Willo seals sixth Futurity as Pericles claims maiden Group 1

New year, same result for champion jockey Craig Williams.

Williams has made the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) his own, a six-time winner now, including the past two on champion Mr Brightside, who is currently sidelined and being readied for another spring campaign.

No Mr Brightside needed in 2026, as Pericles, ironically second to the weight-for-age champion in 2024, victorious from Buckaroo and Treasurethe Moment.

Fortune changed at the 400m.

Favourite Treasurethe Moment fired out of the gates and found the front by default.

Pericles poked up briefly and jagged back into the trailing position.

Evaporate settled outside the leader.

Multiple Group 1 winner Treasurethe Moment, trained by Matt Laurie, hummed along in front under jockey Damian Lane “like the best horse” but ultimately felt the pinch.

Pericles, a perennial bridesmaid the past three seasons, finally toasted a moment at the Group 1 altar, while Cox Plate runner-up Buckaroo charged into second.

Treasurethe Moment, gallant in defeat given race shape and circumstance, held third from Evaporate.

“It looks like he’s gone to another level,” Williams said of Pericles.

“To win a Group 1, well done to all the team behind them and their patience.”

Pericles, a three-time Group 2 winner before Saturday, recorded six places in elite company previously including the Champion’s Mile and The Epsom last year.

With Pericles likely to clash with fellow Godolphin horse Tom Kitten in the All-Star Mile, Makiv was non-committal as to who he felt was the better chance.

“I suspect they’ll be running in the same race at Flemington, so they’ll both get their chance. May the best horse win or hopefully one of them wins— so obviously it’ll be a tough race and great to see this horse join the group one company and he can go to that race and take on Tom Kitten, it’ll be great.”

Recording his third successive Futurity win, jockey Craig Williams pin-pointed Pericles as a contender.

“Well coming into the autumn when Mr Brightside’s not going to be here, I said, I need a replacement,” said Williams. “Not easy to fill those shoes, so I got in touch with Bjorn Baker.”

“I didn’t think Tom Kitten was an option at the time either, so very grateful for the ownership group, Godolphin, Andy Makiv, Jason, all their team that they do all this work.

“But Bjorn Baker’s done an amazing job with this horse. I remember Blake riding him maybe a couple of seasons ago, and I think he’s a group one horse and he was just below them.

“It looks like he’s gone to another level in the spring. To win a group one, well done to all the team behind them and their patience.

“It was good. I got to go up and sit on him in a couple of jump outs up there. But he’s very much a pleasure to ride.”

Taking his prizemoney to $6,979,365 from eight wins and 12 placed performers, the Godolphin bred Pericles is one of three G1 winners from six winners out of blue hen Accessories (GB) (Singspiel).