Group Three Chipchase Stakes Guide 2022

A battled hardened 10 year old for Julie Camacho, Judicial has been a fantastic horse for connections over the years. A natural sprinter, he’s spent all of his career over 5 and 6 furlongs. Always being gifted with natural speed.

Three easy wins in his juvenile campaign saw him moved into handicap company where he performed well. Eventually graduating up to conditions races before scoring a group 3 over the minimum trip back in 2018.

Over the last couple of years he’s moved up to 6 furlongs and remained effective. Winning a group 3 and a couple of listed races over the last few years his form has started to dip off this season.

Beaten on seasonal comeback here at Newcastle in a conditions race, he was then well beaten last time out at the same venue. He steps up in grade here and looks vulnerable to younger and more progressive horses.

After being tried over longer trips, Glen Shiel really found his feet in sprints. Winning a handicap before going on to win a group 3 and finally the 2020 British Champion Sprint Stakes.

He didn’t have the same level of success last season. The ultimate target for the season likely being to defend his British Champion Sprint crown but he found Naval Crown too much to handle and had to settle for 2nd.

His form has been lacklustre this season. Being beaten twice by Brad The Brief. In a conditions race and a group 2 at the Curragh. He was taken out of the Platinum Jubilee Stakes last week as the ground was too fast for him.

His form has always been best on softer ground on turf but he has proved himself effective on all weather surfaces, but at 8 years out his best days might be behind him.

Andrew Balding’s charge has won over as far as a mile but has looked at his best over 7 furlongs. Having a great run of form in 2020 to capture races over 7 furlongs in succession.

Scoring a class 2 conditions race before taking a group 3 narrowly. He backed that up with an impressive victory at Newmarket.

He didn’t return in the same kind of form last season however and failed to record a single victory all season. Tried between 6 furlongs to a mile, he failed to get seriously involved in any of the group races he contested apart from a good run in the Lennox Stakes.

Sticking to 7 furlongs this season has seen him fare well. Narrowly beaten in a listed race on the all weather, he put in a fine effort to score handsomely at Leicester at listed level but found the competition far too fierce in the John Of Gaunt Stakes last time out.

Dropping in trip doesn’t look like it’ll spark any improvement.

After a few years in handicap ranks, Magical Spirit scored a few level events a few years ago but really rose to prominence when winning the Silver Cup handicap at Ayr with bundles in hand.

Going up 10lbs for that win saw him struggle in handicap company last season but his mark falling to 92 off the back of a few poor runs he managed to get his head back in front smartly at Doncaster. Rounding out the season with a close defeat to the impressive King’s Lynn.

He’s only had one outing this season when running over 6 furlongs in a conditions race at Haydock. However, he failed to beat a single rival home and was beaten by 8.5 lengths.

This is a major step up in grade and he’ll have to leave his first run of the campaign well behind.

Last season saw Bielsa run well in a multitude of handicaps. Coming 2nd in a few 6 furlong handicaps, he put in a decent showing to be 8th in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last year.

His big success of the season came when scoring the Ayr Gold Cup with bundles in hand despite a mark of 98. Coping with soft ground well.

He failed to make the move up to listed company off the back of that and looked well outclassed behind King’s Lynn in the same race Magical Spirit came 2nd in.

He’s not returned in as good form this season. Only beating 2 rivals home in a listed race at the start of the season, he then failed to stay 7 furlongs in a conditions race off the back of that.

Last seen back in handicap company, he shaped better over 6 furlongs but found a mark of 102 unmanageable and only came home in 7th.

This is his first run on the all weather and it will need to draw out a lot of improvement to see him involved.

Towards the bottom of the betting is Ainsdale for Julie Camacho. A solid ending to his juvenile campaign when trained by Karl Burke saw Ainsdale rack up a nice hat trick of wins over 5 furlongs. Looking highly comfortable on slower ground.

Kept at 5 furlongs initially as a 3 year old he looked to be needing a longer trip and scored handsomely when upped to 6 furlongs in a small field conditions race.

Last season he bounced between 5 and 6 furlongs but failed to really find his feet. His best run came on soft heavy ground in a group 2 won by Liberty Beach.

He then only managed 6th in this race last year off the back of that effort.

He failed to land a blow in any group or listed races at the end of the season and has found himself in the care of Julie Camacho for this season.

This being his seasonal and stable debut it’s hard to assess what kind of form he could be in.

After breaking his maiden over 6 furlongs as a 3 year old, Edraak failed to really step forward from that initial success as he failed to land a blow in handicap company.

He returned in much better form last season and performed much better in handicap company. Scoring three times over 6 furlongs before finding the handicappers raises too hard to deal with. A rating of 100 left him a little too exposed to be competitive.

That was until he managed to defy a mark of 99 to win congvincginly on the all weather over 7 furlongs. A mark of 105 was unmanageable in handicap company thereafter but he has shaped well in a conditions race and a listed race this season.

More is required here however.

Mondammej only made his racing debut at the end of 2020 where he won a novice event before being beaten in a match. He endured a very busy campaign last season having 18 runs.

He’s yet to have a real break from racing and has been kept on the go since his debut. He quickly found success in handicap company last season, and scored over 5 furlongs five times in handicaps. Scoring on both turf and on the all weather.

He did try his hadn’t in listed contests at the start of this year and was only narrowly denied in his first outing before not looking as effective over 6 furlongs.

More recently tried in group company he’s been well outclassed but put in a near career best to be 4th in a group 2 at Haydock last time out behind King’s Lynn.

He’s yet to have a real break from racing so might be feeling the effects for being on the go for so long. Moving back up to 6 furlongs doesn’t look an obvious move either.

Karl Burke’s 4 year old was unable to win during his juvenile campaign but came back as a 3 year old to score a novice easily at prohibitive odds over 6 furlongs. It turned out to be his only victory though the summer until returning after a short break.

Coming back in the Autumn last year he handily won a conditions race and despite being beaten on his next two outings over 7 furlongs, dropping back to 6 furlongs saw the colt score a listed race in a tight finish at Lingfield.

He’s been unable to hit the same heights this season however. Being a close 3rd on seasonal comeback before some poor showings in group company.

Dropping back in trip should help but he needs to prove himself at this level.

An exciting juvenile last season, Ebro River scored a novice and a listed race over the minimum trip on soft ground last year in convincing fashion.

Stepping up to 6 furlongs began to make him look a little outclassed in deeper contests until an inspired victory at the Curragh saw him win the Phoenix Stakes handsomely.

He failed to back up his group 1 victory in subsequent efforts however and was well beaten over 7 furlongs in his last two outings.

He’s not returned in the same vein of form this year. Only managing 5th on seasonal comeback before failing to justify favouritism in a sprint over at Chantilly. He looks off the boil this season and will find life tough against older horses here.

Tom Marquand and William Haggas team up with this unexposed 3 year old filly. A daughter of Showcasing, Sense Of Duty was only narrowly touched off on her debut run last season going down by only a head.

Building upon her debut saw her handily destroy a maiden over 6 furlongs in impressive fashion. Put away for the winter off the back of that, she returned in novice company this season and again showed plenty of talent to score over 6 furlongs easily.

Upped to listed company for her most recent outing saw her just get the better of Flotus in a tight finish. Sense Of Duty needing all of the 6 furlongs to get the better of her rival but showing a game attitude to get the job done.

Flotus has since boosted the form by coming 3rd in the Commonwealth cup so this filly looks the one to beat on paper.

Michael Appleby’s 3 year old scored over this course and distance on debut back in January before being beaten in a conditions race at Kempton.

A return to Newcastle over 5 furlongs saw him defy a penalty in fine fashion before another decent outing over 6 furlongs here at Newcastle in a class 2 conditions race.

Moved into handicap company off the back of that he looked exposed off a mark of 96 on turf before a better showing at Goodwood over 7 furlongs.

Last seen dropping back to 6 furlongs he ran a decent race in a big field handicap at York to be 5th. He just didn’t look to have the pace to get involved in the last furlong.

He’s shaped best over a longer trip than this and group company will likely leave him heavily exposed.