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, Doyle expects a smooth progression. A debut winner at Chelmsford City, a lovely big son of New Bay, gave Doyle a promising feel and is expected to kick on, with a valuable spring handicap at Newbury in mind.
A three-year-old's impressive debut performance at Saint-Cloud, where he dominated the opposition, has garnered significant attention, with many hailing him as a future 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, despite being carried off line in the closing stages of a race at Doncaster. Doyle's husband, Tom Marquand, partnered a filly to a debut win at Newbury and is expected to renew the partnership, with an entry in the Irish Oaks.
A son of Havana Grey, despite a weak finish in the Coventry Stakes, has done well physically and shaped well in his comeback run. Ed Walker's filly, a daughter of Starman, was impressive in a 6f Nottingham maiden and is in the Guineas, giving the impression she'll see out 1m. A son of Sea The Stars made a spectacular winning debut and will now be tested in deeper waters, with the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket on the horizon. Karl Burke's son of Night Of Thunder, who made it four from four in the Group 2 Joel Stakes, is aiming for the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.