Trainer Joshua Julius felt that he had options aplenty after Just Folk was edged out by Bartholomeu Dias on the Listed Furphy Plate over 1800 metres at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, and he has
chosen to go with the richer among them.
Julius bypassed last Saturday’s Listed Cranbourne Cup and is doing the same this Saturday’s Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) – both of $500,000 – to cross the border towards Kembla Grange for the $1 million The Gong over a mile, with the race distance and direction tipping the balance.
“He’s had two good runs over 1800 (metres) and you’d expect the 2000 is where he’d probably be at now,” Julius told RSN.
“There’s obviously a big carrot there but the swaying the decision is that everyone who rides him seems to think that he prefers going the NSW (clockwise) direction.
“So, we’ll head up there and have a crack at The Gong.”
With four second placings across the gelding’s last five starts, among them three at listed level and one at Group 3 across Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, there is no black type here but still a potentially rich payday for The Gong’s equal topweight.
“It is obviously going to be a competitive race but he seems to enjoy the trips away. Whether you go to Adelaide or Sydney he seems to thrive off it.”
While banking on drying conditions for Saturday’s meeting, Julius concedes that Just Folk being able to “get his toe in the ground” is more of an advantage and echoed by Racing & Sports analyst Trent Crebbin.
“He is racing very well but does have to concede the entire field weight as he did last start at Flemington,” Crebbin said.
“The main query with Just Folk is the firm track. We’re likely to be on a Good 3 by this point and he’s much better with give in the ground.
“If he got conditions to suit he’d be close to a single figure chance but on a firm track there are a few with better chances in a wide open race.”
Julius adds that Just Folk has had four attempts in Group 1 races and that his best two runs among them have been on Good 3 tracks.
“He’s not just a wet tracker but obviously a wet track does bring a few back to him,” Julius adds.
“But it doesn’t matter where we produce him he always gives a good account of himself.”
With Hugh Bowman aboard Just Folk notched the fastest last 200 metres in the Furphy Plate on 1 November but for this start, Jarrod Fry will reunite on Saturday.
Just Folk is rated a $26 chance in TAB’s market for The Gong with the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Old Flame the favourite at $6.
It will be a busy day for Julius’ small stable from Bendigo with runners also entered at Tatura and Penshurst.
