Starlust looking to recapture glory days on racing return Carlisle may be a far cry from Del Mar, but Rossa Ryan is relishing reuniting with his Breeders’ Cup hero Starlust in the Betway Achilles Stakes. A famous winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint for the Irishman and trainer Ralph Beckett in late 2024, he was last seen in action finishing fourth in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot last year before heading to Australia for a stallion career. However, the five-year-old has now returned to the fold at Kimpton Down and is out to set up another tilt at Ascot’s opening-day Group One for the sprinters in this Listed event. Ryan said: “He’s come back and is a fine sort now and there is plenty of life about him. “I think he will come forward from Carlisle whatever the outcome, but it’s good to see him back and he’s shown us he still has his speed and he’s probably a bit more alert being that little bit older. “It’s probably a nice place to start as he does need a run before going to Royal Ascot, but it’s good to see him back.” Starlust is 3lb clear of his nearest challenger on official ratings who is Clive Cox’s recent Windsor handicap winner Redorange, a horse who went close at this grade in Deauville last year. Cox said: “He was very impressive at Windsor and is a horse in top form. “I’m pleased we have the opportunity to run this race at Carlisle after Haydock’s abandonment. “He’s run well at Listed level before and the handicapper viewed his win at Windsor very positively and while he is taking on respected opponents, he’s clearly at the top of his game.” Also arriving on the back of victory is Ed Bethell’s Bath Lansdown Stakes scorer Azure Angel who will attempt to replicate the achievement of the same connections’ Regional who claimed this contest in 2023. Bethell said: “She’s a lovely, fast filly and I’m looking forward to running her. I would have run her in the Temple Stakes but the ground went against us so hopefully they don’t get too much rain. “She wants fast ground and seems in form at home so I’m looking forward to running her, but she does have a penalty which will make it harder.” Kevin Ryan’s Washington Heights has been a standing dish in this division in recent years and will be hoping to take a step forward from his two outings this term at Newmarket, while similar comments apply to Ed Walker’s Celandine and Tom Clover’s Rogue Lightning. Joey Ramsden’s Ten Pounds drops back to the minimum distance having last been seen over seven furlongs in the Victoria Cup, with Katie Scott’s hardy stable favourite Luna A Inbhir Nis completing the line-up.
