Breeders' Cup winner Starlust has returned to training with Ralph Beckett following the decision to abort his stallion career in Australia after covering a single book of mares.
Explaining the decision, Alex Cole, racing manager to Starlust's owners Jim and Fitri Hay, said: "He got about 70 mares in foal, but his fertility wasn't the greatest. We thought he might struggle for support in his second season, so we brought him back into training."
The son of Zoustar was retired to stand at Riverstone Lodge in New South Wales following his solid fourth in last year's King Charles III Stakes (G1) at the Royal Ascot meeting. He is entered for that race again, as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (G1) on the final day of the royal meeting.
Cole said the 5-year-old, winner of the 2024 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), is likely to make his seasonal reappearance in the May 23 Temple Stakes (G2) at Haydock Park.
"According to the trainer, it's like he never left the yard," he said. "The plan is to run in the Temple Stakes."
Despite shelving the stallion career, Cole said Starlust has been kept entire and a return to the breeding barn is a possibility.
According to the Australian Stud Book, Starlust covered 102 mares at a fee of AU$27,500 in his first year at stud.
