Stars Of The Week: Tom Collins labels his standout horse, trainer and jockey

Did you miss the action over the last seven days and want to know the star horse, jockey and trainer? Our specialist writer awards this week's accolades.

Star Horse

Statuette

Aidan O’Brien has a number of highly talented juveniles to go to war with this season and might have unleashed his best two-year-old filly at Navan last Saturday. Statuette, a daughter of brilliant Triple Crown winner Justify out of two-time Group 1-winner Immortal Verse, made her highly anticipated debut in a 5½f maiden and fairly routed an above-average group.

Heavily punted in the build-up to the race, Statuette broke professionally and quickened alongside main market rival Olivia Maralda as the field entered the final two furlongs of the contest. The pair briefly clashed, before Statuette readily asserted under Ryan Moore in the final 100 yards.

In a blink of an eye there were three lengths between the pair and she hit the line stronger than any two-year-old sprinter I’ve seen this season. Her pedigree suggests that she’ll be seen to best effect over a mile in time - she’s already my idea of the 2023 1,000 Guineas winner - but Royal Ascot comes first. If she continues her progression over the next two weeks, she might be my best bet of the meeting.

Star Trainer

Sir Michael Stoute

The irksome phrase ‘Sir Michael Stoute is back’ has been uttered numerous times across several platforms over the last fortnight. What I want to know is: when did the 76-year-old trainer ever leave the forefront of British horse racing?

If a recent Champion Trainer trophy is the sole factor in defining success then British and Irish flat racing only boasts a handful of high-quality handlers due to the domination of powerhouses John Gosden, Charlie Appleby, Aidan O’Brien and Richard Hannon over the last decade. Stoute has ten shiny cups in his cabinet, in case we needed reminding.

Although he may not have the same kind of equine firepower that he boasted in 2009 when the likes of Ask, Conduit and Harbinger were ruling the domestic programme, you have to go back ten seasons to find the last time that Stoute failed to win a Group 1 in a calendar year. He has consistently punched away at the top level with relatively limited stock, sticking by his notorious and highly professional training regimes to produce leading middle-distance performers with impressive regularity.

This year is no different with Derby favourite, Desert Crown, and recent Brigadier Gerard scorer, Bay Bridge, showcasing his training talents on the racecourse. Both colts remain thoroughly unexposed and open to further improvement but already appear ready to strike at Grade 1 level. We have an abundance of talent in the training ranks and Stoute sits - and has sat for quite some time - at the top of the list.

Star Jockey

Charlotte Jones

From a veteran in Sir Michael Stoute to a relative newcomer for the Star Jockey this week - Charlotte Jones. 

The 24-year-old hasn’t been given too many opportunities for outside rides since she was first seen on the racecard six years ago, with 203 of her 219 jumps mounts coming for trainer James Moffatt. 

However, Jones won’t be too worried about that given the pair have an excellent 20% strike-rate together and were seen to great effect once again at Cartmel on Saturday. Victories for Zumbi, Rapid Flight and Dressedforsuccess gave Jones a memorable hat-trick at the Cumbria venue, a track that she rides phenomenally well.

Cartmel has seven fixtures scheduled between June 1 and August 29, so make sure your first port of call is to put a ring around every horse that Jones partners.