Meet Britain's New Stallions for the 2026 Season

Racing Post offers a look at Britain's top new stallions of 2026. Aesterius (IRE) Age: 4 Color: bay Pedigree: Mehmas—Jane Doe, by Hallowed Crown Standing at Bearstone Stud Price: £6,500 Racing Post Rating: high of 108 A typically precocious and pacy son of Mehmas, Aesterius joins group 1-producing sires Dream Ahead and Washington DC at Bearstone Stud this year. The £380,000 (US$518,510, £1=US$1.36) 2024 Goffs UK Breeze Up Sale graduate was a tough and talented juvenile for Archie Watson and Wathnan Racing, winning his debut by a comfortable 2 3/4 lengths at Bath in May before landing his first stakes contest in the 2024 Dragon Stakes at Sandown after a fifth-placed effort in the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot. The colt was a close-up second to 2025 Sprint Cup Stakes (G1) hero Big Mojo in the Molecomb Stakes (G3) before capturing a group score in the Prix d'Arenberg (G3) that September. His career highlight came just 12 days later when reversing the form with Big Mojo in the Flying Childers Stakes (G2). He was then far from disgraced when sixth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) at the end of the year. Diego Velazquez (IRE) 5 Bay Frankel—Sweepstake, by Acclamation National Stud, £17,500 121 Diego Velazquez arrived at the National Stud as a highly attractive proposition, being a 2.4 million-guinea (about US$2.9 million) yearling purchase by Frankel and a group winner at 2, 3, and 4, including the 2025 Prix Jacques le Marois (G1). Purchased by M. V. Magnier and White Birch Farm from Croom House Stud at Book 1, Diego Velazquez originally sported the silks of the Coolmore partners to land the 2023 Champions Stakes (G2) at 2. He returned at 3 with a close-up fourth in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (G1) and, after attempts over longer trips, found his niche as a high-class miler when completing the season with wins in the Solonaway (G2) and Meld (G3) stakes. He landed another group stakes win on his second start at 4 last year in the Minstrel Stakes (G2), before carrying the iconic Sangster silks in his career-defining victory in the time-honored Prix Jacques le Marois in August after he was purchased by Sam Sangster Bloodstock. The now 5-year-old is closely related to fellow top-level victor Broome and multiple group winner and group 1-placed Point Lonsdale, while the further family includes group 1 winner and sire Zoffany. Electrolyte (IRE) 4 Bay Hello Youmzain—Bibury, by Royal Applause Norton Grove Stud, £3,000 103 The first son of Haras d'Etreham's exciting up-and-comer Hello Youmzain to retire to stud, Electrolyte joins the Norton Grove team as a smart prospect for breeders. From the smart family of Gold Cup winner Rite of Passage and a half sibling to group scorer Calderon, the 4-year-old inherited plenty of his sire's pace and precocity. Trained by Archie Watson for Wathnan Racing, the £220,000 2024 Goffs UK Breeze Up purchase got off the mark at the first attempt when comfortably scoring at Ayr that June. He was narrowly denied by Rashabar in the Coventry Stakes (G2) before snaring his own group success in the Prix Eclipse (G3) at Chantilly in September. His Coventry effort saw him defeat subsequent classic hero Camille Pissarro, as well as high-class performers Cool Hoof Luke, Symbol of Honour, and Cowardofthecounty. Elite Status (GB) 5 Bay Havana Grey—Dotted Swiss, by Swiss Spirit Whitsbury Manor Stud £8,000 119 The highest-rated performer by the brilliant Havana Grey, Elite Status is the latest of his sire's sons to head to stud and will stand alongside his father at Whitsbury Manor Stud, where he was bred. A 325,000-guinea Tattersalls Book 2 purchase in 2022 by Karl and Kelly Burke, Elite Status sported the silks of the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid to group and listed victories at 2 and 3. His juvenile success was spearheaded by his victory in the Prix de Cabourg (G3) and he added the Carnarvon and Hackwood (G3) stakes to his record the following campaign. In the latter contest he defeated rivals who included group 1 winners Kind of Blue and Regional while he twice ran the fastest 6 furlongs ever recorded at Newbury. A brother to listed stakes-winning 2-year-old Soldier's Heart and from the same family as Diego Velazquez, Elite Status should be warmly received by commercial breeders and he will also undoubtedly have plenty of home support to boot. Inisherin (GB) 5 Bay Shamardal—Ajman Princess, by Teofilo Dalham Hall Stud £12,500 120 One of two new recruits to Darley this year who hail from the fabulous Reem Three family—following in the footsteps of Triple Time—Inisherin is also by the late, great Shamardal, so it is a pedigree that is hard to fault. The son of 2017 Prix Jean Romanet (G1) scorer Ajman Princess began his racing career with a second-placed finish at Newmarket on his debut in the September of his 2-year-old season. He defeated subsequent group 1 heroine Kalpana on the Newcastle all-weather in March of his 3-year-old year, pulling clear by 3 1/2 lengths. A respectable sixth to Notable Speech in the 2024 Two Thousand Guineas (G1), Inisherin was dropped back to sprint trips and went on from victory in the Sandy Lane Stakes (G2) to a decisive win in the Commonwealth Cup (G1) at Royal Ascot. He also captured the Duke Of York Stakes (G2) at 4 the following season. As a grandson of blue hen Reem Three, he is therefore closely related to fellow Darley stallions Triple Time and Rosallion, the latter also new to the Dalham Hall roster for 2026. Ajman Princess is also the dam of 2025 Strensall Stakes scorer King of Cities and there is every chance of further black-type updates in this coming campaign. Lead Artist (GB) 5 Bay Dubawi—Obligate, by Frankel Banstead Manor Stud £12,500 122 Lead Artist is a typically blue-blooded Juddmonte homebred being a son of a group 2-winning granddaughter of blue hen Hasili and by the brilliant Dubawi, whose sons are in huge demand. They are led by British and Irish champion sire Night of Thunder, who is bred on the Dubawi-Galileo cross and Lead Artist himself is bred on a variation of that nick, being out of the high-class Frankel mare Obligate. Like Night of Thunder, Lead Artist claimed victory in a strong renewal of the Lockinge Stakes (G1) last year. The colt defeated three Guineas winners in Notable Speech, Rosallion, multiple group 1 winner Fallen Angel and Sun Chariot Stakes (G1) heroine Tamfana. Lead Artist was a winner on his second start at 3, striking at York by just over 4 lengths, and he claimed two group wins later that term in the Thoroughbred Stakes (G3) at Glorious Goodwood and the Darley Stakes (G3). He is from the stallion-making family of former Juddmonte champion sire Dansili, as well as top-level scorers and sires Cacique and Champs Elysees among many other top-flight performers. Rosallion (IRE) 5 Bay Blue Point—Rosaline, by New Approach Dalham Hall Stud £40,000 124 The late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's legacy to bloodstock will be felt for decades to come, not least among the Darley ranks with three of his homebreds joining the all-conquering Dubawi. One of the two newcomers to have sported his silks to top-level success is Rosallion, a group 1 winner at 2 and classic hero at 3 who was unlucky not to add further top-level laurels last term at 4 with several fast-finishing places. Another grandson of blue hen Reem Three, being out of her unraced New Approach daughter Rosaline, Rosallion is the highest-rated performer both on RPRs and official ratings for Darley's immensely exciting young sire Blue Point. Rosallion struck on his debut at Newbury in June of his juvenile year before running away with a red-hot edition of the 2023 Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot, among his conquered rivals were subsequent group 1-winning 2-year-olds Sunway and Ancient Wisdom, as well as the Dewhurst Stakes (G1) runner-up Alyanaabi. He bounced back from Champagne Stakes (G2) defeat to land the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) from subsequent Breeders' Cup scorer and fellow new sire recruit Unquestionable. Rosallion built on a Two Thousand Guineas second to Notable Speech with his own classic win in the Irish equivalent and displayed a pulsating turn of foot to nail Henry Longfellow in a strong edition of the St James's Palace (G1). Unfortunately Rosallion missed the rest of the season due to a respiratory infection, although he returned last year at 4 with some fine efforts in defeat. They included neck seconds in the Queen Anne Stakes, Sussex Stakes, and Prix du Moulin (all G1). He now heads to stud as an exciting prospect for Darley and European breeders alike. Royal Scotsman (IRE) 6 Bay Gleneagles—Enrol, by Pivotal Genesis Green Stud £6,000 117 The highest-rated 2-year-old to retire to stud in Britain this year, courtesy of his record-breaking 2022 Richmond Stakes (G2) victory and narrow Dewhurst Stakes second, Royal Scotsman takes up residence at Genesis Green Stud. A son of Gleneagles and Pivotal mare Enrol, making him a close sibling to Hong Kong group scorer Encountered, the 6-year-old is a welcome addition to the British stallion ranks. He was a high-class juvenile for Paul and Oliver Cole, winning by 5 lengths on his second start at Goodwood that May before finishing third to Bradsell in the Coventry. Royal Scotsman trained on to finish third in the Two Thousand Guineas the following spring while he also landed the Diomed Stakes (G3) at Epsom the following year. Scorthy Champ (IRE) 4 Chestnut Mehmas—Fidaaha, by New Approach Barton Stud £8,500 113 Barton Stud welcomes a juvenile group 1-winning son of Mehmas and the flashy looking chestnut has the physique and pedigree to match his high-class 2-year-old form. The colt was a 2-length winner at Leopardstown on debut that May, a performance he followed up with a third behind Henri Matisse in the 2024 Futurity Stakes (G2). He reversed the form with that rival when defeating him in the National Stakes (G1) at the Curragh. Aside from that subsequent classic-winning rival, Scorthy Champ also got the better of high-class performers Seagulls Eleven, Aomori City, and Cowardofthecounty. The 4-year-old is out of the New Approach mare Fidaaha, making him a brother to two group winners in Malavath and Knight. The former won the 2021 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte (G2) at 2 and was also second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) and 2022 Prix de la Foret (G1). Knight, meanwhile, captured the 2022 Horris Hill Stakes (G3) as a juvenile before placing second in the Celebration Mile (G2) the following season.