Horse Racing: A ‘Super Six to Follow’ on the Flat in 2024
Turf racing is back. To celebrate, we have compiled a ‘Super Six To Follow’ for the flat season ahead. Our list consists of three and four-year-olds who showed outstanding ability or promise during the 2023 season. All horses on it are expected to more than pay their way this year.
City Of Troy is quoted on 12/1 to win the Guineas, Derby and St Leger – thereby completing the fabled Triple Crown. ©GettyImages
Ante-post markets for all of this season’s major races are now available. And UK betting sites are cranking up the gears ahead of 2024’s first two classic races – the 1000 and 2000 Guineas. They take place during the first weekend of May at flat racing’s HQ, Newmarket.
The proven ability and consistency of trainers are among the factors used to decide upon our ‘Super Six To Follow’ list. All selections are handled by classic winning trainers. And, if things go according to plan, one or two of these horses could make their mark in horse racing’s history books.
Six Potential Stars to Track in 2024
The ‘Super Six To Follow’ list is in alphabetical order and based on what has been seen of these thoroughbreds in their careers to date. The horses featured will almost certainly win their share of races throughout the season.
Those wishing to follow the selections can use horse tracker facilities offered by many of our recommended horse racing betting sites. Easy-to-use trackers help inform you when one of the selections is scheduled to be in action.
City Of Troy (three-year-old bay colt – trainer Aiden O’Brien)
Career form and prizemoney: 3 runs, 3 wins – £367,007
City Of Troy, the outstanding two-year-old of 2023, will surely pick up some big race wins in 2024. He is the favourite to win Newmarket’s 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby, and the Irish Derby. He is only 12/1 to win the English Triple Crown!
Unbeaten in three runs in his two-year-old campaign. City Of Troy started his career in a respectable seven-furlong maiden at the Curragh – Ireland’s flat racing stronghold – and immediately looked the part. He travelled close to the pace and, when his jockey Ryan Moore asked him to extend, the acceleration was instant.
City Of Troy was then sent to Newmarket’s July Meeting for a seven-furlong Listed race. He was again in the front rank from the off and eventually galloped his rivals into the ground. It was a magnificent effort.
City Of Troy. A name that won’t be forgotten 😮
A spellbinding performance in the Dewhurst Stakes 🚀
Unbeaten in three starts. Where will he conquer next? 👀pic.twitter.com/GzTDP4KUKf
— Champions Series (@ChampionsSeries) October 14, 2023
Nevertheless, he bettered it on his final appearance of the season in the Group-1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. The contest is the most prestigious race for two-year-olds and, in horse racing history, a significant stepping stone towards Classic success.
Troy Is Bred for the Job
By a sire with a stamina index of 9.7 furlongs and a Galileo dam that raced over 12 furlongs, this bold front-runner will have no problem staying the 2000 Guineas one-mile trip. According to his trainer, Aiden O’Brien, he has wintered well and is impressive in his work at home.
City Of Troy could have a prep race before the Guineas but will likely head straight to Newmarket for the season’s first Classic. If all goes to plan, he will probably step up to a mile and two furlongs after the Guineas before tackling the Epsom Derby.
Undoubtedly, he will stay that far, and a mile and a half should be within his range. This American-bred could become one of the all-time greats if he shows anticipated improvement between the ages of two and three.
Going The Distance (three-year-old bay gelding – trainer Ralph Beckett)
Career form and prizemoney: 3 runs, 2 wins – £22,865
Ralph Beckett enjoyed the best season of his training career in 2023. If his horses are in the same form this season, he will be a trainer to follow when looking for winners on the UK’s betting sites.
One of his relatively unexposed three-year-olds is Going The Distance. Although he looked green, over just short of a mile at Ffos Las, the Irish-bred horse got the hang of things in the home straight and kept on well to finish third on his debut. Returning to the same course in late August, he showed significant improvement to win despite signs of inexperience.
The final time he was seen on the track in 2023 was at Nottingham over a mile. It was a sizeable step up in class, but Going The Distance looked much more like the finished article, striding out well to win with something in hand.
There is likely to be much more improvement to come with this horse, especially over longer distances now that he has been gelded. He is the sort who could put a winning sequence together, and following him during the 2024 season should prove rewarding.
Greek Order (four-year-old bay colt – trainer Harry & Roger Charlton)
Career form and prizemoney: 7 runs, 2 wins – £77,396
A big improver from two to three, Greek Order is expected to be even more effective as a four-year-old. He should prove competitive in races over a mile and possibly up to a mile and a half. His optimum trip will probably lay somewhere in between.
The Juddmonte-owned colt made great strides last season, winning two of his first three races before running well in the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket. He was a little short of room a couple of furlongs from home in the contest, but once things opened up, he flew.
Greek Order looked the winner half a furlong out but was caught close home. If the gaps had of appeared earlier, he would likely have won the valuable handicap. In his final run of the season, he was stepped up to Listed company, again at Newmarket, where he ran with credit to finish third on unsuitable heavy going.
Congratulations to @KublerRacing as 𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢 𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 (𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗺𝗮𝗻) won the Cambridgeshire Handicap over 9f at Newmarket pic.twitter.com/jFPP5JKFaw
— Archie Brookes (@brookesbldstck) September 30, 2023
If the conditions are in his favour, Greek Order should prove tough to crack in early-season handicaps and he could prove a good money-spinner. Bookmakers can expect plenty of interest for this exciting runner, and he was a ‘no brainer’ for inclusion in this ‘Super Six To Follow’ list.
God’s Window (three-year-old bay colt – trainer John & Thady Gosden)
Career form and prizemoney: 2 runs, 1 win – £49,884
As an eye-catching winner of his first race, the two-year-old God’s Window immediately went into notebooks and trackers. A good class one-mile race at Doncaster was the venue, and the style he won in was particularly taking.
He travelled smoothly and showed good speed to lead over a furlong out, and despite getting a little lonely in front, he kept on strongly to score. God’s Window was not given a tough race, and it was the perfect introduction for this son of a Lingfield Oaks Trial winner.
His only other 2023 start came in the valuable Group-1 Futurity Stakes over the same course and distance. Slowly away, God’s Window was soon going well in behind the leaders, but an injection of pace three furlongs from home caught him flat-footed at a vital stage.
When the son of Dubawi hit full stride, the winner had flown. Nevertheless, he did finish full of running to take third. The outing was full of promise and gave the impression that the twice-raced juvenile would eventually be suited to distances beyond a mile.
Horse racing betting sites make God’s Window a best-priced 33/1 shot for the Epsom Derby. The price could prove generous if he has progressed from two to three. The Derby apart, this Gosden-trained horse should have plenty of opportunities throughout the season.
Gregory (four-year-old bay colt – trainer John & Thady Gosden)
Career form and prizemoney: 5 runs, 3 wins – £256,964
Gregory was not seen on the track as a two-year-old but made amends when winning his first three races as a three-year-old over distances between 11 and 14 furlongs. He signed off his excellent first season when fifth in the final Classic of the year, the St Leger at Doncaster.
It’s a family affair @Goodwood_Races 🤝
Gregory (4-7f) took some stoking up, but eases to victory in the @BritishEBF 40th Anniversary Cocked Hat Stakes @Goodwood_Races 👀
His half-brother Lionel won this 12 months ago in the same Normandie Racing silks … pic.twitter.com/ZGJSA6KkS4
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 26, 2023
He was ridden too enterprisingly on that occasion and is probably better than the bare form suggests. Now, as a four-year-old, our experts believe Gregory has the potential to make his mark in all of this season’s major staying races, particularly if learning to settle in the early stages.
Moswaat (three-year-old bay colt – trainer Roger Varian)
Career form and prizemoney: 2 runs, 1 win – £10,753
Roger Varian has already had a bright start to the 2024 season and has a potentially very smart sprinter, Moswaat, resident in his Newmarket stables. This son of Kodiac progressed in his three races over six furlongs towards the end of last season and won easily on his second start at Yarmouth.
His third and final 2023 appearance came on heavy ground in a Listed race at Doncaster. He was clearly not at home on the surface, and from a form perspective, his third-placed effort can be ignored.
Officially rated 92, Moswaat has reportedly done well over the winter. He should return to action a stronger horse and can be expected to develop into a decent handicapper at the very least. In time, Moswaat may also be capable of holding his own in pattern company.
