Three Flat Horses to Follow in 2021

With the curtain having recently come down on the 2020/21 flat season, now is a great time to take stock of some of the most exciting on-track action and to think about the horses we’d like to see run again.

Many of these rising stars made their mark in their debuts and can now be expected to compete in some of the most important contests of the 2021 season, from the Epsom Derby to the Goodwood Cup.

Some were destined for brilliance, being bred in the black and having some of the most impressive names in racing behind them. Others looked less promising on paper but nonetheless proved themselves on the track.

Regardless of their provenance, these are the three flat horses we’re most looking forward to following in 2021.

Aldaary

Betting and horse racing go hand in hand. For those who enjoy a flutter, there are established directory sites dedicated to sharing the best offers and bonuses with bettors from around the world. Websites like asiabet.org, for example, allow gamblers from as far afield as India to participate, meaning anyone can get involved.

In 2021, it’s likely that many of the individuals will be placing bets on this particular rising star – and will hopefully be rewarded. Aldaary got off to a strong start in 2020, winning both of the novice contests he was entered in last October.

In his initial start at Yarmouth, Aldaary breezed to an easy victory, winning comfortably by just under four lengths. The conditions were similar at Leicester, where he took home a win on rain-softened ground without struggling, this time extending his lead to nine lengths.

What these contests indicate is that the colt performs well on testing surfaces (and may even do better on these). Both of his parents took home wins during their own racing careers, with his sire, Gleneagles, winning the Grade 1 Prix Jean Prat and his dam claiming three victories in her heyday.

Arousing

Filly Arousing, by Kodiac out of Enticing, is another to keep an eye on. She took victory in a novice contest at Yarmouth in mid-September, which was her sole start as a juvenile. While it wasn’t the most impressive victory, she had stiff competition in the form of Ville De Grace, who’d won her previous start in impressive fashion.

That being said, Arousing performed admirably and looked as if she had the potential for more. Certainly, she’s well-placed to have this talent nurtured, with her current trainer having taken her half-sister, One Master, to Group 1 success.

If she follows in her older sibling’s footsteps, Arousing will be one to watch out for, as One Master improved noticeably with age and experience. Though it’s impossible to compare the two based on a single run, it doesn’t seem too much of a stretch to say this filly should only get better as she matures.

Beheld

Any commentator or racing enthusiast will tell you that Roger Charlton doesn’t rush his two-year-olds. In fact, he prides himself on this fact, preferring to nurture them as youngsters and keep their best back for later.

This means that when one of his horses wins on their first time out, you sit up and take note. Enter Beheld, who did just that during her sole outing in 2020. Competing at Newbury in the middle of August, the filly ran over seven furlongs, making an impressive comeback from a poor start.

Though she may have proved overly enthusiastic at the beginning of the race, Beheld soon settled into the swing of things, only kicking it up a gear toward the final furlong. This allowed her to win by a head against a strong field.

Certainly, Beheld has a pedigree that suggests there’s plenty more to come. By Frankel, she's out of a mare whose breeding combines Oasis Dream and Arabesque, with lots of the finest names from Juddmonte featuring in her lineage.

When it comes to predicting the stars of the future, racing can be an unpredictable game, but these three youngsters have shown early indications of brilliance. We look forward to following their careers over the coming years and seeing where their untapped potential takes them.

In the meantime, the napchecker.com archives provide additional insights into the top horses to watch out for in the Triple Crown.