Calling A Star

The story so far has a pleasing shape to it. The first win came at Wolverhampton in February 2026, which is where plenty of young horses find their feet under the lights on an all-weather track. But the more telling moment came at Windsor in June, a proper summer afternoon venue, where Calling A Star won again to prove the first time was no fluke. Two wins from six races over the shorter distances — five to six and a half furlongs — tells you this is a horse built for speed rather than stamina. That 33% win rate over its favoured trip, two wins from six attempts, is genuinely strong for a horse still figuring things out at three years old.

The recent form makes for interesting reading too. Spelt out in order from the most recent race backwards: fourth, first, seventh, first, second, ninth. That seventh and that ninth will raise an eyebrow, but horses have bad days just like anyone else, and what surrounds those blips is a pattern of consistency — two wins and a second place sandwiching the wobbles. The horse raced just one day ago, so it is as live and active as they come right now.

Behind the scenes, Calling A Star is trained by Richard Hughes at Upper Lambourn in Berkshire — a yard that has sent out 60 winners already this season. That is not a small operation getting lucky; that is a well-run yard with genuine depth, and a horse trained there has every chance of being placed well and prepared properly. Hughes knows how to find the right race for the right horse, and Calling A Star looks like exactly the kind of sharp, short-distance sprinter that suits his setup. Keep an eye on this one.