Racing TV presenters and pundits nominate their Flat horses to follow in 2025

This time last year our presenters and pundits picked out some beauties to follow on the Flat, headlined by three-time scorer Night Raider (Mark Howard), two-time winners, Deepone (Jane Mangan), Illinois (Gary O'Brien), Devil's Point (Rishi Persad), Windcrack (Alex Steedman) and Warda Jamila (Peter Naughton), while Azada (John O'Connell) Michaela's Boy (Steve Jones), Staincliff (Martin Dixon), Ortelius (Donn McClean), See The Fire (Lisa O'Neill) and Elizabeth Jane (Kevin O' Ryan) all scored, too.

Our expert team of pundits and presenters have compiled a list of horses to stay on the right side of during the 2025 Flat season. Simply click on the horse's name and then the binocular icon to keep track of your horses with the .

Horse: .

Trainer: Ed Walker.

Age: 4yo colt.

He was a very impressive winner of the Chasemore Farm Stud Staff Heron Stakes at Sandown on soft ground last year and is officially rated 116. l think he's going to be a very smart 4yo, and hopefully can develop into a serious Group performer.

Horse: .

Trainer: Willie Mullins.

Age: 3yo filly.

She finished strongly from the rear on debut to just be denied in what looked a decent backend maiden at Leopardstown. This daughter of Sea The Stars, whose siblings include Royal Ascot winner Atty Persse, has the potential to develop into a smart middle-distance filly.

Horse: .

Trainer: lain Jardine.

Age: 4yo gelding. 

He may be starting off the season from a basement rating but l hear the Jardine camp are expecting a bit of fun in the coming months with a horse boasting a German Derby winner on the distaff side of his page.

Formerly with Joseph O'Brien, he found his feet for new connections with a convincing win at Newcastle just before Christmas and has been given time since to mature. Over trips of a mile to a mile and a quarter, I'm told he's one to keep an eye on.

Horse: .

Trainer: Ralph Beckett.

Age: 3yo filly.

In two starts so far, Sandtrap has looked a filly of significant potential. She won easily on debut at Salisbury before heading to Deauville at the backend of last season, finishing second in Group 3 company - where heavy ground that day may well not have been ideal. Her trainer said last year that she'd improve as a 3yo as she still had plenty of strengthening up to do and has a big frame to fill. Entries in the Irish 1000 Guineas and Irish Oaks suggest she is very highly thought of and her owners Valmont Stud won the latter in 2024 with You Got To Me. Fingers crossed for a big year!

Horse: .

Trainer: Donnacha O'Brien.

Age: 3yo filly.

Bred for brilliance, Falling Snow is a name to watch this season. A daughter of the US Triple Crown winner Justify and the exceptional Winter - who

claimed the 1,000 Guineas among her four Group 1 victories - Falling Snow boasts both pedigree and potential. Her debut at the Curragh over 7f was highly promising. Having impressed in a barrier trial beforehand, she took time to find her rhythm but showed a strong finishing kick to edge out Ballet Slippers at the line. A big, rangy filly, she has the scope to improve significantly as a three-year-old.

Falling Snow could thrive over a mile and beyond this season. It will be fascinating to follow her progress as she steps up in class-she may just live up to her star-studded breeding.

Horse: .

Trainer: Andrew Balding.

Age: 3yo colt.

I noted Furthur as the pick of the paddock on Racing TV at Newmarket when he debuted in early October and, although he was too green to show much on that occasion, he improved significantly to finish second on testing ground at Newbury later that month. A tall, lengthy colt who was on the weak side as a two-year-old, l'd anticipate plenty of further improvement, including when stepped up to middle distances.

Horse: .

Trainer: Andrew Balding.

Age: 3yo colt.

Showed a lot of promise on his debut in July, where he both needed the run and got very warm beforehand. That race proved solid form

with the two he chased home both winning next time out. Given time to mature and, with that experience under his belt, he clearly has the ability to win races at around a mile.

Horse: .

Trainer:  William Haggas.

Age: 3yo colt.

William Haggas is blessed with a formidable team of three-year-olds for this term and the once-raced son of Wootton Bassett is expected to develop into

a Pattern performer. A 260,000gns yearling, he is a half-brother to Royal Ascot winner English Oak and he finished strongly on his debut at Newmarket last autumn. Beaten a length and a quarter, he could reappear in the same one-mile maiden at Newbury in April, which his stable won with My Prospero (2022) and Economics (2024) in recent seasons.

Horse: .

Trainer: Richard Hannon.

Age: 4yo colt.

Having progressed from handicapper to Listed winner last season, there should be even better to come this year. He ended

last season in the Group 1 Champion Stakes. While that was a step too far, his high cruising speed and potent finishing kick will make him a big player in Group races this year.

Horse: .

Trainer:  Charlie Appleby.

Age: 3yo colt.

The 3yo is €2,300,000 of pure excitement and potential. Ruling Court's show-stopping display at Meydan on 'Super Saturday' has left racing fans (and connections judging by the post-race comments] salivating as to the heights this son of Justify can scale. The 2000 Guineas and/or Derby are possible routes (I would love to see him in the latter, via the Dante) but wherever he goes, Ruling Court merits the utmost respect.

Horse: .

Trainer: Ger Lyons.

Age: 3yo filly.

This Frankel filly will likely fly under the radar but, rest assured, that she should make into a high-class 3yo over a mile or further. She was a tall, sizeable juvenile so I'm confident she will be a Classic contender this season.

Horse: .

Trainer: Joseph O'Brien.

Age: 3yo colt. 

An impressive winner of his maiden at Leopardstown on his racecourse debut last May, Scorthy Champ didn't race again until he contested the Group 2 Futurity Stakes at The Curragh in August. He was slow to gather stride that day, but he saw out his race well to take third place behind Henri Matisse and Hotazhell.

The race worked out really well afterwards with Henri Matisse and Hotazhell going on to big top-level wins. Scorthy Champ himself went back to The Curragh and won the Group 1 National Stakes, staying on well on the far side to get home by three parts of a length from his old rival Henri Matisse. He has never been beyond seven furlongs, but he races like a mile should be well within range and is a live contender for this year's 2000 Guineas, and for some of the top one-mile contests later in the season.

Horse: .

Trainer: Charlie Appleby.

Age: 3yo colt. 

This colt won the same maiden at Kempton that Notable Speech did, showing an impressive turn of foot, quickening 8½ lengths clear of the field. He recorded 10.95s and 11.17s for the final two furlongs, reaching a top speed of 41.45mph. He looked even smarter against a stronger field next time out at Kempton, surging clear of the field with another sub-11s furlong. The 2000 Guineas is surely on the agenda for this smart son of Ghaiyyath.

Horse: .

Trainer: William Haggas.

Age: 3yo filly.

She impressed when justifying good support in the 1m filles' maiden at Kempton in January, breaking well and quickening well for a comprehensive victory. Tom Marquand said: "She has a free-going way early in her races and I was very impressed the way she quickened in the final two furlongs." The winner took a long time to pull up and is bred for further but connections might keep to similar trips until she learns to settle. Expect bundles of improvement when switching to turf. For more of Peter's notebook horses, .

Horse: .

Trainer: Charlie Appleby.

Age: 3yo colt. 

A son of Justify who was an expensive breeze up purchase, he holds a big reputation but l think he can fulfil it. An impressive return to action in Meydan on Super Saturday looking a stronger and better model, he could be one to follow for the Classics this season, it could be the Dante first though.

Horse: .

Trainer: Eddie Lynam.

Age: 5yo gelding.

Eddie Lynam has few peers when it comes to sprinters and, after a terrific 2024 campaign, his Keke may be able to pick up where he left off. The Dandy Man gelding was brought along expertly to win four of his last five starts in handicaps and should be able to make his mark at Listed level at least, particularly when the emphasis is firmly on speed.

Horse: .

Trainer: John Feane.

Age: 3yo colt.

There was plenty to like about the debut of Forza Toro but he improved on it a good deal when bolting up in a 7f maiden at Dundalk in November.

Well backed, the gelded son of Aclaim trounced a subsequent winner and was then put away for a campaign this summer. Though unlikely to be seen in Group 1 company, there will be lots of opportunities for him in good races up to a mile.

Horse: .

Trainer: Aidan O'Brien.

Age: 3yo filly.

Proving a special 2yo with an unblemished record, she recorded three Group ls, all in a short space of time. Displaying a dangerous turn of foot,

she also proved stamina was another attribute she retained in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar. She is out of an exceptional race mare who has produced winning stayers and looks an obvious one to mature into a prime Guineas hope. She will be a force to be reckoned with at the top table.

Horse: .

Trainer: Ralph Beckett.

Age: 3yo colt.

One of twelve Derby entries for Ralph Beckett, the son of Almanzor created quite an impression when making a winning debut despite being green and awkward in the early part of his Newmarket novice he started to understand what was required, he powered away to win in style. He's also named after my favourite Neil Diamond song.

Horse: .

Trainer: Ralph Beckett.

Age: 3yo filly.

Won on debut at the back end - a Salisbury meeting where her trainer has unleashed the likes of Bluestocking and Remarquee (this race) in the past. He also won the opener on the card with another 2yo filly but marked this filly as very much one to be excited about this season. Expect her to take in a Guineas trial before hopefully making it into a top-level performer like her half-brother Ten Sovereigns.

Horse: .

Trainer: Jim Goldie.

Age: 5yo gelding.

American Affair came from last to first under a daring Paul Mulrennan ride to plunder Doncaster's Portland. Lightly raced for a five-year-old, he could yet bridge the gap from handicaps to Group races, especially if faced with his ideal combo of decent ground and a speed-favouring track.

Horse: .

Trainer: James Fanshawe.

Age: 3yo filly.

Back-end maidens at Newmarket are a rich source of future winners and Pina Sonata showed enough promise on her first start, behind Verse Of Love in a fillies' event over the last seven furlongs of the Rowley Mile last September, to make her of interest in 2025. Having over-raced early on, the daughter of Pinatubo ran green when asked for her effort but then stayed on takingly to the line.

Expect more this season.