Judgement day
Trained by Jim Bolger, Free Judgement has shown plenty of potential and, despite a disappointing run in last Sunday’s Goffs Million Sprint, he sets a decent standard in the opening one-mile event.
An eye-catching fifth to today’s ‘Cheveley Park’ challenger Song Of My Heart on his debut at the Curragh, the American-bred son of Vindication then went close in another maiden at headquarters, when collared close home by Crystal Gal, which did the form no harm when a close seventh to Shakespearean in the Goffs Millions Mile at the Curragh on Sunday.
Earlier, the decision to drop Free Judgement back to six furlongs in the Goffs Million Sprint back-fired as he could never get involved and finished a well-beaten sixteenth behind Richard Hannon’s Lucky General.
Free Judgement’s style of racing suggests he’ll appreciate the step-up to a mile tonight and he should open his account, at the probable expense of Tommy Stack’s Titus Aurelius, third behind Fencing Master and subsequent winner Moonreach on his debut in a course and distance maiden here.
Mastercraftsman, winner of four Group 1 prizes, including the Boylesports Irish 2,000 Guinaes and St. James’s Palace Stakes this season, will be sent off a red-hot favourite for the Diamond Stakes as he tries the fibresand surface ahead of his intended crack at the Breeders Cup Classic.
Aidan O’Brien’s colt is impossible to oppose as he drops in to Group 3 company on the back his length second to Sea The Stars in the Juddmonte International at York and, most recently, his creditable third (beaten five lengths) behind John Oxx’s stable star and Fame And Glory in the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes. Anything but a smooth success for Mastercraftsman would be a big surprise tonight, with course specialist Fiery Lad expected to chase him home.
