RACING:JOVIALITY SHED little light on next month's Oaks when losing her maiden tag in York's recognised trial, the Tattersalls Musidora Stakes yesterday.
Trainer John Gosden said straight after the Group Three race that the Princess Haya of Jordan-owned filly would miss the mile-and-a-half Classic and instead go for the French version over an extended 10 furlongs at Chantilly.
There was, however, some reflected glory for Oaks favourite Blue Bunting as she had Musidora runner-up Barefoot Lady back in fifth when winning the 1,000 Guineas.
Despite the lack of Classic clues, Joviality and Barefoot Lady treated the Knavesmire crowd to a great finish. The Aidan O’Brien-trained raider Amazing Beauty cut out the early running, but Ryan Moore was sending out the distress signals on her some way out and she soon weakened, eventually finishing last of the five.
Up front, it was nip and tuck throughout the closing stages, with Joviality (5 to 1), ridden by William Buick, just prevailing by a head. “Barefoot Lady wasn’t going to go away – she was like a terrier and came back again,” said Gosden. “We got lucky on the nod, but we really like the way our horse has developed this spring.
“That’s probably the limit of her stamina. She got headed where I stood and then came back on the line. She was definitely beaten 25 yards before the line. The first two are very nice fillies.
“We’re delighted with her. I’ve always liked her. I didn’t bring her from a maiden to this race just for fun. We’ll now look at taking her to Chantilly for the French Oaks.”
Buick added: “You’re never really sure, but I was hoping I’d got it because she deserved it.
“She’s a very nice filly, she’s my favourite in the stable. I’ve always liked her and you saw why. She’s got everything you want in a horse. She’s not bred to go this far and I felt she was tying up a bit towards the finish and a mile and a half at Epsom is probably beyond her.
“She needed the race at Sandown and was probably beaten by a decent horse (Naqshabban) there. That was always going to be a stepping stone.”
Richard Fahey was delighted with the run of Barefoot Lady. “She just got outbattled but Paul said she tried very hard and she did everything right,” said the North Yorkshire trainer. “We’ll give her a break now as she’s had a pretty tough time of late.”
No excuse was offered for the disappointing performance of the Henry Cecil-trained favourite Arizona Jewel, who faded into fourth, over nine lengths behind the first two. She even lost third place to rank outsider Whey Sauce.
“No excuses. She didn’t pick up like she thought she would, She travelled well in the race, but just didn’t deliver at the business end,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Prince Khalid Abdullah.
