Koy Koy

Lots went wrong for Koy Koy in the seven-and-a-half-furlong handicap at Chester on Thursday, and he did well to finish second behind Outgate. Well drawn in stall three, effectively stall two, he stumbled a little on leaving the stalls, which meant that he had to adopt a position in fifth place early on and one off the rail. As well as that, he was keener than ideal through the first couple of furlongs, he always appeared to be doing a little more than rider David Probert wanted him to do. He had to come three wide around the home turn too and, after expending plenty of energy through the race, he did well to pick up as well as he did and to keep on as well as he did to take second place behind Outback, who had enjoyed the perfect run through the race, just behind the leaders, and who got a lovely split when Ryan Moore wanted to go forward. Koy Koy got to within a length of the winner, with two lengths back to the third horse.

It was a fine performance by Andrew Balding’s colt on his seasonal debut and just his fourth run. He progressed nicely last season as a juvenile, and he rounded off the term by running out an impressive winner of a seven-furlong novice stakes at Newbury in September. This was a step forward from that, and he could improve again now with this run under his belt. The fact that he ran well to finish second in a maiden over seven furlongs of Ascot’s straight course in early September is obviously a positive if connections are thinking of going for the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot now, where he would be of interest off a mark in the low 90s.
Chester, 5^th May 2022