Judicial set for action in Hackwood Stakes

Keith Hamer
July 15, 2020 1:55 pm

Chipchase winner heading for Newbury.

Judicial is set to return to action in the bet365 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury on Saturday after showing he was back in rude health after being under a cloud last week.

Julie Camacho’s talented sprinter – winner of the Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle on his latest start – scoped dirty and was taken out of the Darley July Cup at Newmarket at the weekend.

The eight-year-old has responded well to a course of treatment and it is all systems go for the Group Three contest at the Berkshire track.

“He breezed this morning and scoped clean, so we’re happy. He’ll head down there and Callum (Rodriguez) rides,” said Camacho’s husband and assistant, Steve Brown, on Tuesday. “He’s getting those big Saturday winners and he’s struck up a bit of an association with him.

“His pre-race scope before the July Cup wasn’t 100 per cent. We took the decision to give him a five-day treatment rather than run him. That seems to have worked the oracle. Obviously, The Tin Man is the class horse, but we’re looking forward to it.”

He added: “We’ve got a little penalty to carry, but we’ve earned it so we don’t mind that. He’ll find it a bit tougher for the rest of the season, but we’ve enjoyed our day. It seems as if he’s improved for the step up to six. It will be interesting to see if he can keep going forward.

“It opens up a new chapter for him, hopefully. We’ll see how he can go over the extra furlong.”

Judicial’s stablemate Makanah was also under the weather last week, but could reappear in the William Hill Extra Places Every Day Handicap at York on Sunday.

The five-year-old made a pleasing seasonal debut when scoring at Newmarket in early June.

“It’s a similar thing. His pre-race scope last week wasn’t 100 per cent. He had a five-day treatment, scoped well today and breezed well,” said Brown.

“He’s likely to go to York. It isn’t going to be good to firm summer ground at the minute. We’ve had a lot of rain recently and there’ll be a lot of moisture under the surface, but it should be nice on the top so there shouldn’t be any complaints on that front.

“He’s going well and we hope he can keep stepping forward gradually.

“It was a good start to his season at Newmarket and he had some good solid horses behind him. We were encouraged by that and we’ll see where he can take us.”