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 smooth transition into Group company expected, he's one to keep an eye on. Another promising horse is the big son of New Bay, who gave Doyle a nice feel when scoring on debut at Chelmsford City. Despite his greenness, he was well in control and can hopefully build on this performance. A three-year-old debutant at Saint-Cloud also caught Doyle's attention, toying with his opposition over 1m and showing potential to be a star in the making. Aidan O'Brien's son of Wootton Bassett, who made all the running in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy, is another exciting prospect, particularly with his potent pedigree. William Haggas's son of Kingman, a half-brother to Group 1 star King Of Change, has also shown promise, taking a step forward in a similar race at Doncaster's Lincoln Meeting. Doyle's husband Tom Marquand is a fan of a filly who debuted with a win at Newbury, and with her hefty price tag and relation to Group stars My Oberon and My Prospero, she has a lot to live up to. Archie Watson's son of Havana Grey, despite feeling weak when finishing down the field in the Coventry Stakes, has done well physically and shaped well in his comeback run. 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. Doyle's boss Archie Watson has been patient with a son of Sea The Stars, who made a spectacular winning debut, 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 another exciting prospect, with the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury being his target.