Juvenile Just A Journey will be considered for a winter carnival tilt after stringing together her second consecutive win when leading throughout on Randwick’s Kensington track.
From the yard of Golden Slipper-winning trainer Michael Freedman, the daughter of Justify broke her maiden at Kembla Grange last start and brought that form to midweek metropolitan grade on Wednesday.
The filly holds entries for both the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) on May 31 and JJ Atkins (1600m) two weeks later, both at Eagle Farm, and stable representative Ben Duckworth confirmed Freedman was giving thought to a trip north.
“We will have to have a look and wait and see how she pulls up but Queensland is obviously an option,” Duckworth said.
“She is a horse who has relished the 1400. Up to a mile could be a question but I’ll leave that one to the boss.”
Ridden by Tommy Berry, Just A Journey ($7) bounced to the front and controlled the race, downing Jenni Gone Bonkers ($11) by 1-1/2 lengths with Ripley ($4.60 fav) another half-length away third.
Berry said he had been concerned when she wasn’t relaxed in the barriers but once she jumped and found the front she did everything right.
“She wasn’t very good in the barriers today so I was a bit worried she wasn’t going to break as cleanly as she did but when she did, we were able to assume the lead quite comfortably and get a couple of cheap sectionals,” Berry said.
“Even though she won the other day I felt Jean (Van Overmeire) let the rest of the field catch him before he went and she is a filly who loves to build a bit of momentum.
“I picked up the pace a hundred metres before the corner and got a few of them off the bit and she was too strong late.”
John O’Shea and Tom Charlton also unearthed a handy two-year-old in debutante Burn The Sky, who delivered a pleasant surprise with her victory in the Broadsiding @ Darley Handicap (1400m).
Charlton said the daughter of Zoustar had shown ability but they were unsure how she would handle the heavy conditions.
“She is big, scopey, not the finished article so to win in town on debut gives her plenty of credentials to go forward,” Charlton said.
“We haven’t tested her by any means. She has just gone through her trials. This was her first big test and she has stood up to it.
“We will see how she comes through the run as to whether we give her another run or tip her out now and she can have a nice period out before the spring where we can maybe aim a bit higher.”
