He might be rising eight with 29 stakes races on his resume, but the Magnus gelding Just Folk has never been in better form.
Ridden by Nash Rawiller, the Gavin Bedggood-trained gelding relished the soft track at Eagle Farm to register his fifth Group success in Saturday's Group III Sky Racing Lord Mayor's Cup (1800).
Making all the running, Just Folk defeated the 5-year-old Frankel gelding Converge by one and a half lengths, with the 4-year-old Territories (IRE) gelding Territory Express a half-length back in third.
With wins in the Group II MVRC Schweppes Crystal Mile, Group II ATC Ajax Stakes, Group III MRC Eclipse Stakes, and Group III HRC Hawkesbury Gold Cup, Just Folk advances his record to eight wins, eight seconds and four thirds from 41 starts with earnings of $1,283,603.
Trained initially by Josh Julius, Just Folk was a $199,000 purchase for Gavin Bedggood Racing/Mailbag Bloodstock on Inglis Digital in July 2023.
“He’s had a great campaign, and he’ll go to the paddock off that today,” Bedggood said
“He’s qualified for The Big Dance next preparation, and that will be our target.
“He just stole the race, really. 12.9, 12.6, he controlled the race and it was a realy good watch. It makes it pretty easy when you can get away with sectionals like that.”
“We mapped out a campaign months ago, and there was the temptation to go to a Doomben Cup after he ran so well in the Hollindale, but this was the game plan, and we’ve stuck to it. It has been a fruitful preparation for everybody.”
Bred by Leo Dwyer, Just Folk is the best of two winners from three to race out of the unraced Desert Sun (GB) mare Fast Ruby, a half-sister to Group 1 Emirates Stakes winner Tears I Cry.
Dwyer acquired Fast Ruby's dam Cassazione (Salieri) for $4000 at the 1998 Inglis July Mixed Sale.
A granddaughter of the 1990 Group 1 VRC Oaks heroine Weekend Delight (Racing Is Fun), Fast Ruby has a 2-year-old sister and a weanling sister to Just Folk and was covered by Nicconi last spring.
