Underdog Dardanos wins the 157th German Derby at odds of 84.8 to 1
Underdog Dardanos causes the biggest upset in recent Galoppderby history
from Jan Tönjes 
Dardanos, ridden by Vladimir Panov (green cap), wins the 2026 German Gallop Derby. Photo: Frank Sorge, galoppfoto.de The German Gallop Derby is a 2,400-meter race, with a 390,000-euro winner’s purse at stake. In 2026, the prize went to Dardanos, a three-year-old son of Soldier Hollow trained by Andreas Wöhler in Spexard and ridden by jockey Wladimir Panov. Seventeen competitors came up short. For trainer Wöhler, it was already his sixth Derby victory, while for Panov, it was his first.
Won the Gallop Derby decisively in the final stretch
Dardanos galloped at the front from the start, while Kairos, Chiefland, and Salitos—all horses owned by the Liberty-Racing syndicate—picked up the pace along the way. On the home stretch, the long shot ultimately had the most left in the tank and prevailed by a length. The reward: a 390,000-euro winner’s purse.
“This is the best day of my career. I can’t believe it,” Panov said after his first Derby victory. “We were always in a good position, and Dardanos is a very easygoing horse.”
Patience paid off
For trainer Andreas Wöhler, the victory came as less of a surprise than it did for the bettors. Dardanos had shown a marked improvement following his second-place finish in the Hoffnungspreis in Dortmund. “He still needed that last race. After that, he improved significantly and just needed some time,” said Wöhler. “Winning the Derby is always something very special.”
The winner’s story is also remarkable. Dardanos was once sold for just 10,000 euros at the BBAG yearling auction. Now he has won the most prestigious race in German horse racing—a profitable investment.
Liberty Racing Dominates the Derby
Liberty Racing’s performance was almost as remarkable. The ownership group took second through fourth place with Chiefland, Salitos, and Kairos, placing three horses right behind the winner.
A special side note: Dardanos co-owner Friedrich von Lenthe, former chairman of the supervisory board at VGH Versicherungen, also holds an interest in the Liberty Racing syndicates. This means he had a stake in the top four finishers in the Derby. This has never happened before in the race’s 157-year history.
“It’s indescribable and overwhelming,” said von Lenthe. “We came from the second row and are now moving up to the first row.” He had special praise for the winning jockey: “We put our trust in the jockey because he knew the horse.”
