The 157th IDEE German Derby ended with a major upset as the three-year-old colt Dardanos, a rank outsider, won Germany's most prestigious horse race at Hamburg-Horn.

Starting at odds of 84.8-1, Dardanos recorded the biggest upset in the long history of the German Derby, which has been run since 1869. The race holds Group 1 status internationally, is contested over the classic 2,400-metre Derby distance, and carries a total prize fund of €650,000, including €390,000 for the winning connections.

Dardanos got off to a good start under jockey Wlademir Panov and initially took the lead before settling among the front runners in the field of 18. Making an early move in the home straight, Dardanos kicked clear and safely held his advantage to win by one length from Chiefland, Salitos, and Kairos. In Greek mythology, Dardanos is regarded as the ancestor of the Trojans; in Hamburg, he has now ascended to the pinnacle of German racing.

The race proved disappointing for most of the favourites. Bay Of Brilliance, who travelled from England after finishing fourth in the Epsom Derby, could do no better than second last. Highly rated contender Gostam fared little better in 10th place, while Englishman, winner of the prestigious Union-Rennen Derby trial, finished sixth.

In the saddle was veteran jockey Wlademir Panov, a long-standing figure in German racing. Despite his experience, this was only his fifth ride in the German Derby, and his previous best result had been ninth. “It's unbelievable – the greatest day of my career as a jockey,” said Panov, who repeatedly shook his head in disbelief as he paraded Dardanos before the celebrating Hamburg crowd.

For trainer Andreas Wöhler, it was already a sixth German Derby victory. “It remains a unique experience,” said Wöhler, although he had expected stronger performances from his other runners, Gostam and Westminster Rocket. Wöhler explained that Dardanos had improved significantly since finishing second in a Derby trial at Dortmund two weeks earlier. “But nobody could have imagined just how much he had improved.”

Dardanos was bred in the Czech Republic by Barbara Holubova. His sire, Soldier Hollow, is one of Germany’s most successful stallions of recent decades, and Dardanos became his third German Derby winner. Purchased as a yearling for just €10,000 at the BBAG Yearling Sale in Iffezheim, Dardanos races for Stall Bergholz, owned by Hans-Wilhelm Jenckel of Hamburg and Friedrich von Lehnte of Hanover.

Von Lehnte also holds shares in the ownership syndicate Liberty Racing, meaning he had interests in the horses that filled the first four places in the 2026 German Derby — a truly historic achievement.

Photo: Marc Rühl