Sky Sports Racing ambassador Hollie Doyle has shared her personal shortlist of ten horses that have captured her imagination as the 2026 flat season gets underway. Each of these youngsters shows a blend of early promise and the potential to progress to the highest level, and Doyle’s insights offer a window into the talent she believes could shape the year ahead. First on the list is the five‑year‑old trained by Richard Hannon. Since the autumn break the colt has taken a decisive step forward, securing a valuable handicap win at Ascot in October before turning the tables on the higher‑rated Jasour in the Listed Cammidge Stakes at Doncaster on the opening day of the flat campaign.
Doyle notes that the horse fits the profile of the type of runner Hannon and his team excel with, and she expects a smooth transition into Group company as the season progresses. Next, Doyle points to a strikingly large New Bay son who made a pleasing debut at Chelmsford City in early March. Although the colt was still green, he handled the ten‑furlong maiden race with composure and displayed the kind of control that suggests he could improve with experience. Joint‑trainer Jamie Insole is reportedly targeting a valuable spring handicap at Newbury for the young horse, a step that could further test his ability and stamina.
The third prospect is a three‑year‑old who burst onto the scene in a Saint‑Cloud newcomers race at the end of March. The son of Caravaggio, a proven sire, took the lead over a mile and held off his rivals, prompting Doyle to label him a future star for the Aga Khan Studs.
Already being compared to the great Caledonian, the colt carries lofty expectations, though his status as a gelding means he will not contribute to the breeding pool. Nevertheless, his trainer Francis Graffard has the expertise to nurture his talent. Aidan O’Brien’s offering is a son of Wootton Bassett who missed the Group 1 Futurity Trophy last autumn but ran a respectable race that hinted at classic potential.
Out of the celebrated Ballydoyle mare Hydrangea, who captured the Champions Day Fillies’ and Mares’ titles, this colt is expected to stay effective over longer distances. Doyle believes he could evolve into a serious Derby contender as the season unfolds.
William Haggas has a Kingman‑sired colt on Doyle’s radar, a half‑brother to Group 1 winner King Of Change. The youngster showed promise in a Newbury debut in October, finishing a close second, and then improved further at Doncaster’s Lincoln Meeting despite being heavily weighted in the final stages. Although his entry for the Guineas may not be acted upon, the mere fact that it exists underscores the high regard in which he is held.
Doyle also highlights a filly owned by her husband Tom Marquand that won her debut at Newbury late last season. The filly carries a hefty price tag of £1.7 million, reflecting her perceived potential. She is closely related to Haggas’s Group‑level performers My Oberon and My Prospero, and she already holds an entry for the Irish Oaks, suggesting that her connections have big plans for her future.
Another promising prospect is a son of Havana Grey trained by Archie Watson. After a maiden win at Lingfield last summer, the colt ran poorly in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, finishing towards the back. However, Doyle notes that he has improved physically since then and looked much more polished in a Listed sprint at Deauville in early March, despite a touch of rust.
Watson believes the colt still has the capacity to become a stakes‑level performer. David Ward’s daughter of the sprint champion Starman also makes Doyle’s list.
Trained by Ed Walker, the filly displayed class in a six‑furlong Nottingham maiden last summer and subsequently ran a strong, albeit second‑place, effort behind Zanthos in the Group 2 Rockfel at Newmarket. A favourite of Kieran Shoemark, she now has an entry for the Guineas and appears capable of staying the mile distance. Archie Watson’s patience with a Sea The Stars son is rewarded after a spectacular debut win at Newcastle. The colt impressed beyond expectations, prompting Doyle to wonder how he will handle more demanding trips.
Watson has entered him in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket, and Doyle hopes the youngster can become a flagbearer for the yard during the summer campaign. Karl Burke’s Night Of Thunder offspring also excites Doyle. The colt went unbeaten in four starts, culminating in a dominant performance in the Group 2 Joel Stakes at Newmarket in September, where he comfortably beat Godolphin’s highly rated Opera Ballo. Burke reports that the horse wintered well and is now being aimed at the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, a logical target for a horse of his calibre at this point in the season.
In summarising her selections, Doyle emphasizes that each horse possesses a unique blend of early achievement, pedigree strength, and the right training environment to progress. While some are already earmarked for Group races, others are still finding their footing, but all share the common thread of being horses to watch as the 2026 flat season unfolds.
Doyle concluded the interview with Sky Sports Racing’s Simon Mapletoft by expressing her optimism that these talents will provide plenty of excitement for racing fans throughout the year.