With two big races on the calendar at Bendigo each year, the aim for any local trainer is to try and capture one of the those prizes.
Josh Julius has his eyes on the Listed Golden Mile (1600m) at Bendigo on Saturday with Just Folk, the horse that provided him with his biggest wins in racing, the Group 2 Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley in 2021 and last year the Group 2 Ajax Stakes at Rosehill.
Julius contemplated a return to Sydney for last Saturday’s Group 3 Doncaster Prelude at Rosehill, but reasoned he was better staying home with Just Folk to concentrate on Saturday’s race.
Just Folk had a delayed start to his autumn campaign after Julius pushed on in the spring to take a shot at The Gong at Kembla Grange in November.
It resulted in Julius not nominating Just Folk for the All-Star Mile or Doncaster Mile.
“I didn’t want to be tempted because if I ended up in any of those races, they would have been an afterthought,” Julius said.
“I wasn’t aiming towards them, and I wouldn’t have time to get him ready after committing to being in work through most of November instead of going out early in November.
“The Doncaster Prelude last Saturday was a consideration, but the summer rain wasn’t around, the tracks have been good.
“The field sizes have been bigger and stronger than last year, mainly because of those better tracks.
“So, it was an easy decision not to go to the Doncaster Prelude given there is a race in our own backyard worth the same prize money a week later.
“And with the way the Victorian weather is, hopefully we get a bit of luck with the track in that regard.
“If we were to be getting a good track, we would prefer that to be at Bendigo rather than travelling all the way to Sydney.”
Just Folk has had one run back from his summer break, finishing fourth to Scallopini in the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (1400m) at Flemington on March 11.
Julius said the gelding bounced out of the run and he was pleased with Just Folk’s gallop on Tuesday.
“That was the first time we’ve had him at 1400 metres first-up, but we had him pretty fit,” Julius said.
“He bounced out of it, and he has always impressed me with that three week between runs.”
Saturday’s performance will determine where Just Folk heads.
Options include in the Group 3 R A Lee Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on May 20 or the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on May 6 ahead of the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) two weeks later.