Ikigai Star

The overall numbers are solid without being spectacular. Three wins and eight places from 23 races tells you this is a horse that competes honestly and earns its keep, even when it is not winning. Most of its success has come at Class 4 level — two wins from eight races at that grade, around 1 in every 4 — which is the bread-and-butter tier of jump racing, a step below the big occasions but far from easy. It does its best work over distances between a mile and six furlongs and two miles, winning 2 of 9 races in that range, and it much prefers normal ground. On soft or muddy ground the record drops away; on a standard surface it wins roughly 1 in every 5, which is genuinely respectable.

The partnership with jockey Lilly Pinchin is worth noting. In 10 races together they have won twice — a 20% win rate, or 1 in every 5 — which is meaningfully better than Ikigai Star's overall record suggests it should be. That kind of consistency with one rider points to a horse that responds to familiarity and trust rather than just raw ability.

The current form line — fifth, seventh, eighth, fifth, fifth, third, reading from most recent back — shows a horse that has not won in its last six races but has not fallen apart either. It is placing, staying competitive, and raced as recently as 11 days ago, so it is fit and active. The most recent win came at Huntingdon in May 2025, and with Charlie Longsdon's yard having sent out 34 winners already this season, the team behind this horse is clearly in good form. If Ikigai Star turns up at Huntingdon again, on normal ground, with Lilly Pinchin in the saddle, the form book says pay attention.