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, he's expected to thrive under Hannon's guidance. A promising newcomer, a son of New Bay, gave Doyle a positive feel on his debut at Chelmsford City, and joint-trainer Jamie Insole is eyeing a valuable spring handicap at Newbury.
Another standout performer is a three-year-old son of Caravaggio, who made a stunning debut at Saint-Cloud, toying with his opposition over 1m. Despite being a gelding, he's already generating buzz 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 his Guineas entry highlights his potential.
Doyle's husband, Tom Marquand, partnered a debut-winning filly at Newbury, who has a high price tag to live up to but is closely related to Group stars My Oberon and My Prospero. A son of Havana Grey, despite a disappointing Coventry Stakes performance, has improved physically and showed potential in his comeback run. Ed Walker's filly, a daughter of Starman, was impressive in her maiden win and Group 2 Rockfel performance, and her Guineas entry suggests she'll see out 1m. Archie Watson's son of Sea The Stars 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 won the Group 2 Joel Stakes, has wintered well and is aimed at the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.