Just Folk's spring targets under consideration
Trainer Gavin Bedggood is weighing up a couple of options for Just Folk at Caulfield as the gelding prepares for an early spring target.
Just Folk is among the nominations for the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at weight-for-age on Saturday, as well as a benchmark 100 handicap (1600m) carrying 62kg.
These races could serve as stepping stones to a probable start in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield on August 29, which signals the official commencement of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
The anticipated weather for Saturday appears to be ideal for Just Folk, who demonstrates a preference for wet conditions. When nominations closed on Monday, the track surface was recorded as a Heavy 9.
Out of Just Folk's ten wins from fifty-three starts, five have been on soft going. He also has a further nine placings from twenty-one attempts, with three of those victories on heavy ground and three podium finishes from nine outings.
"The forecast looks promising for him to get his preferred ground," Bedggood commented.
"He ran super in the Winter Championship, and he went up and ran second in Sydney, in a Stakes race."
"We just got beaten fair and square by a better horse on the day."
Just Folk concluded the Winter Championship Final (1600m) at Flemington on July 4 in third place, before achieving a second-place finish in the Winter Challenge (1500m) on July 18.
Now that Just Folk has turned ten, Bedggood expressed his enthusiasm for the $200,000 prize money on offer in the Heatherlie Stakes, suggesting that Just Folk would likely hold a fitness advantage over his rivals.
"I remember Dean Lester telling me, eight or nine years ago that the Heatherlie is a race that's always won by the horse that's come through winter, fit, and puts itself up on speed," Bedggood advised.
"I would think that that's his sort of race to be winning.It's the Caulfield Cup kick-off for a lot of horses, and hopefully, he can be Johnny on the spot."
"Looking at the forecast on Saturday, there's a chance it will be wet and the way Caulfield has been racing as well, it might suit him too."
Check out the racing betting markets for the PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield.
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