Exciting racehorse talents that could breakout in 2024
The exhilarating horse racing calendar sees brand-new talents break out in its biggest events every single year. It is like no other sport in the sense that it only takes a few significant victories for a strong reputation to be built.
The foundations for a breakout horse almost always consist of the backing of a historically successful trainer. Certain names carry weight in the sport, as they deliver champion horses much more often than they do not.
Here we will look at several horses to watch this year who are not yet widely known as some of flat racing's greatest but could be by the end of the 2024 schedule, based on their trainers and advantageous pedigree.
Diego Velazquez
The headlines surrounding trainer Aiden O'Brien's 2024 Epsom Derby entries have been dominated by the standout horse City Of Troy and that has taken the limelight off his other naturally talented horses like Diego Velazquez.
The Irish horse is a slight outsider to win the biggest flat race in the United Kingdom this year. In betting on online horse racing he is offered at 14/1 to be the champion of Epsom's most prestigious event.
However, even a finish amongst the front three would mark an excellent foundation for a year in which the son of the legendary racehorse Frankel could make its talents widely known.
Diego Velazquez will also have another shot at glory in a British Triple Crown race this year in the form of the 2000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket.
At the early May event, the horse is predicted to have a much smaller chance of winning at odds of 33/1 due to the shorter course of one mile compared to one and a half miles at Epsom.
O'Brien's team will certainly see this horse as one that can excel in the slightly lengthier races compared to the straight-out sprints.
Around four races should make up Diego Velazquez's second year in the sport and placed finishes across them should establish its position as one of the strongest horses in its age group.
Big Evs
Big Evs is a horse trained by Michael Appleby that has the chance to make its name known worldwide at Ascot this year. He won at the venue in the Windsor Castle Stakes last year as a massive outsider which could provide an ideal omen ahead of its biggest test in 2024 - the Commonwealth Cup.
The Irish horse has since magnificently won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint while also not being the favourite, and producing similar heroics at Ascot this year could be the final step to becoming one of the big names in British horse racing.
Big Evs is offered at 10/1 with the widely acclaimed unstoppable Vandeek expected to dominate. A finish amongst the frontrunners would be impressive, although the son of Godolphin's Blue Point has the potential to truly break out as one of the leading horses in flat racing with yet another surprise outright victory.
Both of the horses mentioned here have excellent pedigrees based on their sires and have been developed by elite-level trainers. They are on the verge of huge successes in British racing this year, although the well-known brilliance of others means they lurk in the shadows for now.
Diego Valazquez and Big Evs both have the potential to win in some of the biggest UK races this year and with that, they could turn from mere talents to renowned major race champions throughout 2024.