Our Dark Horses expert with four horses on his early radar ahead of this year's Classics.
Ed Walker has trained some high-class fillies since taking out a licence in 2010, including dual Group 1 winner Dreamloper. Luca Cumani’s former assistant has assembled a strong team once again for 2026 with few more exciting than the twice raced THE PRETTIEST STAR.
A homebred filly belonging to owner David Ward, she is by the same connections July Cup winner Starman. She made a sparkling debut at Nottingham in August when beating eight rivals by upwards of four and a half lengths. Overcoming a slow start, Kieran Shoemark’s mount soon raced prominently before quickly putting the race to bed with a sharp turn of foot. Off the track for 50 days, she was elevated in class when tackling some smart rivals in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket in late September.
Despite her lack of experience, she improved on her debut effort to get within half a length of the well regarded Zanthos. Pulling three and a half lengths clear of the third, it was a most promising effort. Out of a dam who won over seven furlongs, she is related to winners of a mile and the 1000 Guineas on the Rowley Mile is very much the plan.
