John Gosden to train €1.4 million Arqana sale-topping Dubawi colt

Champion trainer John Gosden is to take charge of the Dubawi colt out of Just The Judge who topped last year's Arqana August Yearling Sale at €1.4 million, co-owner Ballylinch Stud has revealed.

The blue-blooded youngster was signed for by Ballylinch and will be raced in partnership with the China Horse Club, who bred the colt, the first foal out of Just The Judge, with Sheikh Fahad Al Thani's Qatar Bloodstock.

"He'll be joining John Gosden very shortly," reported Ballylinch Stud's managing director John O'Connor.

"He's going very nicely but he's a big, scopey horse and won't be seen out until towards the end of the year. He has a lot of presence and has the stamp of some of the really nice Dubawis.

John O'Connor signs for the Dubawi colt out of Just The JudgeCredit: Patrick McCann

"He's cantering away at the moment and Pat Shanahan, who's in charge of our pre-training, likes riding him out every day. He's known to be a good judge and I hope he's right about this one.

Expanding on the link-up with the China Horse Club, which owns a significant interest in Ballylinch resident New Bay, O'Connor said: "He's owned in a straight partnership between Ballylinch and the China Horse Club. We have a number of two-year-olds in the same partnership so we're looking forward to an interesting year or two."

Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Just The Judge is one of five Group 1 winners by Lawman, who spent 11 years at Ballylinch Stud before transferring to Haras de Grandcamp ahead of the upcoming breeding season.

"Obviously he's out of a mare we knew well as Just The Judge, who is by Lawman, is out of Faraday Light, who we bred and sold, so we already know the family," added O'Connor.

Just The Judge has also produced a filly by Dubawi who was sold to Godolphin for €1m at the latest Arqana Breeding Stock Sale, and last year she was covered by Galileo.

The €1.4m colt out of Just The Judge is not the only sale-topping son of Dubawi set to join the ranks at Clarehaven this year, with Qatar Racing's brother to Too Darn Hot, who topped Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale at 3,500,000gns, also set to benefit from Gosden's tutelage.

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