Our horse racing experts have spent hours researching and watching race replays to come up with 8 flat horses to follow this season, including Classic contenders, flashy youngsters and much more.
8 Flat Horses To Follow This Season
After Doncaster’s Lincoln meeting kicked off the flat season in Britain last weekend, we’re taking a look at some horses to follow this season.
Some of these are trained in Britain, and a few in Ireland. We take a look at Classic contenders, flashy youngsters heading into their second season and more.
A couple of these are seen as hot favourites for big prizes according to the best horse racing betting sites, so read on to find out who you should keep in your trackers.
Classic Contenders To Watch In 2024
Aidan O’Brien is one of the most successful flat trainers of all time, and he has a couple of superstars lined up for another big season.
City Of Troy – Aidan O’Brien
After emerging as one fo the most exciting prospects we’ve ever seen on the flat, City Of Troy will look to extend his unbeaten record even further this season.
The son of Triple Crown winner Justify won all three of his starts as a two-year-old last season, and was last seen landing the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes. He got a Racing Post Rating of 124 for that, just two points short of what the legendary Frankel achieved in the race back in 2010.
Trainer O’Brien labelled the colt as the “best two-year-old I’ve trained” and City Of Troy is the horse lots are talking about in a bid for Classic success over the coming months.
The exhilarating three-year-old is the current favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May, and he is also leading the market for the illustrious Epsom Derby in June.
Ylang Ylang – Aidan O’Brien
Another horse hailing from the powerful Ballydoyle stable, Ylang Ylang should improve drastically this season after a slightly topsy-turvy one last year.
This Frankel filly won her first two races under rules last season but then finished last of nine in an underwhelming performance at the Curragh next time out in Group 1 company. However, hope was not lost and she finished third in a fast paced Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket after that.
Just a couple of weeks later, she was turned out quickly and returned to Newmarket once again for the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile and impressed to win by half a length.
It was clear to see she was much more suited to the mile trip, and that looks like her ideal distance. She is current favourite for the 1000 Guineas after stablemate Opera Singer was ruled out of the race due to a setback.
Ylang Ylang had to be one of our flat horses to follow this season, appearing to be one of the brightest fillies in training.
Rosallion – Richard Hannon
One of Britain’s most exciting flat horses around, Rosallion ended last season on a high when winning well on Arc day in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagadere at Longchamp.
Richard Hannon’s star impressed on debut at Newbury, followed up at Ascot before finding Doncaster’s testing ground a bit too much to handle.
Ending his season with a huge victory over in France, Rosallion has plenty more to offer heading in to 2024. Hannon’s charge is one of Britain’s leading hopes in the first Classic of the season, as he looks to go for the 2000 Guineas.
This horse loves the fast spring and summer ground and will be one to watch in Group 1 contests this season for his highly respected connections.
Other Flat Horses To Follow This Season
Henry Longfellow – Aidan O’Brien
Unbeaten so far, Henry Longfellow has won all three of his career starts. All of those wins came at the Curragh and this Dubawi colt is described as “very special” by his trainer.
Last seen winning the Group 1 National Stakes by five lengths, the form of that race at the Curragh is encouraging, with the second eventually winning a hot contest at Longchamp.
Whilst his stable companion City Of Troy may take most of the headlines going into the season, this exciting three-year-old should not be forgotten about.
Connections could opt to go for the French 2000 Guineas to avoid City Of Troy, but he does hold an entry in both the British and Irish equivalent.
Alhattan – George Boughey
George Boughey has a big filly on his hands in Alhattan, who made a solid debut at Newcastle back in January after being smashed into 8/13 favouritism despite opening at 15/8 and won nicely.
She was turned out again just under a month later, and sent back up to Newcastle but was beaten half a length after running slightly green throughout.
There should be improvement to come for her and that and she is worth keeping on your side, especially in some big fillies races this season.
She’s bred exceptionally well and being owned by Shadwell there is more to look forward to as she grows into her frame.
See The Fire – Andrew Balding
Another well thought of filly in this line-up, See The Fire is one of Andrew Balding’s biggest hopes this season after a respectable debut campaign at the back end of last season.
This daughter of Sea The Stars made a classy debut at Newmarket in August, before being beaten by a much more experienced rival next time out. Darnation got the better of See The Fire when she was held up that day, with Balding’s charge seemingly better with more prominent tactics.
She then got to within just over a length of top O’Brien filly Ylang Ylang, so her form reads well in both defeat and victory. One notable bit of form is a Godolphin horse she beat on debut went over to Meydan in the winter, putting in two solid displays with runner-up effort and win.
Lautrec – John & Thady Gosden
It wouldn’t be a flat horses to follow article without some Juddmonte (Frankel) colours, and Lautrec makes out list for John & Thady Gosden.
The father/son training combination have debuted a good few two-year-olds up at Newcastle, including the now-retired Enable and Lautrec is an exciting prospect.
Whilst he didn’t win cosily on debut, he showed guts and courage to get up on the line, and that is fairly positive considering the Gosdens’ debutants are often green so it could have gone the other way.
He showed that he may enjoy a step-up to a mile and a quarter at some point this season and this son of Kingman is certainly one to watch this spring.
Devoted Queen – Charlie Appleby
After a rather quiet 2023 for the Godolphin team, there is plenty to look forward to this season as Charlie Appleby has a few nice three-year-olds in the pipeline, including Devoted Queen.
This Kingman filly made a winning debut at Newmarket back in October, when jockey William Buick barely had to lift a finger. She is yet to be seen since so could be worth a second look in the 1000 Guineas at HQ over the spring.
She had enough left in the tank to suggest that she would be able to hander much tougher company, and the fact that she has been on such a break suggests that Godolphin have high hopes for her.
That concludes our eight flat horses to follow this season, with three classic contenders and five other horses who look destined for bigger things.
