As the flat season gets underway, Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle shares her top picks for 2026, featuring a mix of seasoned performers and promising newcomers. One notable mention is Richard Hannon's five-year-old, who has shown impressive form since autumn, winning a valuable handicap at Ascot and the Listed Cammidge Stakes at Doncaster.
With his transition to Group company imminent, expectations are high. Another horse to watch is a debut winner at Chelmsford City, a big son of New Bay who gave Hollie a nice feel despite his greenness. Joint-trainer Jamie Insole has a valuable spring handicap in mind for him at Newbury.
A three-year-old's stunning debut performance in a Saint-Cloud newcomers race has also caught attention, with the son of Caravaggio 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 also one to watch, particularly over longer distances. William Haggas's son of Kingman, a half-brother to Group 1 star King Of Change, has shown promise despite being carried off line in the closing stages of a Doncaster race.
Hollie's husband Tom Marquand partners a filly who debuted with a win at Newbury and has a hefty price tag to live up to, but is closely related to Group stars My Oberon and My Prospero. 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.
David Ward's daughter of Starman could be a headline horse, having been too classy for her rivals in a 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 another top pick, with the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury as his target.