The Albert Einstein bubble might have been burst somewhat at the Curragh on Saturday, but for so many other horses the Classic dream remains very much alive, with less than five weeks to go now until the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket provides the answer to the first of the many questions that have kept us guessing all winter.Even now, the guessing doesn't stop. Two years ago, few people would have had Notable Speech pinned as their Guineas winner at this early stage of the campaign, the all-weather upstart tasked with trying to take down the European champion two-year-old that was City Of Troy. Take him down he did, however, underlining that the path to stardom in this great game of ours is never linear.That's not to say that the likes of Gewan and Precise won't be the ones to take the 2026 Flat season by storm, but this column is here to furnish you with the details of some of the less-heralded alternatives, specifically those whose careers began at a time when Gewan and Precise had already gone into winter hibernation.In the final instalment of Winter Watch, we've highlighted the 10 three-year-olds with arguably the greatest potential to shake up the established order in 2026, having left a lasting impression with their exploits on the all-weather this winter.In the interests of trying to avoid the obvious, we've omitted the four horses in Europe to have been awarded 'TDN Rising Star' status since we started in November, as well as those who have already been successful in a stakes race. ABASHIRI (GB)Frankel (GB) filly out of Sobetsu (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})Pedigree/form notes: Sent off the 4/6 favourite when debuting in a fillies' maiden (1m) at Kempton in November, Abashiri duly ran out an impressive four-length winner in the hands of William Buick, hitting the front entering the final furlong and quickly forging clear from there in the style of a filly destined for bigger and better things. A Classic trial such as the G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes could be the next step and, perhaps tellingly, she's the sole entry from the Charlie Appleby stable in the 1,000 Guineas. She's also entered in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane, with a pedigree to suggest she's likely to stay 10f.This Godolphin homebred is one of three winners from four runners out of the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Sobetsu, with the others including the G2 Balanchine scorer and GI Jenny Wiley Stakes runner-up English Rose (Frankel). Well-bred newcomer Buick & Appleby Kempton Well-backed favouriteOF COURSE wins on debut. The daughter of Frankel looks potentially VERY smart @godolphin | @WilliamBuickX pic.twitter.com/1Ps3ObaF7V— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 5, 2025 BILLECART (IRE)Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt out of Intense Pink (GB) (Pivotal {GB})Sales info: Bred by James Hanly of Ballyhimikin Stud, Billecart was knocked down to Amo Racing for 380,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.Pedigree/form notes: A half-brother to three other winners out of the Listed October Stakes heroine and G3 Chartwell Fillies' Stakes third Intense Pink, Billecart made his debut in a red-hot maiden (7f) at Newmarket's July Festival, ultimately finishing fourth there behind the subsequent Group winners Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) and Constitution River (Wootton Bassett). He then returned from nearly eight months off the track with an effortless success in a 1m novice at Newcastle, justifying very short odds with the minimum of fuss as he strolled to victory by five lengths. The Listed Burradon Stakes (April 3) over the same course and distance is reportedly next on the agenda for this 2,000 Guineas entry, with trainer Karl Burke describing him as “a very, very exciting horse” in a recent stable tour with At The Races. BLANC DE BLANCNot This Time filly out of Wonderful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})Sales info: Bred in Kentucky by Dattt Farm, Blanc De Blanc went the way of Amo Racing USA for $575,000 when offered by Denali Stud at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.Pedigree/form notes: Blanc De Blanc is potentially the best of five winners to date out of Wonderful, a winning full-sister to the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Breeders' Cup Turf hero Magician, among others.Unbeaten in two starts over 1m at Dundalk, Blanc De Blanc left her debut form well behind when easily beating the boys in last month's Patton Race, looking better the further she went as she hit the line three lengths clear of her closest pursuer. She seems sure to stay at least 10f and her connections have her entered in every Classic going against her own sex – in England, Ireland and France. The feeling remains that we've only scratched the surface of her ability and she's one to follow in what promises to be a productive debut season with a licence for trainer Robson Aguiar. Classic-entered Blanc De Blanc remains unbeaten as this filly impresses in our €40,000 feature, the Dundalk Stadium Patton Race, for Robson De Aguiar and @amoracingltd pic.twitter.com/iZoN88uXYs— Dundalk Stadium (@DundalkStadium) February 27, 2026 FIREFALL (GB)Kingman (GB) colt out of Flare Of Firelight (Birdstone)Pedigree/form notes: This Juddmonte homebred is a half-brother to three other winners, including the multiple Group 2-winning sire Threat (Footstepsinthesand). Flare Of Firelight is herself out of the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup heroine Shiva (Hector Protector), a half-sister to the Oaks winner Light Shift (Kingmambo).Trained by Andre Fabre, Firefall made a faultless debut at Chantilly in November when winning a 9.5f maiden by four and a half lengths, stretching right away in the final two furlongs to leave a couple of subsequent winners trailing in his wake. They included runner-up Just The Two Of Us (Sea The Moon), who has run twice more over the same course and distance, first winning a maiden and then chasing home Juddmonte's 'TDN Rising Star' Gilded Prize (Frankel) in Thursday's Prix du Val Saint-Georges.Firefall holds entries in both the G3 Prix Djebel and G3 Prix de Fontainebleau, so his first appearance as a three-year-old could be imminent en route to a crack at the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. Whilst also entered in the Prix du Jockey Club, both his pedigree and the speed he showed on debut suggest that shorter trips could be where his future lies. GUILDMASTER (IRE)Teofilo (Ire) colt out of Gearanai (Toccet)Sales info: This Jim Bolger-bred colt first sold to Lynn Lodge Stud for €100,000 at the Goffs November Foal Sale, before fetching 325,000gns from Stroud Coleman Bloodstock at Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale.Pedigree/form notes: Guildmaster is one of six winners out of Gearanai, with the pick of them to date being Gear Up, winner of the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud, and another full-brother in Guaranteed, who enjoyed his finest hour when successful in the G3 Eyrefield Stakes.This colt might not have been a Group-winning juvenile like that pair, but he certainly showed plenty of promise when kicking off his career with victory in a 1m novice at Lingfield in December, looking green for much of the contest but ultimately winning with plenty in hand. At the line he was three lengths clear of the next-time-out winner Northern Empire (Night Of Thunder), while the pair in fourth and fifth have also won since. Described by jockey Rab Havlin as “a work in progress” after that success, Guildmaster, who is entered in the Derby and Prix du Jockey Club, will be suited by at least 10f and has the makings of a smart middle-distance performer for the Gosdens. A horse to follow for team Gosden!Guildmaster was plenty green enough but has all the tools to open his account at the first time of asking and does so in good style in our @LingfieldPark opener! pic.twitter.com/X14SyYRBrB— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 22, 2025 HIDDEN FORCE (GB)Frankel (GB) colt out of Winter Lightning (Ire) (Shamardal)Pedigree/form notes: Hidden Force looked another potential top-notcher for Godolphin when providing the Appleby yard with a third consecutive victory in last month's “European Road To The Kentucky Derby” Conditions Stakes. Returning to Kempton having won a 7f novice there in December, Hidden Force proved well suited by the step up to 1m when making it two from two last time, justifying short odds with the minimum of fuss as he asserted in the final furlong to land the spoils by nearly two lengths.Much like the stable's two previous winners of that contest, Notable Speech (Dubawi) and Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath), stiffer tasks now lie ahead for Hidden Force, who is a general 20/1 shot for the 2,000 Guineas and has a winner of that Classic fairly close up in his pedigree. His dam, the Listed scorer and dual Group 3-placed Winter Lightning, is not only a half-sister to the dual Dubai World Cup-winning sire Thunder Snow (Helmet), but also to the G3 Oh So Sharp Stakes heroine First Victory (Teofilo), who is perhaps best known as the dam of Coroebus (Dubawi). K SARRA (GB)New Bay (GB) filly out of Parnell's Dream (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB})Pedigree/form notes: David and Vimy Aykroyd's homebred is one of five winners from as many runners out of the dual winner Parnell's Dream, with the others including last year's G2 Dante Stakes and G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes hero Pride Of Arras, also by New Bay. Parnell's Dream is herself out of the Listed Park Express Stakes scorer Kitty O'Shea (Sadler's Wells), a full-sister to the St Leger-winning sire Brian Boru.A stablemate of Pride Of Arras at Ralph Beckett's Kimpton Down Stables, K Sarra emulated that sibling with an eye-catching debut performance at two, even if the fillies' novice (1m) she won at Southwell in November probably wasn't the deepest race of its type. What matters is that she proved herself in a different league to her 13 rivals, quickly asserting in the final furlong to win by two and a half lengths in decisive fashion. That trip is likely to prove a bare minimum for her as she progresses through the ranks, although she does hold an entry in the 1,000 Guineas. Either way, she must be considered another exciting prospect for the Aykroyds, who enjoyed a banner year with their boutique breeding operation in 2025. K Sarra, a full sister to Pride Of Arras, bolts up on debut at @Southwell_Races for @RalphBeckett and @Rossaryan15… pic.twitter.com/lKljhDkzw2— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 26, 2025 RAY MON DOUGH (GB)Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) colt out of Spain Blues (Fr) (Anabaa Blue {GB})Sales info: Bred by the Spain Blues Partnership, Ray Mon Dough was initially bought by Kelly Equine, on behalf of Pier House Stud, for 78,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. He then returned to Park Paddocks for Book 2 of the October Yearling Sale where Alex Elliott purchased him at 140,000gns for owners Valmont.Pedigree/form notes: A half-brother to the G2 Rockfel Stakes heroine Spain Burg (Sageburg), Ray Mon Dough led from start to finish when dominating a 6f maiden at Lingfield in November. At the line he was fully five lengths clear of 4/9 favourite Beccadelli (Pinatubo) – who defied a BHA mark of 81 when winning a Kempton nursery a few weeks later – with the time of the race suggesting there was no fluke about what Ray Mon Dough had achieved. He looks all speed and could be a black-type sprinter in the making if building on the significant promise of that debut. SYMBOL OF MAJESTY (GB)New Bay (GB) filly out of Sovereign Parade (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})Pedigree/form notes: Abdulla Al-Khalifa and Isa Salman's homebred is the third winner from as many runners out of Sovereign Parade, a winning full-sister to the Irish Derby and St Leger hero Capri, among others. Sovereign Parade's first two foals were both black-type winners, namely the G1 Fillies' Mile scorer Commissioning (Kingman) and Listed Floodlit Stakes victor Military Academy (Fastnet Rock).Unbeaten in three starts as a juvenile, Commissioning sadly suffered a career-ending injury whilst being prepared for her Classic campaign, so here's hoping Symbol Of Majesty enjoys a clear run in the coming months. Certainly, she looked a filly of huge potential when making a winning debut in a 1m novice at Chelmsford in December, coming from what looked an impossible position early in the straight to win a shade cosily in the end, by three-quarters-of-a-length from two fillies who brought solid form into the race. She's been given an entry in the Prix de Diane and it would be no surprise to see her rock up in something like the G3 Musidora Stakes, a race won by the Gosden stable seven times since 2010. Symbol Of Majesty (New Bay) is a half-sister to G1 scorer Commissioning & produces an incredible performance to score on debut @ChelmsfordCRC pic.twitter.com/W70EyIkJO2— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 4, 2025 TURBULENTE (IRE)Australia (GB) filly out of Armoricaine (GB) (Kendargent {Fr})Pedigree/form notes: This Wertheimer homebred is the odd one out in this list, having met with defeat on her most recent start, but she remains a filly to be positive about when circumstances are more favourable.So far Turbulente has raced exclusively over 9.5f at Chantilly, first winning a maiden by two lengths in impressive fashion, before having to settle for third behind the aforementioned Gilded Prize in what looked a red-hot contest there on Thursday. Beaten three lengths on the last occasion, she was simply unable to match the turn of foot shown by the front two, leaving the impression that she would have benefited from a stiffer test, in keeping with her stamina-laden pedigree.Turbulente's female family, in particular, is littered with high-quality stayers. Most notably, the G1 Melbourne Cup-winning sire Americain (Dynaformer) is a half-brother to this filly's granddam, Last Born (Monsun), who produced her best effort when finishing second in the Listed Prix du Carrousel over just shy of 2m. It's still early days with Turbulente and it could be that we don't see the very best of her until she tackles trips of 12f and beyond. TDN RISING STARS (ALL-WEATHER IN EUROPE) SINCE NOVEMBERDate, Track, Horse, Sire03/26 CHY Gilded Prize (GB) Frankel (GB)03/03 CHY The Last Dance (Fr) Iffraaj (GB)01/28 KEM Palladas (GB) Lope De Vega (Ire)11/03 KEM Nation's Hope (Ire) Ghaiyyath (Ire)The post Winter Watch: 10 All-Weather Winners with Top-Class Potential appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.