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Super second for evergreen Judicial

15 November 2021

At nine years of age, Elite Racing Club's 17-time winner Judicial showed he has lost none of his flair or enthusiasm when he finished with a flourish to take second place in the Listed Golden Rose Stakes at Lingfield on Saturday 13 November.

The winner of Chester's Listed Queensferry Stakes earlier this season, the Julie Camacho-trained sprinter was burdened with a penalty for that success. As well as having to give weight to away to all his rivals at Lingfield, he also had to overcome a wide draw. This meant Judicial's rider Paul Mulrennan had to be patient at the rear in the early stages, but he produced Judicial to good effect in the home straight and the pair made eye-catching progress in the last furlong to snatch second spot from the useful Soldier's Minute in the final strides.

Although Judicial couldn't quite emulate his win in the 2019 edition of the race, it was still a fine performance. He was beaten two and a quarter lengths by the winner, Good Effort, who was a good second in the Gr.3 Chipchase Stakes earlier this season, and had been tried at Gr.2 level prior to this latest start. Furthermore, rated 4lb Good Effort's inferior, yet carrying 3lb more than him, Judicial surely ran one of his best races of the current campaign.

This latest performance from Judicial suggests he is capable of qualifying for the All-Weather Championship Finals on Good Friday next year, which will be held for the first time at Newcastle Racecourse (where Judicial won the Gr.3 Chipchase Stakes last year), which gives Julie Camacho and the team at her Star Cottage Stables an exciting target to aim for in 2022.