Starred

The form does tell an interesting tale, though. Read those three results in the order they happened — 8, then 3, then 2 — and you're looking at a horse that was improving sharply race by race, getting closer to the front each time out. The worry is what comes next: Starred hasn't raced in roughly five months, and a long break at this stage of a young horse's career always raises questions about whether that momentum can be picked up again.

What works firmly in Starred's favour is the team behind this horse. Trainer Joseph Patrick O'Brien operates out of Owning Hill in County Kilkenny, and his yard has been in blistering form this season — 155 winners and counting. That's not a stable that sends horses out unprepared. When O'Brien decides a horse is ready to run, it tends to mean something, so the fact that Starred is returning at all is worth noting. A yard firing at that rate has plenty of options; they bring horses back when they believe in them.

Starred is still a work in progress — no wins yet, a break to come back from, and only three races of experience in the bank. But with a yard this sharp behind the horse and a clear upward curve in recent form, there's every reason to keep watching.