Just The Judge Passes Away at Nine

[Wandering Eyes]

2013 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Ire}-Faraday Light {Ire}, by Rainbow Quest), owned jointly by Qatar Racing and China Horse Club, was put down following complications from colic surgery, Tweenhills Stud announced on Tuesday. The MG1SW was only nine and leaves a filly of this year by Galileo (Ire) which will now be fostered.

“She was such an important broodmare to our operation and she was Sheikh Fahad [Al Thani]’s first Classic winner, the first Classic winner I had anything to do with,” said David Redvers, Racing Manager for Qatar Racing and owner of Tweenhills. (Click for the full video interview.) “Her first two foals sold for over a million and her Galileo filly of this year was born at the end of the first week of March. Two days later…she flipped her colon. The excellent team at Three Counties operated on her and it was all straightforward and went extremely well.”

He added, “Two days ago, she was a big grumbly in the paddock at lunchtime…we sent her straight to Three Counties Equine Clinic. That night things suddenly took a turn for the worst and she was operated on immediately. In spite of all of their best efforts and the great work put in by John Campbell and the team, she had to be put down today. It’s massively disappointing for me personally and it’s hugely disappointing for Sheikh Fahad and Melissa, but it’s even more disappointing for the team here.”

Bred by Mrs. Joan Keaney Dempsey in Ireland and purchased for €50,000 at the 2011 Goffs Orby Sale, Just the Judge made her first two starts for the Sangster Family and Matthew Green, winning both, including the Listed Washington Singer S. in August of 2012. Qatar Racing bought out Green in the interim, and she resurfaced that October with a victory in the G2 Rockfel S. Runner-up in the 2013 G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, Just The Judge rebounded with a win in the Irish equivalent in late May and was also third in that year’s G1 Coronation S. Kept in training at four, the Charlie Hills trainee won the GI E. P. Taylor S. at Woodbine and placed third three times at Group 1 level, in The Curragh’s Pretty Polly S., Arlington Park’s Beverly D. S. and in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita Park. Sent through the Tattersalls ring that December, she topped the sale at 4.5 million guineas and made one more start-for Qatar Racing and China Horse Club–an unplaced effort in the 2015 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan. The 5-year-old retired with a mark of 15-5-1-5, $1,213,611.

At stud, Just The Judge, out of a half-sister to GSW and G1 Epsom Oaks third High Heeled (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), visited Dubawi (Ire) in 2016 and 2017, with a colt and filly the result, respectively. The former was knocked down for €1.4 million to top the 2018 Arqana August Yearling Sale, while the filly was the most expensive weanling of the 2018 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale, bringing €1 million.

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