Just The Judge Retired

Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}–Faraday Light {Ire}, by Rainbow Quest), winner of the 2013 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, has been retired from racing after suffering a minor tendon injury and will join the broodmare band at Tweenhills Stud as property of Qatar Racing and China Horse Club.

A €50,000 Goffs Orby yearling purchase by trainer Charlie Hills and BBA Ireland, Just The Judge made her first two starts–both winning ones–for the Sangster family and Matthew Green. Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing bought out the latter partner prior to the filly's victory in the G2 Rockfel S. on her juvenile curtain closer. Second in the G1 1000 Guineas on seasonal debut the following spring, Just The Judge earned her Classic in the Irish equivalent next out and was third in Royal Ascot's G1 Coronation S. The bay placed in three Group/Grade Is the following summer before adding Woodbine's GI E.P. Taylor S. to her resume and finishing third in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf just weeks before she went through the ring at the Tattersalls December Sale to dissolve the Qatar Racing and Sangster partnership. Sheikh Fahad was not leaving Newmarket without his first Classic winner that evening, and was pushed to 4.5 million guineas for Just The Judge in partnership with China Horse Club. Just The Judge ran just once subsequently, a sixth in Meydan's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic Mar. 28.

“All good things come to an end, but I'm very proud of Just The Judge's achievements,” said Hills. “She's been a tremendously sound filly, and with three months' rest could have raced on, but she had nothing else to prove on the racecourse. She has been a wonderful horse for my career and I would absolutely love to train one of her foals.”