Just Folk will attempt to win the Group 1 Doncaster Mile at his second try, following his dominant victory in the Group 3 Doncaster Prelude at Rosehill on Tuesday afternoon.
The Gavin Bedggood-trained gelding competed in the Group 1 classic in 2022 when he finished 13th of 20, and he will return to the same contest in much better form in 2025.
The son of Magnus jumped as a +1300 outsider with horse racing bookmakers, and after leaving the barriers quickly, Tommy Berry took up the lead with relative ease, ahead of Willaidow (+550) and Glint Of Silver (+3300).
Heading down the side, Berry still had a stranglehold on the eventual winner, and they had their rivals off the bit, struggling to chase.
Turning for home, Just Folk moved off the rail and gave a strong kick to take a two-length lead over New Endeavour (+360).
New Endeavour continued to whack away, and Ducasse (+450) ran on strongly from midfield, but they were no match for Just Folk, who claimed a 1.2-length win and secured his spot in the Doncaster Mile.
Gavin Bedggood was on course to speak about the win post-race.
“He loves a working holiday, and we just try and follow the weather with him. He’s been a great horse to use and I think that ticks him over a million dollars since we’ve had him. It is great,” Bedggood said.
“We lost Nash Rawiller today because we had him down to run in the Ajax a couple of weeks ago, and the rain didn’t come so we decided not to accept, and that probably cost him riding this race.
“We wanted him to ride today but he chose another horse which was fine but we got an in form rider which was Tommy Berry which was a good result.
“When that horse begins like that and wins the gates, he really gets into the groove and rolls along.
“It makes very heavy weather for those chasing.
“We’ll accept for the Doncaster and see how the weather plays out and make a call on Saturday.”
Tommy Berry picked up his first win of the day at Rosehill aboard Just Folk.
“He flopped around in the gates and sometimes older horses need a wake up so I did that before we went in and he flew the gates and thought I’d ride him like an older horse – tough and hard – and I know Nash usually rides him,” Berry said.
“I had to bring out the inner Nash in me and he was too tough today.
“I felt that if I could drag the sprint out of them because he doesn’t have a lot of change up speed from what I have been told so I didn’t leave a lot of change up speed there.
“He was a deserved winner and did it at both ends.”
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