Le Juge likes life in the north

Much-travelled gelding Le Juge may have earned himself a ticket back to Sydney after his win at the Sunshine Coast.

Le Juge ($2.70) finished powerfully off a slow pace on Saturday to beat the early leader Saxton Rock ($3.30) by three-quarters of a length in the Coastline BMW Series 3 Plate (1600m).

The gelding is by top European staying sire Dansili and did his early racing in France, where he won twice, before he was bought by the OTI syndicate to race with Chris Waller.

After several unsuccessful starts for Waller in Sydney and Melbourne, Le Juge was sent to the premier trainer’s Gold Coast stables, where he has had four starts for two wins and a third.

Waller’s Queensland manager, Paul Shailer, said Le Juge seemed to be growing in confidence with his racing in the north.

“We were thinking of getting him out to 2000 metres but again he just saw out the 1600 today,” Shailer said.

“But he might be getting back to the form where he can return to Sydney and race for the big prize money.”