Glen Kotzen is aiming his Golden Slipper winner Final Judgement at the Choice Carriers Championship at Kenilworth on October 29 and the World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas on December 3.
Kotzen, who won both races with Princess Victoria five years ago, said: “Final Judgement is in a paddock with her mates enjoying life at the moment but we will go the usual route, the 1 400m Grade 2 and then the Fillies Guineas.”
Final Judgement (Nkosi Hlope)
Final Judgement made all the running at 20-1 in the Golden Slipper but weakened into seventh after racing prominently and taking it up over two furlongs out in the Thekwini four weeks later.
Kotzen believes that performance is best forgotten and explained: “It was very hard for her from her 12 draw and we had to use her to get there. It wasn’t her running at all.”
Yorker pulled up sound after his Strensall Stakes second at York on his British debut last month, his first race for more than two years, but there are doubts about whether he will meet his engagement in the Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 15.
Derek Brugman, racing manager for part-owner Markus Jooste, points out that a Group 1 would be a big ask for the horse’s second run after such a long lay-off and that the seven-year-old would probably need to perform well in another race in the meantime in order to have a crack at the big one.
The Jet Master gelding won the Sansui Summer Cup, HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut and President’s Champions Challenge for Geoff Woodruff and is now with William Haggas at Newmarket.
Brugman has clarified the decision to race many of the Jooste-owned horses in the name of Mayfair Speculators, the company long used for purchasing them. The reason is “streamlining” and, for the moment at least, only those horses owned solely by the Joostes will race under the Mayfair Speculators banner. Those in partnership with other people will appear in the racecard as part-owned by Mr & Mrs Jooste as before.
They also have a growing number of horses in Europe and those carrying the famous emerald green, yellow stars black sleeves and cap colours include the Aidan O’Brien-trained Douglas Macarthur who is joint favourite for next year’s Epsom Derby.
Michael Clower
