Starman

His three wins are spread across two Irish tracks — Wexford and Limerick — with the most recent coming at Limerick on 29 December 2023, now more than two years ago. Since then, six races have passed without a winner's enclosure visit, though his latest run, just yesterday, showed a flicker of form with a second-place finish. Before that, a fifth and a fourth suggest he is not running badly — he is just finding one or two horses better than him, which at his level is entirely normal.

The partnership with jockey James O'Sullivan is the most interesting thread in Starman's story. In 19 races together, they have won 3 times — all three of Starman's career wins, in fact — which works out to roughly 1 win in every 6 rides. That is a meaningful number. It suggests O'Sullivan understands this horse, or at the very least that Starman saves his best for when the two are paired. Whether that continues after such a long winless run is the open question.

Joanne Foster trains Starman from her yard in Menston, West Yorkshire, and has sent out 2 winners so far this season — a modest tally, but the yard is clearly active. At the level Starman typically competes at, he has yet to win in 3 attempts, going 0 from 3, which is worth noting. He has found those races slightly beyond him.

At 10 years old, with his last win 29 months in the past, Starman is not a horse to follow blindly. But yesterday's second place is a reminder that he is still running with purpose. Some horses at this stage of their careers are simply going through the motions. Starman, at least for now, does not look like one of them.