Starman (GB)

David Ward's year of celebration with Starman has continued into the run-up to Christmas as his filly Sound And Vision provided the breakthrough first-season sire with his 42nd winner at Southwell on Friday. After watching the Ed Walker trainee collect the five-furlong novice, he was keen to reflect on the season of all seasons. "You go into the year with hopes and dreams, don't you? But in life, hopes and dreams get dashed, never mind in horse racing," he said. "To come out the other end with those hopes and...

Lining up in a stellar renewal of Deauville's G1 Sumbe Prix Morny as the sole filly, Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's Venetian Sun (Starman) did what she has been doing so well to her own sex in 2025 and got the job done. Tracking the strong pace travelling kindly under Clifford Lee, the 29-10 second favourite edged ahead passing the furlong pole and after outstaying Wise Approach (Mehmas) found the line a short neck ahead of the 11-10 favourite Gstaad (Starspangledbanner). "She does everything so relaxed and has a temperament...

The Prettiest Star (Starman) was the subject of support on this debut into 15-8 favouritism, and cruising to the fore before two out, the homebred drew away to score with a large degree of comfort by 4 1/2 lengths from Sara Moon (Oasis Dream). "She was very cool and calm and pretty professional--she did the job nicely," commented owner-breeder David Ward, who was watching his first runner by the sire he bred and campaigned to win a July Cup, and who now sits on 17 first-crop winners. "It's one thing...

Ger Lyons had sent just two prior runners across the Irish Sea for the Glorious Goodwood meet and the trainer struck for his first success when the third, Lady Iman (Starman), overpowered seven rivals, racing under a three-pound penalty, in Wednesday's G3 HKJC World Pool Molecomb Stakes. She had previously annexed the Listed First Flier Stakes and G3 Naas Fillies Sprint and embellished a banner season for her freshman sire with a decisive win in the five-furlong contest. Lady Iman's victory comes with a free ticket to the $1 million...

All eyes were on Flushing Meadows (Wootton Bassett) in Thursday's G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes, but it was John Oxley's North Coast (Starman) who proved clear best in Leopardstown's seven-furlong staging post. Runner-up to another Ballydoyle colt in Daytona in the Listed Pat Smullen Stakes earlier this month, the Joseph O'Brien-trained 3-1 favourite led at every step under Dylan Browne McMonagle and readily saw off the 30-100 favourite to win by six lengths. "We felt we'd make the favourite work for it and he was aggressive and strong at...

Isaac Souede and Simon Munir's Green Sense (Starman) faded out of contention when 13th of 17 in Royal Ascot's G3 Albany Stakes last month, but bounced back in style to defeat her male peers and secure a breakthrough success in Sunday's G2 Goffs Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly. "She's a really good filly, she is very easy to ride and she won well," said winning rider Maxime Guyon. "My instructions were to follow and then use her turn of foot. We were unsure how she would handle the track as...

Richard Hannon trainee Orion's Belt (Starman), a debut fourth at Salisbury last month, made all for an impressive 3 3/4-length success in Saturday's Rossdales British EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes at Newmarket and became the 15th winner for her freshman sire (by Dutch Art). The seven-furlong test went the way of subsequent G1 Fillies' Mile and G1 1000 Guineas heroine Desert Flower (Night Of Thunder) last year. "She's a very nice filly and that was exactly what we thought earlier on in the year," said the Hannon stable's Tony Gorman. "She...

Royal Ascot heroine Venetian Sun (Starman) had history on her side entering Friday's G2 bet365 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes, with four of the last 10 winners backing up a G3 Albany Stakes triumph, and she added her name to that roll of honour with a narrow victory in the six-furlong dash at Newmarket. "The race panned out perfectly and she lengthened correctly on the rising ground," said winning rider Clifford Lee. "But she hit the front too soon, she thought he race was finished and started to cruise," he added....

Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's once-raced Carlisle maiden winner Venetian Sun (Starman) fulfilled the role of spoiler with aplomb and the Karl Burke trainee prevented a Ballydoyle clean sweep of Royal Ascot's juvenile pattern races with a dominant victory in Friday's G3 Albany Stakes. The 240,000gns Book 1 graduate, drawn in the supposedly unfavourable stall one on the track's far side, raced on the wing in midfield through halfway in this straight six-furlong contest. Coming under pressure to reduce arrears approaching the quarter-mile pole, the well-backed 7-1 chance made continued...

Coolmore's twice-raced maiden True Love (No Nay Never) went down fighting when runner-up to G2 Coventry-winning stablemate Gstaad in the second of two starts last month and, hammered down to clear favourite for Wednesday's G2 Queen Mary Stakes, duly delivered a first renewal for Aidan O'Brien. She also restored family honour in the five-furlong dash and eclipsed her sister Truly Enchanting's 13th last year. The race was marred by the fatal injury to the Richard Hannon-trained Harry's Girl (Harry's Angel). True Love broke swiftly from stall 25 of 25 and...

Friday's Royal Ascot confirmations have been made and the clash between the Aga Khan Studs star Zarigana (Siyouni) and Shadwell's exciting Falakeyah (New Bay) in the G1 Coronation Stakes is the highlight of the card. The former, who was awarded the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches last month, will attempt to establish herself at the top of the fillies' pecking order in this mile category with fellow TDN Rising Star Falakeyah dangerously unexposed coming back in trip after her scintillating win in Newmarket's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes. Others of note...

Lady Iman had already provided Starman with his first black-type winner and things only got better for Tally Ho Stud on Sunday as she led home a one-two for their much-vaunted first-crop sire in Naas's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Blackbeard Fillies Sprint Stakes. Having made the breakthrough in The Curragh's Listed First Flier Stakes earlier this month, the Ger Lyons-trained half-sister to the talented sprinter West Acre travelled with ease under Colin Keane before hunting down the sire's other runner Green Sense in the final furlong. At the line,...