Coyy

Johnson Houghton, who operates out of Blewbury in Oxfordshire and has sent out an impressive 42 winners already this season, noted earlier in the horse's career that a small muscle problem had forced a missed engagement at Bath. These minor setbacks are frustrating but common at this level, and the fact that Coyy had already caught the eye by finishing third over six furlongs at Windsor suggested the talent was there — it just needed time and luck to align. This week, they did.

Across seven races in total, Coyy has won once and placed twice — a record that works out at roughly one win in every seven outings, or 14%. That is not a high number, but context matters. The horse has found things tougher when stepping up to Class 4 races, failing to win in three attempts at that level. Windsor, clearly, suits it, and it may be that finding the right race on the right track has been the key all along. Regular jockey Charles Bishop has been aboard for six of the seven races without getting his hands on the winner's prize until now, so this result will have been a relief for both horse and rider.

With the horse only three years old and Johnson Houghton a trainer who clearly has it placed with ambition — the Vodafone Super Sprint at Newbury was mentioned as a target at one stage — there is more to look forward to. Whether Coyy can build on this breakthrough and find consistency is the next question, but right now, a yard in form and a horse that just remembered what winning feels like is a decent place to start.