Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle shares her top picks for the 2026 flat season, featuring ten horses that are expected to make a significant impact. Richard Hannon's five-year-old has shown impressive form since autumn, winning a valuable handicap at Ascot and the Listed Cammidge Stakes at Doncaster.
With his transition into Group company, he's expected to perform well. A new bay colt gave Hollie a promising feel when he scored on debut at Chelmsford City, and despite his greenness, he showed control in his 10f maiden.
A three-year-old gelding made a stunning debut performance in a Saint-Cloud newcomers race, toying with his opposition and showing potential as a star in the making. Aidan O'Brien's son of Wootton Bassett made a strong claim for the Classic after his performance in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy. William Haggas's son of Kingman, a half-brother to Group 1 star King Of Change, has shown improvement and is highly regarded.
A filly, partnered by Tom Marquand to a debut win at Newbury, has a high price tag to live up to but is closely related to Group stars My Oberon and My Prospero. Despite a weak performance in the Coventry Stakes, a son of Havana Grey has done well physically and shaped well in his comeback run.
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 and will be interesting to see how he copes in deeper waters. Karl Burke's son of Night Of Thunder made it four from four in the Group 2 Joel Stakes and is aiming for the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.