Starman

The wins that do sit on Starman's record carry a bit of geography with them. That first victory came at Wexford in June 2023, and the most recent — and so far last — arrived at Limerick on 29 December 2023, now nearly 30 months ago. Two Irish tracks, two moments of glory, and then a long wait since. The recent form makes for difficult reading: no wins across the last six races, with a second place and a fourth being the brightest spots in there. At the level Starman typically competes at, those near-misses suggest the ability is still flickering, even if the wins are not coming.

The partnership with jockey James O'Sullivan is the most consistent thread running through this horse's career. The two have raced together 19 times, and O'Sullivan has ridden all three of Starman's career wins — that is a win rate of 16% when they team up, or roughly 1 in every 6 races, which stands out sharply against the overall career average. That kind of record between a jockey and horse tends to mean something: they clearly suit each other. Foster's yard has sent out 2 winners already this season, so there is form in the operation. Starman raced just yesterday and remains active, which at ten years old is worth noting in itself — this is not a horse being wrapped in cotton wool.

Whether another win is coming is hard to say. Thirty months is a long gap, and 0 wins from 3 races at the level Starman now typically runs at is not encouraging. But a horse still racing at ten, still placing, still being partnered by the jockey who knows it best — there are worse stories in racing than that.