The backstory here is one of those quietly brilliant little tales the racing world occasionally produces. He won five races for Jennie Candlish's yard before being sold, then Candlish and owner Alan O'Keefe bought him back for just 2,500 guineas — a sum that barely covers a decent second-hand car. That decision looks extraordinarily shrewd now. He is based at Basford in Staffordshire, and the yard has been in tremendous form this season, sending out 61 winners — so Telhimlissen is part of a genuinely thriving operation, not a one-horse stable hoping for a lucky break.
The key to his recent success turns out to be surprisingly simple: a hood. Since the team fitted him with one, assistant trainer Alan O'Keefe described him as "a revelation" — a horse that keeps so calm and relaxed he barely spends energy between races. That chilled-out attitude allowed him to win four times in just ten days at one point, which is almost unheard of. Most racehorses need weeks to recover between runs. The fact that Telhimlissen could back up so quickly and keep winning tells you something real about his constitution.
His regular partner is jockey Sean Quinlan, and the two have built a formidable understanding — Quinlan has ridden him seven times and won four of those, a win rate of 57%. That is the kind of partnership that makes trainers reluctant to change anything. Telhimlissen is also a course specialist at Sedgefield in County Durham, winning 2 of his 3 races there, suggesting he has a particular affinity for that track. His last win came at Stratford-on-Avon just six weeks ago, and after a short break he looks ready to go again.
At Class 4 level — the solid, competitive middle tier of British racing — he has won 2 from 9 (22%), which is respectable without being dominant, but his overall numbers suggest he is a horse that rises to the moment. The team have even floated the idea of him going chasing — jumping bigger fences — in future, which would be an exciting new chapter for a horse already punching well above what anyone paid for him.
| Course | Races | Results | Last visited | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedgefield Sharp |
3 | 2 wins, 1 other | 26 Jan | 66.7% |
| Southwell Galloping |
2 | 1 win, 1 other | 6 Mar | 50% |
| Plumpton Sharp |
2 | 1 win, 1 second | 10 Feb | 50% |
| Musselburgh Sharp |
2 | 1 second, 1 other | 1 Jan | 0% |
| Huntingdon Galloping |
1 | 1 win | 15 Mar | 100% |
| Warwick Sharp |
1 | 1 win | 12 Mar | 100% |
| Stratford-on-Avon Sharp |
1 | 1 win | 28 Mar | 100% |
| Doncaster Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 27 Jan | 0% |
| Ayr Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 11 Dec | 0% |
| Kempton Park Galloping |
1 | 1 other | 1 May | 0% |
| Uttoxeter Sharp |
1 | 1 other | 31 Dec | 0% |
| Kelso Undulating |
1 | 1 other | 28 Oct | 0% |