Starford

The numbers tell a strong story. From 11 races, Starford has won 4 and placed in 5 more — that's a win rate of 36%, or roughly 4 wins in every 11 races. For context, most racehorses win far less often than that. He broke his duck at Gowran Park in June 2025, and has kept improving since. His most recent win came at The Curragh just three weeks ago, and he raced again only yesterday, suggesting a horse in the kind of form that keeps the yard busy.

What makes Starford particularly interesting is how well he performs under specific conditions. On wet or muddy ground, he has won 2 of his 3 races — a remarkable 67% win rate. O'Brien has noted more than once that he handles soft ground well, and the evidence backs that up completely. He also comes alive at a mile and three to a mile and four furlongs, winning 3 of his 5 races at those distances. That's 60% — three in every five — which is the kind of stat that means a trainer doesn't need to think too hard about where to aim him next.

The jockey who rode him at Listowel was fulsome in his praise, calling Starford "the best horse in the race" and describing him as bombproof — a horse who doesn't need coaxing or managing, just a clean run. That kind of temperament matters. It means the horse tends to do his job regardless of what's happening around him. O'Brien himself believes the best is still to come, and given Starford has already won 4 from 11 overall — including 2 of his last 6 — it would be unwise to argue with him.