When selecting my list of Horses to Follow trained by William Haggas, I like to look closely at horses that follow the trends established by the training methods that have made Somerville Lodge so successful, although there is always a case to follow horses that buck the trends.
2026 was a season where there was a change of emphasis moving towards taking aim at more Group 1 races both in the UK and overseas and keeping more handicappers in training from 3yo’s to 4yo’s.
These policies met with varying degrees of success – Almeraq and Maltese Cross being the highlights. The policy of keeping more 3yo handicappers in training as 4yo’s proved very disappointing. It had followed an exceptional season in 2025 when the strike rate for the 3yo’s running in handicap company was just shy of 27% ( Over 31% if sent off 1,2,3 in the market).
As a direct comparison the numbers in 2026 were just over 15%. (22% if sent off 1,2,3 in the market.) The 4yo + handicappers ran in 136 races at a strike rate of 14%. In 2025 the numbers were 27 winners from 77 runners ( 27%)
Crucial for Haggas punters it was the ‘Saturday’ record in handicaps that had the most impact on profits. In 2025 the ‘Saturday Handicap’ strike rate was just shy of 32%. This season it was more than 50% down – at under 15%. Since the 1st week in July there have been only 6 Saturday handicap winners from 66 runners. In 2025 from almost the same number (62) there were 21 winners.
Although there is case to be made that the poor returns were as a result of the hot conditions and the firm ground. The more logical reason given their success as 3yo’s in 2025 is they were by and large badly handicapped.
I would expect that most of the 2026 3yo’s that won in handicap company, that stay in training as 4yo’s in 2027 will be those thought capable of winning in listed company or higher, rather than being targeted at the valuable handicaps.
The most telling statistic is that in 2026 from 82 attempts to win Class 2 handicaps with horses 4 and older there were 7 winners in 2025 there were 14 from 44 !!
From the 2025 3yo crop of handicappers there were only two stand outs in 2026, the Royal Ascot handicap winners Alobayyah and Opportunity who both progressed into Stakes horses. The many disappointments among the 4 and 5yo’s included Eternal Force, Binhareer, Sea Force, Finalise, Time Loop and Crown of Oaks none of whom managed to win any type of race. Although the latter may yet have his day in 2027.
Of the 30 handicaps won by 3yo’s in 2026 13 were delivered by just three horses Hoseki, Silver Lake and Venetian Lion the only other dual handicap winners were Thunder Call, Caraway, and Infraad. 11 horses won one handicap and there were 36 that contested handicaps without winning.
In hindsight 2025 was a stellar year for the yards in handicaps, in contrast 2026 will go down as the worst this decade.Given those stats the fact that we returned a reasonable profit for the year goes down as probably our best performance too date.
The season ahead will feature a large number of completely unexposed, several unraced, well bred 3yo’s there will also be a number of 4 and 5yo’s that will prove well up to contesting high quality Group and Listed events.
The headline acts will be Maltese Cross and ,fingers crossed, the returning Merchant who will contest Group 1 races over 10f and further. The 3yo fillies Lilt, Song of Clouds and Silver Lake will be tackling high quality Group races as 4yo’s. They maybe joined by My Ophelia who was unraced as a 3yo but went into the 2026 season as a potential Group 1 filly.
Division will head the Sprint team looking to repeat the Group 1 successes of Almeraq this season.
Infraad will be campaigned as a potential Ascot Gold Cup horse. Whilst Opportunity and Tenability will be expected to win Group races at 12f or further.
The aim of this article is mostly to look at the unexposed horses that traditionally Somerville Lodge turn into 100+ rated Stakes horses. The order is not in order of preference.
Horse No 1 of our 7 for 27 Bulletsnap (Minzaal – Ballanodine 85,000F)
I will begin with one that is already rated 97 and is a horse that has moved away from the normal Somerville Lodge development profile but could still have more than enough scope to improve 10-12lb and move into group company.
Bulletsnap is a 2yo son of Minzaal bred by the very successful Tpb Bloodstock operation in Ireland. He immediately started life away from a typical Somerville Lodge 2yo pathway with the plan to run at Royal Ascot.
He showed promise in his early work to justify an entry in the Coventry Stakes at the Royal meeting. However it became apparent that he preferred some cut in the ground and after a promising debut at Goodwood on Soft ground just 14 days before the big meeting, with fast ground predicted at Ascot, he was withdrawn.
His original owners the German based breeding operation Graf Steffanberg, who paid 95,000 for him as a yearling, sold the colt on the eve of Royal Ascot, for an undisclosed sum to one of the leading owners at Somerville Lodge -Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum.
On his first outing for the new owner on fast ground at the height of the heat wave in early July ,he was tried over 7f at Doncaster. He looked the likely winner 2 furlongs out in a race won by the future Group 1 placed, 105 rated Quest for Stars but eventually finished 4th. He lost -more because he didn’t stay the 7f rather than the fast ground.
Given a six week break and dropped back to 6f on rain-softened ground at Windsor he was considered a ‘certainty’ to break his maiden tag. It was at a time when several of the Haggas 2yo’s ran poorly and he was probably the most disappointing, never traveling well and finishing a well beaten 4th.
After another 4 week break he returned at Ripon, the ground was fast enough and his draw in stall 9 far from ideal. Allowed to dictate the running he bolted up to win by over 6L. On his final race, as a 2yo off a mark of 87 in a Class 3 nursery on Soft ground back at Doncaster he won even more impressively. As a result Bulletsnap will start the 2027 season from a mark of 97.
That is high for a Haggas juvenile and he will be the highest in recent history not to have contested a Group or Listed race.
Most of the others that ran to marks in the high 80’s and 90’s have tended to be moved on before or early into their 3yo season. As I have already said Bulletsnap is not a typical Haggas inmate.
His breeding is not strictly an indicator of speed on the dam side as he is from the family of the great Goldikova – however he is one of the first crop of his sire Minzaal and the early signs are that he passes on much of his speed to his progeny.
Minzaal’s full brother How Are You trained by Francois Henri Grafford ran 4 times before July last season of his 3yo campaign winning twice and achieving an RPR of 107.
I have included Bulletsnap instead of the highly touted Sharadd in my list of horses to follow. Sharadd will be on many Somerville Lodge lists after his unbeaten 2yo season and it is very possible if Sharadd goes the Commonwealth Cup route the pair will work together.
Both will need soft ground – Bulletsnap has a Timeform rating of 104p with Sharadd rated 102P. I wasn’t entirely convinced by the win of Sharadd at York. He is related to Binhareer and looks a sprinter, although he is quoted in the 2,000 Guineas market and I have a feeling he may share one or two of Binhareer’s quirks.
The family of Bulletsnap run well fresh and come to hand early -if conditions are soft in the Spring and he winters well he may well contest the 0-100 Class 2 6f handicap at the Craven meeting before progressing up the ranks.
On soft ground he looks to have the scope to progress into group company. His owner likes his horses to move into Grade 1 levels as soon as possible and if he gets soft ground it could well be in his range sooner rather than later in the season.
Horse No 2 in our 7 for 27 Quorum (Kingman-Quiteria 360,000Y)
From a group of around 70 finding the juveniles that improve from marks in the 70’s to win races at Class 2 and Listed level as 3yo’s can be very precarious.
There are some factors that can reduce the numbers being considered:
I specifically track horses that have been given their first or second juvenile outings, at Newmarket, Yarmouth or Newcastle between the months of September to December.
In one of those races they should finish within 10L of the winner and have been sent off in the market at a price lower than 10/1.
The list from 2025 was, Extremely Zain, Creative Queen, Hoseki, Zooming, Silver Lake, Princling, Guesstimate, Ellkeem, Thunder Call, Caraway, Adamlyi, Maltese Cross. Fractional, Bintsaleh and Albaydaa.
In 2024 the list was Showering,Merchant, Silver Chamber, Eternal Force, Digub, Alobayyah, Almeraq, Power Fizz and Rhapsody.
From that list of 24 only Princling, placed in Class 2 handicaps, and Bintsaleh (only had 2 races at 3) failed to win, 16 were rated 90+ and 14 Won at Class 3 level or higher.
So far for next season there are 11 on the list although there is time for some to drop out or others to be added if they run at Newcastle in November or December. Several of the horses that meet the criteria are being touted by the media as potential stars for the yard in 2027:
Sea La Roma, Palace Rose, Old Compton, Carbine Country, Mawrid, Procyon, Quorum, Born This Way, Faithful, Howluckyweare, Divine Rythem.
For the purpose of the 7 for 27 I have selected 3 from this list-starting with Quorum.
Wathnan Racing continues to be a growing force on the global stage and Somerville Lodge provided them with several memorable days in 2026 including 2 Royal Ascot victory’s with Opportunity and Earth Shot. From the list of 2yo to follow from 2025, Silver Lake was a fantastic advert for the team progressing from winning a Salisbury handicap in July from a mark of 75 followed by wins at the big Goodwood, York and Doncaster festivals before finishing the season rated 107 after running 2nd to stablemate Song of Clouds in a Group 3 at Newmarket.
There are a couple of Wathnan 2yo’s provisionally on the 2026 list, the more obvious is the Redcar winner Procyon, but it is Quorum that grabbed my attention on his only run to date at Newmarket in September.
Quorum is by Kingman out of a Dubawi mare and is closely related to the Balmoral Handicap and Listed winner Sharja Bridge. He was unraced as a 2yo but progressed rapidly at 3 and 4 and Quorum looks likely to follow that pattern.
On his debut Quorum, after having been supported at 7/1, he was slowly into stride and incredibly green, before making modest late progress up the Newmarket hill inside the final furlong, to be beaten 9L However, what captured my attention was that after the winning line, at the pick up, he was at the head of the pack and took a fair amount of pulling up.
There is always a slight doubt in my mind over the resolution of Kingman sired horses as they progress ( Princling this season). However Quorum is the darkest entry of my 7 and there is a reasonable chance he can follow Silver Lake and become a multiple winner in 2027.
Horse No 3 in our 7 for 27 Born This Way 2yo Colt Wootton Basset–Simply Incredible
Away from the industry leaders at Coolmore and Goldophin no single owner creates more headlines than Michael Buckley – largely through his ownership of Constitution Hill. The publicity surrounding the former Champion Hurdle winner will start to wain however Buckley may well have another headline maker with his Wootton Basset colt Born This Way. He is registered as being owned by Michael Buckley and partner (a certain J Magnier)
A 250,00Y he was a winner on debut for Haggas at Yarmouth in October when sent off as the 11/8 favourite. Market support for unraced Haggas newcomers is always worth noting although it never makes any difference to the way they are ridden with the educational benefits far more important than winning the race. It is safe to assume that when they do win it’s either a weak race or the horse is useful.
In this case it was quickly established that Born This Way fits into the latter category of being ‘useful’. The runner up at Yarmouth Solo Quest was an impressive winner of his next outing at Newmarket. After that race jockey Keiren Shoemark remarked how he couldn’t believe he had been beaten at Yarmouth as he was finishing so strongly. Born this Way ran green throughout the race and yet was still able to cut back a 2L lead Solo Quest had pinched with less than 100yds to run.
After winning by 4L on his next outing Solo Quest is considered a possible contender for next seasons classics and given the amount of improvement that is certain to come from Born This Way he has to be considered in the same bracket. He is certain to stay 1m and in all likelihood 10f in time.
Last season was the first for many years that Somerville Lodge had set out to target the spring classics and if he has a good winter Born This Way will probably be aimed at the 2,000 Guineas. It would be no surprise if he were to run in a Novice stakes race at Newcastle over the winter to gain more experience. Should that be the case before the race the 50/1 currently available for the 2,000 Guineas maybe worth a small interest.
The dam side of his pedigree goes back to the brilliant Lockinge winner Hawk Wing and the turn of foot he showed at Yarmouth suggested he possesses plenty of speed.
If he is not entirely happy with his progress Haggas will not explore the 2,000 Guineas route with the St James Palace at Royal Ascot allowing more time.
Horse No 4 in our 7 for 27 Howluckyweare. (Cracksman- Tweed)
Within Somerville Lodge probably the most eagerly anticipated 3yo campaign will be the performances and progression of the 3yo half sister to Hamish, – Howluckyweare.
The likelihood will be that it will be at the back end of her 3yo season before she sparkles, but there was enough to see in her first runs as a 2yo to suggest she can follow in the footsteps of her illustrious half brother and progress through the ranks.
Hamish first appeared at Thirsk in the April of his 3yo season. He quickly established himself as a high class horse winning 3 of his 6 starts and ending the year on a mark of 109. He went on to win 12 further races and in a career involving 29 starts -was only out of the first 3 on 5 occasions.
He was a notoriously difficult customer away from the course but was as tough as they come in his races and it is that willingness to battle that I noted in Howluckyweare’s first two outings this season.
By Cracksman she will need 12f and more to be seen at her best and she started off at Yarmouth over 9f in September and then followed that up with a run over a 1m at Kempton. At Yarmouth she was given a tender introduction held up last and not put under pressure until showing that she had ability staying on well moving past five horses under her own steam.
At Kempton her education continued where over 8f she made the running before being outpaced approaching the final furlong. She relaxed and raced professionally and didn’t go down without a fight. She could have been expected to drop away tamely but stayed on at one pace and was only beaten just over 3L.
To match the standards of her half brother will be a tall order but Haggas knows this family like the back of his hand and she should make a useful staying handicapper at the very least.
She is Tweed’s 5th horse to run -two have been very successful and two failed to progress as 3yo’s. A successful season for Howluckyweare will provide the Haggas family with the ammunition to continue the family line that goes back to Frog in the mid 90’s trained by Sir Mark Prescott.
Horse No 5 in our 7 for 27 Avowed (Stradivarius-Vow)
The Frog bloodline is continued through the 2yo colt Avowed from the first crop of Champion Stayer Stradivarius out of Vow who was 4th in the Oaks and a half sister to another Somerville Lodge legend Harris Tweed.
Avowed was unfancied on his first outing at Nottingham in a race that featured the debuts of several very well bred juveniles including a couple of Goldophin debutants and Space Bob a close relative to Ten Bob Tony.
Avowed broke well but was given time to settle and raced at the back of the field. Although running green he was still traveling well on the bridle alongside Space Bob. As the pace quickened he was denied a run and from then on was allowed to finish off the race without pressure but was noted running on past beaten rivals in the final furlong.
The race generally looks one to follow – Avowed will need 12f but he is just the type that Haggas excels with and could well follow similar routes to the likes of Tenability, Klassleader Sam Hawkens and The Reverend as high class handicappers, bordering on Group Class, in races over 12f+.
Horse No 6 in our 7 for 27 is the only 4yo in the list the maiden filly Yimmna.
Her career has been stop start and was hampered by the long periods of fast ground. However, having looked likely to be suited to racing over a mile or further. She ran three of her first four races over 7f before going up in trip in her first handicap over 8f on the AW at Southwell off a mark of 73.
She was strong throughout the race and looked certain to win but got caught by a more experienced well backed improver Toastmaster trained by the mercurial Michael Herrington. That gelding is a horse to follow on the AW this winter.
Yimmna lost nothing in defeat and was only put up a pound by the handicapper. A very expensive 650,000Y by Siyouni out of the Lope De Vega mare Right Hand she is closely related to the top class French Group 1 placed Aventure.
She is a winner in waiting – it would be no surprise if the opportunity is taken to get the box ticked and lose her maiden tag this winter, before progressing through the ranks as a 4yo upped in trip to 10f in 2027.
7 for 27 Horse 7 Division
There were 50 4yo+ horses kept in training in 2026 and a strike rate of just over 16% with 35 wins from 218 runners was disappointing. That was balanced by the brilliance of Almeraq and the best ever Royal Ascot when 3 of the 4 wins were achieved by 4yo’s.
26 of the 50 were winners but I would be surprised if there are more than 35 in training in 2027. The stalwarts Al Aasy, Hamish, Almeraq, More Thunder, and Santorini Star may well have ran their last races and many of the disappointing handicappers have been moved on.
One horse that will remain and the most exposed of our 7 for 27 is Division who has a real chance of following in the footsteps of Almeraq by winning at least one Group 1 sprint in 2027.
He was one of the most unluckiest horses in training last season repeatedly being drawn away from the pace and having interrupted runs at crucial stages in a majority of his races. The 6f Listed Cecil Frail Stakes at the end of May will be an ideal starting point.
The benefit of his winless 2026 will be he won’t have to give a penalty away to inferior rivals. He needs a win and that will be the ideal confidence booster before a bid for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Stakes that is certain to be his first big target.
His owners Wathnan Racing won the race with Lazzat in 2024 and will be keen to win the race for a second time at a meeting they target annually.
7 for 27 Confirmed List.
3yo Bulletsnap, Quorum, Born This Way, Howluckyarewe, Avowed
4yo Yimmna
5yo Division.
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