Joviality

Joviality, having her first run at four, and her first run since last August, is interesting now after an encouraging run in the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom on Oaks day.

William Buick quickly had the Cape Cross filly in a good position, tracking the leaders on the inside in third, but they didn’t go a great pace (Boastful was very keen for the first half of the race, and even the favourite Lay Time didn’t really settle early on), and for a horse that stays 10 furlongs well, that probably wasn’t in Joviality’s favour. She just got a little caught out when Clinical and Barefoot Lady quickened from the front two and a half furlongs out, and she tended to hang down the camber a little with her head held high when Buick wanted her to go forward. She did stay on all the way to the line to get past Barefoot Lady for second, but she couldn’t quite get to Clinical, though she was only beaten three quarters of a length in the end.

The John Gosden-trained filly should come on for this, the trainer had said beforehand that she might need it a little, and her lack of race-sharpness just told when Clinical and Barefoot Lady upped the tempo. She proved in last season’s Musidora Stakes that she stays 10 furlongs well, she had a really good battle with Barefoot Lady again all the way to the line on that occasion, and she can build on this run when she steps back up in trip now – she is a sister to Bonfire by Cape Cross so 10 furlongs could be her optimum trip, followed closely by a strongly-run mile. She is still very lightly-raced and there could be much more to come from her this season. She would be interesting behind a decent pace if she took her chance in the Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot, and she would be an interesting outsider if she took her chance in the Pretty Polly Stakes over 10 furlongs at The Curragh on Irish Derby weekend.

1st June 2012

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