Paul Young team warm up for Trainers' Judgement Night
There were some fascinating trials at Monmore on Wednesday as the Romford trainer prepares for six-trainer, six-race shootout
Young team get ready for Monmore date
Next Thursday night, June 18, the Trainers' Judgement Night card for the David Lipsey trophy will be run. Six trainers will do battle with six races making up the competition.
Paul Young finished seventh in the standings last year but with Patrick Janssens unable to field a strong enough team to take part, Young was drafted in to take his place.
No trainer has had more open race winners in 2026 than Young so there are plenty of options for the Romford handler to consider ahead of next week with a number of them making the trip to Monmore on Wednesday to get a look at the Wolverhampton venue.
Ladbrokes Puppy Derby winner Underground Gold was back in action at the track that saw his biggest career win. The Derby quarter-finalist was a long way short of the level of form that he showed to win that Category One event but he missed the break massively compared to his best form.
Just four spots shy of Underground Gold was Gav Nificent. A winner in the first round of the Derby, he went under by just a head on Derby final night at Towcester when behind the new track record setting Start The Engine over 460m.
March was the last time that Underground Arlo was last seen in race action but he went well in another 480m trial. He finished third in the 2025 Coral Olympic final at Hove behind Proper Heiress, remaining lightly raced for his age.
The staying trials of Underground Naxy and Bubbly Amber will need plenty of improving upon but the sprint from Lesleys Buddy confirmed his position as a sprinter on the up. Just nine race times have been quicker in 2026 than the sprint trial of Lesleys Buddy and his trial was on a track subsequently rated slow.
Mark Wallis, Kevin Hutton, Maxine Locke, Nathan Hunt and Tom Heilbron will be the other trainers taking on Young next Thursday night.
Wallis is a five-time winner, one shy of Charlie Lister who has won this event more than anyone else. Wallis is the defending champion having lifted the crown last year at Perry Barr. Wallis was also the winner the last time that the event was held at Monmore in 2022.
Kevin Hutton is a four-time winner of the event including a hat-trick of successes from 2015-2017 while Young himself was the winner when the event was held at Sheffield back in 2014.
