A composed and confident display from the stable’s star filly confirmed what Mick Appleby has long believed — that Starsong is a horse of serious quality who will only improve further as the season progresses.
Starsong produced one of the most eye-catching performances seen at Nottingham this spring when she made every yard of the running to win the Class 3 Handicap over seven furlongs on Tuesday afternoon. Sent off the 5/2 favourite under jockey Tom Marquand, the four-year-old bay filly dictated matters from the front and ultimately won with more in hand than the official margin of two and three-quarter lengths suggested.
Settled beautifully by Marquand from the moment the stalls opened, Starsong travelled with real fluency and class throughout. Entering the straight with a two-length advantage, she powered clear in the final furlong, her action remaining true and purposeful all the way to the line. Runner-up Windmill Park, trained by James Fanshawe, was left floundering, despite a typically strong late challenge.
Speaking in the winners’ enclosure after the race, Mick was clearly delighted with the performance. The trainer confirmed that a step up in class is now firmly on the agenda, with connections considering a tilt at the Listed Pinnacle Stakes at Haydock in early May as the next port of call. A Group entry is also under active consideration.