Jack Nicol's ten horses to follow on the Flat this season

Personally speaking, this jumps season has been one of most enjoyable for many years. We have seen some outstanding performances throughout the winter with the novices living up to the hype over fences and hurdles, and every division looks strong at present.

With all that said, I'm excited for the Flat to return. It has always been my preference out of the two codes and this season promises to offer so much. The one horse I am most looking forward to seeing is Baaeed. I think he will prove to be the best horse we have seen since Frankel when he returns this season and I honestly don't think there is a horse who can beat him over a mile, or ten furlongs when he inevitably steps up in trip later in the year.

However, it would be a pointless exercise to include a line-up of Group One horses and exciting maiden winners, so I have tried to offer a bit of variety and include possibly one or two that may have slipped under the radar. Don’t forget to add each one to your Racing TV Tracker!

Age: 3yo filly.

Pedigree: Frankel x Sivoliere.

Trainer: John & Thady Gosden.

The Lloyd-Webber’s pink and grey silks have been carried to success by some top-class mares over the years, including my all-time favourite horse, The Fugue, and I think they have another above-average filly in A Cappella who I think can hit the right notes on the track in 2022.

The 360,000gns purchase only just made it onto the turf at the backend of last season but ran a race full of promise to finish second at Yarmouth, producing a strong finishing effort under hands-and-heels riding after waiting for gaps to appear, but was unable to catch her stablemate, Shaara, who had been able to secure first run.

The winner also encountered a troubled passage, but I expect A Cappella will prove to be the best horse in the race, with 10 to 12 furlongs likely to prove her optimum trip this season.

Trainers are creatures of habit, so it would not be a surprise to see A Cappella return in the 10f fillies’ maiden at Newbury on Sunday, April 17. Clarehaven have been successfully represented by Star Catcher and Lah Ti Dar in this contest in recent years and it is usually a clear pointer towards the yard’s best middle-distance/Oaks filly. Take note of their representative(s) next month.

Age: 3yo filly.

Pedigree: Sir Percy x Iron Butterfly.

Trainer: Harry Eustace.

Alnwick Castle played a starring role in the first two Harry Potter films (you know the scene, where Harry and co are learning to fly on their broomsticks) and the equine namesake can hopefully produce some magic on the track for a different Harry in 2022.

I must admit, there is some emotional attachment to this filly as Alnwick is the town in which I was born and educated in, and, on the face it, there isn’t much to take from the filly’s three starts as a juvenile last season as she beat just five rivals on the track in that time.

However, this daughter of Sir Percy was just a shell of a horse at two and her three outings all came over a distance of seven furlongs, a trip that is sure to prove shy of her best.

The handicapper has allotted Alnwick Castle an opening mark of just 56 and she can take advantage of that rating when stepping up in trip this season, where a jump up to 1m4f and further is likely to see this stoutly-bred filly excel.

Harry Eustace will be enjoying his second full season as a trainer this year and is very much a handler to note going forward.

Age: 4yo gelding.

Pedigree: Invincible Spirit x Nada.

Trainer: Grant Tuer.

Grant Tuer enjoyed an excellent year in 2021 as he saddled 49 winners and operated at a strike-rate of 20 per cent throughout the season. That puts him in elite company, with only a handful of the top Newmarket outfits equalling, or bettering, that success rate.

Three of his top earners last season were Lion Tower, Six Strings and Emaraty Hero, who won eight races between them, and all showed improvement having joined him from other trainers.

King Triton was purchased for 100,000gns at the Tattersalls July Sale and he looks a well-handicapped horse heading into 2022 from a mark of 85. His defeat of the now 97-rated Motawwajed at Thirsk back in June is rock-solid form, as is his third-placed effort in the competitive three-year-old handicap over a mile at York’s Ebor meeting on stable debut.

That was his first start for 66 days, so it was slightly disappointing that he couldn’t build on that next time out when only fourth back at Thirsk, but it was possibly too soon after York and I’m happy to give him the benefit of the doubt as he was put away for the season soon after.

Freshened up, I think he will take advantage of his current rating this season with improvement expected once stepping back up to ten furlongs. He seems to enjoy fast ground, too.

Age: 4yo filly.

Pedigree: Kingman x Stupendous Miss.

Trainer: Hughie Morrison.

It took a while to find the key to Mrs Fitzherbert last season but once dropped back down to a mile, she really began to flourish, winning easily on handicap debut at Lingfield before following that up with a remarkable four-length success at Wolverhampton having raced very wide into the straight.

She then ended the season with a narrow fourth in the Listed Fleur De Lys Stakes at Lingfield, blowing her handicap mark in the process, but proved she was more than capable at the level and I think connections can look forward to securing some black type with the daughter of Kingman this term.

Handicaps are still not out of the question from her revised mark of 97, certainly to start her campaign, anyway, but there is a great Stakes programme for fillies over a mile, with plenty of options in the Listed/Group 3 bracket. I’d be surprised if Mrs Fitzherbert can’t pick up at least one of those races this season.

Her two victories have come on the All-Weather but I have no reservations about her translating that form to the turf, although she has yet to be tried on quicker ground.

Hughie Morrison reported that she was still tall and weak last season, so there is every reason to see further improvement with another winter on her back.

Age: 4yo filly.

Pedigree: Exceed And Excel x Sacre Caroline.

Trainer: William Haggas.

Other than being trained by William Haggas, what do Group performers Conquest, Approve, Haikbidiac, Besharah, Headway, Sacred and Canonized all have in common?

The answer is that they were all the first juvenile runner sent out from Somerville Lodge during their respective two-year-old season. It is a trend that stands up year after year, so keep your eyes peeled for Haggas’ first juvenile runner in the coming weeks - they always tend to be one of his best!

Sacred was the foremost juvenile in 2020 and she won in great style at Newmarket over the minimum trip before ultimately proving frustrating throughout the rest of the year. Possibly still a bit weak, she took her already-solid form to another level in 2021 as she comfortably won the Nell Gwyn from Saffron Beach on her seasonal reappearance.

Finding the Guineas trip too far, she returned to seven furlongs in August and, for me, produced one of the performances of the season as she destroyed the opposition in the Group Two Hungerford Stakes.

A possible trip to America for the Breeders’ Cup Mile was initially touted but ultimately ruled out as she was confirmed to return this year as a four-year-old.

The main question now is what to do with a filly who excels over a trip (seven furlongs) where there is no domestic Group One? Personally, I hope they drop back to six furlongs as opposed to blunting her electric turn of foot by stretching her over a mile.

The six-furlong division lacks a standout performer and I think the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot would be ideal for this filly. I have no doubt she is capable of winning a Group One this year granted fast ground.

Age: 3yo colt.

Pedigree: Territories x Moment Of Time.

Trainer: John & Thady Gosden.

November 20, 2021 – a day where most racing fans were either purring over A Plus Tard’s scintillating performance in the Betfair Chase, or comparing the jumping efforts of crack novice chasers, Bravemansgame and Bob Olinger!

I, on the other hand, was logging Security Code into my Racing TV Tracker thinking I’d just seen a smart colt following his victory on Wolverhampton’s evening card.

We know Clarehaven are no strangers to running high-class prospects on the all-weather during this time of year, especially at Newcastle, but the likes of Jack Hobbs and Waldkonig debuted at Wolverhampton, and I think Security Code is one who has snuck under the radar coming into the new season.

The 160,000gns purchase had travelled sweetly enough into the race but had plenty on to catch the more-experienced pair out in front as they swung into the straight, but, from there, he responded generously, despite still looking quite gawky to come home over a length in front.

It was a deeply impressive performance to not only reel in the aforementioned pair (now rated 84 and 80 respectively), but he did so in a time quicker than the first division won by the 99-rated Symbol Of Light, albeit off a slightly lower weight.

I suspect we will see him reappear in a novice stakes before his sights are quickly raised this season.

Age: 3yo filly.

Pedigree: Almanzor x Penny Lane.

Trainer: Sir Mark Prescott.

It would seem that Almanzor only made a fair start to his career as a stallion in 2021, with seven winners from 33 runners from his first crop, but there are some exciting prospects among them, namely Abbado, Dissociate and Franz.

Almanzor was already high-class at two but enjoyed a stellar three-year-old campaign on the track where he won three Group One contests, including the 2016 Irish Champion Stakes, one of the best races in recent times.

With that in mind, there’s obviously every reason to expect further improvement from his stock this season and Sir Mark Prescott’s Snap Ambush is one who caught the eye following three swift outings during the winter months.

She built on a low-key debut effort to finish a clear third at Lingfield when chasing home a pair of useful rivals, but things didn’t work out on her third start at Kempton where a sedate gallop left her outpaced on the run for home. To her credit, she only just missed out on third that day and will be seen to best effect once tackling further, and contesting handicap company.

Sir Mark is renowned for his horses completing a sequence of victories and this filly looks the ideal type to try and do so from an opening handicap mark of 72.

Age: 7yo gelding.

Pedigree: Havana Gold x Puzzled.

Trainer: Archie Watson.

I’ve always thought the world of this horse. Sadly, he is incredibly fragile and that has held him back from ever getting a clear run at fulfilling the immense potential he showed after his first five outings.

However, his victory in the 2020 Group Two Hackwood Stakes shows that he is clearly on the cusp of being a Group One sprinter, when everything falls right.

He becomes very interesting from a sliding handicap mark as he begins life in the care of Archie Watson. When you also consider that he seems to excel on straight tracks, fast ground and a strong pace, then a race like the Wokingham Stakes becomes a logical early season target from a rating of 105.

Of course, Lone Star Investments, his new owners, likely have grander targets in mind having shelled out 110,000gns at the Autumn HIT Sale, but a repeat bid in the Hackwood and other lucrative targets could wait until after Royal Ascot.

There’s clearly a massive engine under the bonnet with Tabdeed and now Archie Watson has the keys in hand, I’m very excited to see how he fares this season.

Age: 3yo colt.

Pedigree: Night Of Thunder x Dominike.

Trainer: Kevin Ryan.

It was interesting that Kevin Ryan sent Thunder Roar down to Salisbury (one of only three juvenile runners he’s ever saddled at the track) for his debut, but he certainly came away having held his own by finishing second behind the now 111-rated Hannibal Barca, despite racing on the unfavoured part of the track.

It was an unsatisfactory race as a whole as they split into two groups at halfway and it was from there where Thunder Roar was left to cut out much of the dirty work, pressing on and comfortably winning the race of those who raced on the near-side, but two lengths in arrears to the aforementioned Hannibal Barca.

He can be marked up further having become restless in the stalls and subsequent results of the beaten horses only add further substance, with the third, fourth and fifth all winning since.

He should have no problem getting off the mark in an average novice stakes in the early part of the season and it will be interesting to see what connections plan to do from there.

Handicaps could be in the offing, depending on what he does on seasonal reappearance, and therefore a race like the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot could be one to consider further down the line. A mile should be well within his range this season as well.

Age: 5yo gelding.

Pedigree: Free Eagle x Best Be Careful.

Trainer: Adam Nicol.

I suppose I will get in trouble if I don’t include Wise Eagle who is trained by my brother, Adam Nicol.

He’s been a star for Adam, winning seven of his 14 starts since he arrived and just what any trainer needs when first starting up. He was a 7,000gns purchase and has now won over £48,000 in prize money for The Seahouses Syndicate.

He was disappointing at Southwell last week where we probably backed him up too quickly, but it was necessary to get a third run into him as his main early-season target has always been the valuable All-Weather Marathon Final at Newcastle on Good Friday, for which he is now qualified.

There is a month between Southwell and AW Finals Day to freshen him up and he will take his chance, providing all is well. He loves Newcastle and I think he can go close if arriving in peak form.

Wise Eagle is a quirky character as he doesn’t like the stick, but still tries very hard and only ever does enough in his races, which has enabled us to keep on the right side of the handicapper.

He is also versatile in regards to trip and ground, winning over a mile-and-a-half to two miles and on a range of surfaces, although I think he can’t have it quick enough when running on the turf.

I don’t think we’ve reached the ceiling of his ability just yet and I hope we can have as much fun on track with him this year as we did in 2021.