Winner: Poor Judge (Royal Academy-Outward Display)
Race: VRC Chatham Stakes G3 (1400m)
Sold for: $130,000
Sale: 2007 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Widden Stud
Buyer: Steve Brem
Earnings: $520,100
Owner(s): GP Tjeong
Trainer: Norm Hilton (Toowoomba)
The Queenslanders struck in the final race on Derby day with classy galloper Poor Judge won the $251,500 Group Three Chatham Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.
The Toowoomba based performer relished the heavy track conditions and he found plenty over the concluding stages to hold out the favourite Demerit and win by a neck.
Hilton, a former Australian Champion Bull Rider on the rodeo circuit, was all smiles in the winner’s stall when the stable star scored his biggest win.
“This is the biggest win for me – that’s for sure,” Hilton said. “It’s a great thrill, it’s such a big day.”
“We’ve always had a good opinion of him,” he added.
Hilton said when the rain arrived earlier in the day he wasn’t too worried – knowing his charge has won on a slow (7) track in Brisbane.
“Nothing went right last week (in the Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley). It’s a bit of a blot on his copybook – but he pulled up so well – so we thought we had to have another go.”
“It’s hard to be confident after what happened last week, but we changed a few things and he was back to his old self.”
Hilton said next Saturday’s Group One Emirates Stakes was a likely target for Poor Judge – saying he would see how the pulls up before making a decision.
Today’s winning rider Glen Boss has no doubts what Hilton should be going with Poolr Judge.
“You’d have to run him,” he stated. “He’s flying, he looks well and he seems like he’s come through that run well.”
“You’d be mad not to run him.”
Poor Judge, a son of outstanding international sire Royal Academy, was purchased by Sydney based agent Steve Brem for $130,000 from the draft of Widden Stud at the 2007 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Now the winner of 13 of his 27 starts and over $520,000 in prizemoney, Poor Judge is a three quarter brother to former top class Sydney juvenile Royal Courtship.
The team from Rangeview Stud in Western Australia cheered home Poor Judge in today’s race – they now own her dam Outward Display.
Leading Perth based bloodstock agent John Chalmers purchased Outward Display at the 2007 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in foal to Gialileo for $62,500.
The mare’s latest yearling, a Key Business half sister to Poor Judge, is being prepared for February’s Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale.
