit a improving, tough stayer profile. The other runners either have stamina questions, are dropping in class after big layoffs (Beau Quali 137 days, Poet Laureate 191 days) or are simply not in the same form as Pergamon. This makes Pergamon the standout for the win on pure man form, and given a competitive but not too deep field, he rates the value play at what should be a fair market price given his rating is mid-pack but form is best-in-show.