Blandford Bloodstock

Blandford purchase Joviality wins Group 3

JOVIALITY, a Blandford Bloodstock yearling purchase, was a game winner of the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York on Wednesday afternoon.

The well-grown daughter of Cape Cross was knocked down to Blandford for 200,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1 2009.

Trained by John Gosden, Joviality was third on her only run at two before stepping up on that when second to a highly-regarded colt on her seasonal debut at Sandown last month.

In the race she travelled strongly under William Buick before joining the leaders two furlongs out. Joviality hit the front but the leader Barefoot Lady, winner of the Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes, wouldn’t go down without a fight and fought back.

Buick’s mount stuck her neck out gamely in the closing stages, winning a thriller by a head.

The winning trainer said: “That filly (Barefoot Lady) wasn’t going to go away – she was like a terrier and came back again.

“We got lucky on the nod, but we really like the way our horse has developed this spring.

“That was the top end of her trip. She’s in the French Oaks and we’ll have a look at that now.”