Just The Judge is set to meet 15 opponents in Sunday's Irish One Thousand Guineas at the Curragh after coming enticingly close to classic victory in the English equivalent at Newmarket.
Owned by Qatar Racing and the Sangster family, the Lawman filly led inside the final furlong in the One Thousand Guineas on May 5 but could not hold off an unrelenting winner Sky Lantern to be beaten a half length, her first defeat in four career starts.
Trainer Charlie Hills told At The Races that the Curragh is an ideal track for Just The Judge.
"We thought the track at the Curragh would really suit her, a stiff galloping mile," he said.
"That is what attracted us to this race.
"She has come out of Newmarket very well and has done a couple of nice bits of work. She's fit and well, it's a classic and there is no point in bypassing it."
Multiple G3 winner Maureen is the second favorite following her sixth behind stablemate Sky Lantern in the Newmarket classic after racing near the back of the field.
Trained by Richard Hannon, the Holy Roman Emperor filly is expected to race closer to the pace at the Curragh.
Khalid Abdullah's Big Break makes her first start of the year for trainer Dermot Weld.
The Dansili filly, a full sister to prolific Group performer Famous Name, comes off consecutive wins including an impressive triumph over males in the G3 Killavullan last October at Leopardstown.
Weld is seeking a fifth win in the 1000 Guineas.
Shila Lavery's highly regarded Viztoria was a 7.5 lengths winner over Aidan O'Brien's Irish Guineas entrant Snow Queen in the Blenheim Stakes last September at the Curragh.
She then finished second in France in the G2 Prix de Maisons-Laffitte, her lone defeat in four career starts.
Viztoria cemented a classic bid at the Curragh with a length victory there in the G3 Athasi Stakes on May 6.
Other contenders include the Aga Khan's G3 winner Harasiya, who was G1-placed last season and What Style, second in the Leopardstown One Thousand Guineas Trial Stakes at her second career start.
Both are trained by John Oxx.
