Starred

The recent form tells an interesting story. A finishing position of eighth on one occasion stands out as the one blip, but since then Starred has bounced back with a third and a second, showing the kind of resilience that keeps trainers interested. Running second last time suggests the horse is getting closer, and with a race just yesterday, it is clearly being kept busy — a sign the yard believes there is more to come.

That yard is worth talking about. Starred is trained by Joseph Patrick O'Brien at Owning Hill in County Kilkenny, and this season his operation has sent out 160 winners. To put that in perspective, that is not a stable that keeps horses around out of sentiment — 160 winners means a large, well-run yard producing results at serious volume, and a horse that keeps placing in that environment is earning its place. When a trainer of that calibre keeps running a horse, it usually means they like what they see at home, even if the race results haven't fully reflected it yet.

Starred is three years old, which is still early. Plenty of horses take time to put everything together, and a record of three places from four races is a foundation, not a failure. The question now is whether that second place represents a turning point — and given the company this horse keeps at Owning Hill, there will be no shortage of opportunities to find out.