Ikigai Star

What makes Ikigai Star genuinely interesting is what happens when it gets to Huntingdon. In three visits to that track, it has won twice — a record so good it almost looks like a trick of the light. For context, it wins roughly 1 in 8 or 9 races everywhere else, but at Huntingdon that jumps to 2 from 3. Something about that course suits it, whether the shape of the track, the way the bends fall, or simply the distances on offer. Its first career win came there in May 2024, and its most recent win came there again in May 2025 — almost exactly a year apart, as if it has the fixture circled on its own calendar.

Away from Huntingdon, the picture is a little more modest. Its last six runs have gone 5-5-3-3-5-3, meaning it has not won in that spell, though placing three times shows it is still competitive. It performs best on normal ground, winning 3 from 15 races (20%) in those conditions — roughly 1 in 5 — and tends to be seen over distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, where it has won 2 from 10. That combination of fast, dry ground and a mid-range trip seems to bring out the best in it.

In the saddle, Lilly Pinchin has become the regular partner, riding Ikigai Star in 11 of its races and winning twice — an 18% win rate together, or roughly 1 in every 6 rides, which is noticeably better than the horse's overall average. That kind of partnership matters. From the yard of Charlie Longsdon in Chipping Norton, a team that has sent out 31 winners already this season, Ikigai Star raced just yesterday, keeping itself firmly in the picture. The next logical question is simple: when does it go back to Huntingdon?