British trainer Ed Walker is very much looking forward to unleashing his stable star Starman into Group One company again, with the four year old set to run in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot a week on Saturday.
Walker sends one of his strongest teams to Royal Ascot in his career with the likes of Primo Bacio in the Coronation Stakes, Matthew Flinders in the Royal Hunt Cup backing up Starman in the Diamond Jubilee.
Starman has been a superstar so far for the yard having won four of his five events, only finishing outside the frame on one occasion, at Ascot on soft ground in the Group One Champion Sprint Stakes.
Having landed a hat-trick of wins last season, the Group One defeat did set him back slightly, but he returned in May at York in the Group Two Clipper Logistics Stakes, where he ran out a good winner.
A statement on return...
— The Winners Enclosure (@TWEnclosure) May 12, 2021
Former Listed scorer Starman makes a winning reappearance with a smooth success in the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes under @oismurphy for @edwalkerracing at @yorkracecourse 💨
👏🏼 Could be set for a fruitful campaign!
📹 @RacingTVpic.twitter.com/DMMpO0L7Y3
That run would have set him perfectly for a crack at the Diamond Jubilee and Walker believes he has taken another step forward since that race.
(Credit Racing Post) Walker said: "Oisin [Murphy] got off him at York and said 'Wow! How much ability has he got?' and the next thing he said was: 'What a bus of a ride.'
"He's just such an easy horse to train and to ride. So much of what makes good horses is the brain. How many horses have not realised their full potential because they either fret in the prelims or pull too hard? This is why I think he's as good as he is. He just does his job, licks his pot, goes to sleep, gets up and does the same thing again the next day.
"So many of Aidan's [O'Brien] great horses relax and they're sensible and professional. This guy ticks that box."