Counting Coup

Trained by Maurice Andrew Ahern out of Mallow in County Cork, the six-year-old is part of a yard that has already sent out five winners this season, suggesting this is not a stable that merely fills fields but one that prepares horses to be competitive. That Down Royal win last week was the yard's statement that Counting Coup belongs in the winner's enclosure, not just making up the numbers.

The recent form reads 4-1-6 in reverse order — meaning the win came sandwiched between a solid placed effort and a disappointing sixth. That sixth-place finish is worth keeping in mind; this is not a horse that produces its best every time out. But with only three races on the clock, there is still far more to learn about what Counting Coup is capable of, and the trajectory at the moment is pointing in the right direction.