Ever-popular Judicial rolls back the years at Beverley

‘The fact that he is still performing at this level is extraordinary’.

Popular sprinter Judicial again proved himself to be evergreen when taking the Eddie And Violet Smith Conditions Stakes at Beverley.

A 5-1 chance under Callum Rodriguez, the Julie Camacho-trained 10-year-old ran towards the rear of the field and threw down a challenge in the final furlong, passing all of his rivals to prevail by a length and three quarters from Clarendon House.

The Elite Racing Club-owned gelding has now won 18 of his 53 career starts – striking four times in six runs on the Westwood – and has continually got his head in front each season since 2014.

Among those victories was a Listed win in the 2019 Beverley Bullet, with the bay having enjoyed three other Listed victories and two Group Three successes.

“He is a legend, he’s been running really well without winning and has had a bit of bad luck this year,” said Elite’s Dan Downie.

“We were getting to the point where we thought he might end the year without winning, which is unlike him, so I’m delighted that he’s won. He’s obviously as good as ever.

“He’s taken all the members to some lovely meetings, he’s a homebred so they have been able to follow his progress since he was a foal. Even before that, they followed his mother (Marlinka) when she was running.

“It’s a lovely story and the fact that he is still performing at this level is extraordinary, really.”

Judicial landed the Listed Golden Rose Stakes on the all-weather at Lingfield in 2019 and could now head back to the same race as the summer fades and his preferred fast ground becomes harder to find.

“He’ll be lucky to get the ground he likes in the autumn so I’d imagine he’d have a little break and then I would think he’ll be aimed at the Listed race he won at Lingfield three years ago – the Golden Rose.”

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