The future looks promising for Jouncy, who secured a win at Goodwood and is set to step up in class at York for his next outing. Trained by Andrew Balding, the promising two-year-old son of Wootton Bassett gained valuable experience earlier in the summer and built on a narrow defeat at Kempton to secure his maiden victory on the Sussex Downs.
Sent off as the 7-4 favourite, the Juddmonte-owned colt, a half-brother to last year’s Mill Reef winner Array, was ridden prominently by Oisin Murphy. Jouncy showed determination in the final stages, overcoming a competitive field of rivals with a strong finish.
This encouraging performance not only suggested that bigger things may be on the horizon but also earned him a spot in the Group Two Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York later this month. For now, he will remain at six furlongs.
Juddmonte’s European racing manager, Barry Mahon, noted that Jouncy has always shown promise and has been highly regarded by trainer Andrew Balding. He compared Jouncy to his brother Array, who was a slow learner and needed three runs to secure his maiden victory. Mahon observed that Jouncy has exhibited similar traits, struggling to fully understand his first two starts.
Mahon also mentioned that Oisin Murphy's positive ride at Goodwood had a significant impact, leading to Jouncy's win. He indicated that while Jouncy is expected to eventually prefer seven furlongs, the current plan is to target the Gimcrack Stakes. After that, they will consider stepping him up in distance.