Steward back in the winning groove aboard Winston C

After enduring a losing spell stretching back 38 days, the smile was back on Louis Steward’s face when he steered 5-2 favourite Winston C to a near all-the-way success in the feature 1m4f handicap.

It was no great surprise that Steward failed to make any secret that posting the overdue victory was like getting a monkey off his back as he had gone 28 rides without a win, and the success was only his sixth of the season after making a slow start to 2017.

And given that his last three rides, including Graceland in the valuable Northumberland Vase at Newcastle, had all been placed second did not help ease the rider's frustrations.