Racing TV presenters and pundits nominate their Flat horses to follow in 2026

This time last year our presenters and pundits picked out some beauties to follow on the Flat, headlined by Ed Watson, whose pick, American Affair, won three of his four starts, including the King Charles III Stakes at 11-1.Megan Nicholls and Nick Lightfoot also singled out a class act in 2,000 Guineas hero Ruling Court (9-2), and Lisa O’Neill nominated Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Lake Victoria.Angus McNae picked out another subsequent Group 1 scorer, Opera Ballo, who went on to win four times, while Mark Howard saw the potential in Crown Of Oaks, who went in three times, capping his season with Balmoral Cup glory.Gordon Brown’s selection Izzari obliged at 16-1 on his seasonal bow, Martin Dixon astutely chose Further, who won at 7-2 and 13-2 and went on to compete in the Melbourne Cup. Other dual scorers included Persica (Steve Jones), Red Letter (Jane Mangan) and Pina Sonata (David Yates).Almaqam (George Baker), Candleford Green (Fran Berry), Point Of Contact (Richard Hoiles), Keke (Gary O’Brien), I Am I Said (Rishi Persad) were also on the mark.Our expert team of pundits and presenters have compiled a list of horses to stay on the right side of during the 2026 Flat season. Simply click on the horse’s name above and then the binocular icon. You can keep track of your horses on the tracker page.

Horse: The Prettiest Star.

Age: 3yo filly.

Trainer: Ed Walker.

She was very impressive first time out at Nottingham and then ran a very solid race in the Rockfel at Newmarket when stepping up in class. I think she will improve from two to three and fly the flag for her sire Starman.

Horse: Amadeus Mozart. 

Age: 3yo colt.

Trainer: Aidan O'Brien.

Not seen since making a winning debut when well touted at the Curragh last June, but the impression he created when battling on strongly to beat a subsequent Group 3 winner was that he has the makings of a smart middle distance prospect this season.

Horse: Stoic Poet.

Age: 3yo gelding.

Trainer: Iain Jardine.

Given the promising nature of his spring debut at Carlisle, connections were surprised that he went into winter quarters still a maiden. He was gelded ahead of his nursery bow in late September when he was hampered soon after fluffing his lines at the start, so a line can be drawn under that moderate effort. That was the end of the season for him but he has reportedly done very well physically during the intervening months. His mark has now dropped to a workable 69, which should see him make plenty of appeal with cut underfoot over seven furlongs.

Horse: Wise Approach.

Age: 3yo colt.

Trainer: Charlie Appleby.

He won the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket in September and did it the hard way. Slowly away, hampered and even stumbling early, he looked in trouble. Once he hit top gear he came through strongly to go past them. He looks an out-and-out sprinter to me; I’d like to see him in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. He’s a half-brother to Perfect Power, who also won the Middle Park and the Commonwealth Cup, so there’s plenty in the pedigree to be positive about!

Horse: Arklow Lad.

Age: 4yo colt.

Trainer: Mick Appleby.

I’m really looking forward to the Flat season with what I hope is a good team of horses for our Horse Watchers syndicate and Arklow Lad is one of those that excites me most. He made a winning start for us at Chelmsford last month, backing up his work at home with a tidy win in a good time. Still a young horse who I think can improve with racing, there should be more to come from him yet and I’m confident he still has a good bit in hand of his mark.

Horse: Nobody Knows.

Age: 3yo colt.

Trainer: Richard Hughes.

A colt by Wootton Bassett, who cost £320,000 at the Arqana Breeze-up sale last year, Nobody Knows was very strong in the market ahead of his debut at Ayr in September and duly obliged in fine style. He was ridden confidently by Oisin Murphy that day and readily swooped from off a modest tempo, picking off a previous winner in Hasbro Market. He’s entered in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Irish Derby which indicates the regards in which he’s held and I’ll be excited to see him in the spring, perhaps in something like the Greenham at Newbury.

Horse: Benvenuto Cellini.

Age: 3yo colt.

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien.

A flashy chestnut son of Frankel, he was so impressive when winning a Group 2 over a mile at Leopardstown by five lengths in September. The runner-up Hardy Warrior was then a close fourth in a Group 1 at Saint Cloud. He was bogged down by heavy ground when third behind stablemate Hawk Mountain in the Futurity Stakes at Doncaster. He’s such a good-moving athletic type who’s sure to improve as a three-year-old and over further. I can’t wait to see him in the spring on better ground in one of the Derby trials, he holds entries in the English and Irish equivalent. He’s a horse with a lot of class.

Horse: Eternal Force.

Age: 4yo gelding.

Trainer: William Haggas.

Once again William Haggas is primed for a big season and hopefully Eternal Force can get his season underway with success in the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster. A horse who improved for being gelded, he’s versatile regarding ground and could improve going up in trip later in the season too.

Horse: Grey Soul.

Age: 4yo gelding.

Trainer: Dan Horsford.

Winner of the last of his six starts for Roger Varian, he was purchased at the Horses in Training Sales for £22k. Likely to be at his best at around a mile, he still has plenty of upward potential off a mark of 71. He has settled in well and filled out during the winter but mentally he is still quite babyish so there could be a lot of improvement once the penny drops.

Horse: My Ophelia.

Age: 3yo filly.

Trainer: William Haggas.

A beautifully-bred daughter of Wootton Bassett, she was bought for 1,700,000gns and is a half-sister to My Prospero amongst others. An impressive winner on her debut at Newbury last autumn, she is expected to return to the same track for a 10-furlongs conditions stakes in April. Then, all being well, William Haggas’ filly will tackle the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York. She could be top class.

Horse: More Thunder.

Age: 5yo colt.

Trainer: William Haggas.

The drop in distance did the trick last season. He progressed from sprint handicaps to land the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury. Sprints like the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot are likely to be on the agenda in the first half of the season and he has the option of taking in the top seven-furlong races later on.

Horse: Pintara.

Age: 3yo filly.

Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard.

Perhaps a bit unconventional to select a horse no longer trained in the UK but it’s not unreasonable to say that Pintara left enough of an impression in two starts for Ralph Beckett for me to wait in wonder for what is next. The real spice though is that since we saw her last, the daughter of Pivotal has been sold to race for Francis-Henri Graffard in France for an eye-catching 1.8m guineas. She is one of two 1,000 Guineas entries for her new trainer (who also conditioned Pintara’s dam – also after a switch from the UK), but perhaps an Oaks tilt, either side of the channel, could see her reach a strong level.

Horse: Convergent.

Age: 4yo colt.

Trainer: Karl Burke.

He was robbed in the German Derby when probably hitting the front too soon. He pulled like a train at Leopardstown over Irish Champions Weekend and still managed to win that Group 3 decisively. He’s a Group 2 winner who can win a Group 1 in 2026.

Horse: Black Caviar Gold.

Age: 3yo filly.

Trainer: Paddy Twomey.

Black Caviar Gold progressed nicely through her juvenile season, winning her maiden at Cork in early September on her third run, and then rounding off her campaign with an impressive performance to win the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes at The Curragh at the end of September. She showed an impressive turn of foot to hit the front, staying on well to win by almost three lengths. She was faster than all her rivals through each of the last three furlongs, and the third and fourth fillies were both impressive in winning their respective maidens next time. She stays seven furlongs well and should get a mile at least.

Horse: Talk Of New York.

Age: 3yo colt.

Trainer: Charlie Appleby. 

Talk Of New York created a tremendous impression when winning at Kempton on his debut. He quickened in fine style with a very fast penultimate furlong of 10.92 seconds. His subsequent defeat at Meydan can be explained on account of him being too keen in a slowly run race. Even so, he deserves a sectional upgrade for quickening into contention from the back of the field and his potential remains very much intact for pattern races this summer. Don’t rule out a bold tilt at the 2000 Guineas.

Horse: Galilean Quality. 

Age: 3yo colt.

Trainer: Karl Burke.

He benefited from a step up to a mile and a quarter in a Pontefract novice in early October. The progressive son of Teofilo was always pressing the pace and led narrowly a furlong out. Very game, Galilean Quality relished the step up from 7f and will be exciting in handicaps this term. He ran well for a long way when fourth under hand-riding at Ayr the time before and caught the eye when filling the same position at Haydock on debut. This 200,000 guineas purchase is held in the highest regard.

Horse: Hankelow.

Age: 3yo colt.

Trainer: Karl Burke.

“Karl Burke Saturday” has become an expression regularly used in the Racing TV studio and several of my colleagues and myself have been the beneficiaries of the trainer’s success. Hankelow has improved with each of his three runs and very much looks the type to progress into a seriously good three-year-old. He created a really good impression on his debut at York, and then got beaten by a whisker at Doncaster, when a little green. He came out and won a Group 3 on his final start of the season at Newmarket where he beat a next time out Group winner. It is interesting he has not yet been tried on softer ground something his high knee action suggests could suit him very well.

Horse: Convergent.

Age: 4yo colt.

Trainer: Karl Burke.

Having enjoyed a fine 2025 campaign, I’ll be disappointed if Convergent isn’t up to winning at the highest level this year. Karl Burke’s colt was seriously impressive at Leopardstown on Irish Champions weekend and added a Longchamp Group 2 on his next start. His defeat in Germany in November is easy to forgive and he should be even better as a four-year-old.

Horse: Constitution River.

Age:3yo colt.

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien.

Constitution River was an impressive winner of the Futurity Stakes at the Curragh, making all and hitting the line well. His pedigree suggests he should excel over middle distances. He holds entries in the classic races and, with plenty of size and stature and natural progression this season, he looks like an exciting prospect and one I hold in high regard.

Horse: Hallo Spaceboy.

Age: 3yo colt.

Trainer: Ed Walker.

I was really taken by him physically at York in October when he was third on his debut. He then went on to finish second at Newmarket 21 days later before getting off the mark at Newcastle the following month. He was entitled to win that day on form but the way he did it was taking. He set a strong pace and showed a good attitude late on. I think a handicap mark of 77 could be very workable.

Horse: Morshdi.

Age: 3yo colt.

Trainer: William Haggas.

 Derby entry Morshdi has a decent chance of making up into a classy three-year-old this season. I can’t say for sure that he’ll be top class but I am confident he’s a Group horse with pretensions to be more. The horse who beat him on debut finished fourth in a Group 1 while he defeated a Group 3-placed rival in his maiden win. That was over a mile but his pedigree suggests he will excel over 10 and 12 furlongs. Expect to see him in the Feilden Stakes or in a Chester Derby trial.

Horse: Armada De Lope.

Age: 3yo filly.

Trainer: Paddy Twomey.

 On the face of it, recommending a filly who finished unplaced in both runs at short odds seems strange but this filly could buck the trend. Armada De Lope looked ill at ease in soft conditions and we may well see a totally different proposition when she gets the chance to run on a decent surface.

Horse: Distant Storm.

Age: 3yo colt.

Trainer: Charlie Appleby.

 He was impressive in winning a weak Tattersalls Stakes, before a good third in the Dewhurst. He is almost certain to have a go at the 2,000 Guineas in which he’ll have at least an each-way chance. There’s a sentimental reason why I’ve chosen him, as his dam is the only foal of the ill-fated George Washington. I’d love Distant Storm to be good enough to eventually earn a place at stud.

Horse: Al Zanati.

Age: 3yo colt.

Trainer: Charlie Appleby.

 Charlie Appleby often runs a good one in the Autumn Stakes and 2025 looked no different. Al Zanati pulled hard but still finished his race off like a horse with an exceptional engine. He subsequently won a Group 3 in France over nine furlongs picking up well from off the pace and I’m excited to see what he can do over 10 furlongs this year.

Horse: Montezuma. 

Age: 4yo gelding.

Trainer: Jim Goldie.

I was always going to side with an unexposed Jim Goldie-trained sprinter with loads of potential and Montezuma fits that bill. This Godolphin cast-off proved too lively and lairy to do himself justice during the second half of last season, but he shaped on two or three occasions like a horse who will prove much better than a mark of 71 once he puts it all together. With an extra winter on his back and only eight runs in his career so far, it’s not hard to envisage this Blue Point four-year-old climbing through the ranks when it clicks, particularly with an eye on the Sunday Series his canny handler has so successfully targeted in previous seasons. This year’s American Affair? You just never know.