Bendigo trainer Josh Julius had 24 hours to remember when he prepared two debut winners in the space of 24 hours at Bendigo and Echuca last week.
The first — and the maiden two-year-old winner of the trainer’s career — came on his home circuit last Friday in wet conditions when Piscatorial, a grey daughter of Zebedee, let down over the top of her 13 rivals to score. 
“From the start she’s always had a really good nature,” Julius said. 
“She’s always copped whatever work I threw her way and, more importantly, has always been competitive doing anything … even trotting, cantering around home, she’s always wanted her head out in front.”
Punters didn’t see the win coming, allowing the filly to start a $26 chance after opening at $13. 
They didn’t catch on the following day either, with Julius sneaking up to Echuca to put the saddle on Just Folk at odds of $13.
Showing little early speed, the son of Magnus leapt out of the ground from last to nail runner-up Villa Villekulla on the post in an eye-catching performance. 
Just Folk was bred by (and races in the silks of) Julius’s relatives the Dwyer family.
He is out of a half-sister to Tears I Cry, whom Julius strapped to win the 2007 Emirates Stakes for Ciaron Maher at $101.
He looks to have a bright future, with Julius predicting the horse could contest a city race before turning four. Piscatorial, meanwhile, may be spelled ahead of a spring three-year-old campaign.
In other stable news, Super Girl has returned to work and will be aimed at The Bart Cummings in hope of gaining a Melbourne Cup start.
Reard roars from the back
While his backers would have been hopeful Jarrod Robinson’s $4.40 chance Reard would greet the judge in first placing in the final race at Warracknabeal on Monday, many would have lost faith when the noted front-runner missed the start and settled last.
“We’ve been working on trying to get him to settle, but I didn’t expect him to do that,” his trainer admitted to Racing.com post-race.
Reard caught the eyes of many winning at Ballarat last September by 5½ lengths. The son of Reward for Effort had seven months between runs after that, resuming with a placing at Swan Hill then running fourth at Pakenham, where he pulled up sore.
He had a quiet jumpout last week.
Rhys McLeod, riding the rising four-year-old for the first time, swung widest in the straight and Reard let down strongly for a dominant 2½-length win from fellow Bendigo galloper Royal Tyke, trained by Kym Hann.
Reard, who was passed in as a yearling on $30,000, has now won two of his five starts for earnings of $33,325.
So close …
The shiraz and black silks of Shaun Dwyer’s ownership group, made most famous by Anudjawun, have a knack for landing on a nice New Zealand stayer.
Last Friday at his home track Dwyer came close to a red-letter day but walked away with two narrow seconds. 
Chilula (by Redwood) can be hard to catch but was back to something like her best while Lunchtime Red lived up to a nice debut and looks to have a future.
The ownership group also has a Dundeel filly named Ahika who is worth following.
Tatunka to town
The region’s most in-form galloper, Tatunka, will go looking for a fourth straight win at Caulfield on Saturday when Bob Donat’s stable star takes his place over 1400 metres.
Kym Hann is also expected to feature at the Heath, saddling up his impressive recent Swan Hill debut winner Big Boy’s Girl.
Shane Fliedner’s Hi Stranger put in his usual honest effort at Flemington in the Victorian Sprint Series Final last Saturday and has now been sent to the spelling paddock.
Hi Stranger weighed in at all five outings this preparation, with a Caulfield victory and two Flemington seconds.
Down to the wire
As the 2019/20 season enters its final weeks, the Bendigo trainers’ premiership is shaping up as an interesting battle. Kym Hann currently leads on nine wins but a double from Josh Julius and a win from Jarrod Robinson in the last week has both stables within one win of Hann.
The strike-rate battle currently has Bob Donat leading on 19 per cent with Hann and Julius in pursuit. 
It’s sure to make for an interesting run to the line, with the Horse of the Year title presumably wrapped up months ago by Miss Leonidas.