Star Material

The three-year-old has won just 1 of his 8 races so far, which on paper looks modest. But context matters here. That win came at Ripon in June 2025, and it was good enough that Adrian Paul Keatley — who trains out of Ryedale in North Yorkshire and has already sent out 40 winners this season — felt confident enough to take him to the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot almost immediately afterwards. The Norfolk is one of the most prestigious juvenile races in the British calendar, a top-level event that attracts horses from across Europe. Getting there at all is a statement. The fact that he finished eighth suggests the occasion may have been a step too far, but it was not a shameful result for a horse that had only just announced himself.

Keatley has been refreshingly candid about what followed. Star Material had simply had one race too many going into Ascot, and when the pressure was on, he weakened. The trainer took his foot off the accelerator — backed the horse off, let him grow, and gave him time. That decision matters because Star Material is still a young, tall horse that is physically filling out. Pushing a still-developing three-year-old through the summer heat tends to backfire, and Keatley appears to understand that.

His recent form reads 8-9-11-2-15-1 — that sequence tells the story of the season in miniature. A debut win, a bold trip to Ascot, a tough run there, a very promising second place somewhere in between, and then two quieter efforts as the horse was eased back. He raced just yesterday, which suggests the team still believe there is plenty left to find.

The plan from here sounds sensible: a Listed race back at Ripon in late August — where he already knows how to win — and then nursery races at tracks like Ayr and Doncaster. For a horse that the yard clearly rates, the second half of the season could be where things get genuinely interesting.