Last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner Starlust has been retired from racing and will enter quarantine this week in preparation for traveling to Australia where he will take up stallion duties.
The 4-year-old, who was trained by Ralph Beckett for Jim and Fitri Hay, is the highest-rated son of Zoustar in the Northern Hemisphere and will be the foundation stallion for Riverstone Lodge Stud in New South Wales.
A tilt at the July Cup (G1) had been mooted as Starlust's final race following his fourth place in the King Charles III Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot but it was decided to forego that engagement and instead prepare him for the journey to New South Wales.
Beckett said: "Starlust was a joy to train all his days. I managed to get him beaten in two nurseries before going on the run he did. He was particularly effective on a flat track and around a bend and we wish his connections well with him in his new career as a stallion."
When it was announced Starlust would kick off his stallion career in Australia, Nick Taylor of Riverstone Lodge Stud declared him as having "the best profile of any son of Zoustar at stud."
Speaking to ANZ News, Taylor added: "He's quite unique being out of an Invincible Spirit mare so that gives him every opportunity out here which was another key alongside his form.
"His form is world class, he's the highest-rated son of Zoustar in the world and his pedigree would make sense in Australia. Obviously I Am Invincible is champion sire out here and he's by Invincible Spirit (Starlust's damsire) so we get the best of both worlds really. People know what works with I Am Invincible and they know what works with Zoustar so it is sort of the perfect storm."
Bred by Steve Parkin's Branton Court Stud, Starlust hails from Zoustar's second Northern Hemisphere-bred crop who were conceived at Tweenhills Farm. He shuttled to David Redvers' Gloucestershire operation for six seasons from 2019 until 2024.
The sire of 11 top-level winners, Zoustar stands at Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley and is on the cusp of being crowned Australia's champion sire for the first time.
In addition to his Del Mar triumph, Starlust was twice placed at the highest level, having finished third in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) and the 2024 Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) prior to his grade 1 breakthrough.
The winner of six of his 21 starts, Starlust was successful in the 2023 Sirenia Stakes (G3) at 2 and both of his wins in Britain at 3 were at York where he won the listed City Walls Stakes.
Starlust was sold by Barton Stud as a yearling at Book 2 and made 55,000 guineas to Dermot Farrington. He is a half brother to the listed 2019 Lansdown Stakes winner Queen of Desire by Dubawi and out of Beyond Desire, successful in the 2012 Prix de Saint-Georges (G3) and 2010 Cecil Frail Stakes for Parkin's Clipper Logistics.
Starlust will begin his stallion career for a fee of AU$27,500.
