Hollie Doyle's Top Picks for 2026: Exciting Horses to Watch

Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle shares her top 10 horses to watch in 2026 as the flat season gets underway. Richard Hannon's five-year-old has shown significant improvement since autumn, winning a valuable handicap at Ascot and the Listed Cammidge Stakes at Doncaster. With his transition to Group company imminent, Hollie expects a smooth progression. A new contender, a son of New Bay, gave Hollie a promising feel when he scored on debut at Chelmsford City, displaying control despite his greenness. Joint-trainer Jamie Insole has a valuable spring handicap in mind for him at Newbury. Another standout is a three-year-old son of Caravaggio, who made a stunning debut at Saint-Cloud, toying with his opposition over 1m. Although a gelding, he's in great hands with Francis Graffard and has been hailed as a potential star. Aidan O'Brien's son of Wootton Bassett, who made all the running in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy, is expected to develop into a serious Derby contender, particularly over longer distances. William Haggas's son of Kingman, a half-brother to Group 1 star King Of Change, has shown promise and could still develop into a stakes performer. A filly, closely related to Group stars My Oberon and My Prospero, has a hefty price tag to live up to but still has immense potential. Archie Watson's son of Havana Grey, despite being on the weak side last summer, has done well physically and could develop into a stakes performer. Ed Walker's filly, a daughter of Starman, could be a headline horse for David Ward, having been too classy for her rivals in a 6f Nottingham maiden and finishing close behind Zanthos in the Group 2 Rockfel. A son of Sea The Stars made a spectacular winning debut for Hollie at Newcastle, and it will be interesting to see how he copes in deeper waters. Karl Burke's son of Night Of Thunder, who made it four from four in the Group 2 Joel Stakes, is aiming for the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, which looks like an ideal target.