Reigning Jericho Cup winner Farag is on track to go back-to-back in the $300,000 feature at Warrnambool on Sunday week.
Farag won a Geelong heat of the Jericho series last Friday over 3762 metres.
Trainer Aaron Purcell says the eight-year-old is in great shape.
“I’d say he’s going better this year than last year,” Purcell said. 
“It was a very good win at Geelong and I’m sure he’ll derive plenty out of that run. 
“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to (stable foreman) Kirsty McMahon for the improvement with Farag. She’s done a great job. Farag was too good last year and I’d say he’s going to be hard to beat again this year.”
Farag, who’ll be set for a jumps campaign in 2026, may not be Purcell’s only runner in this year’s Jericho Cup. 
The Warrnambool trainer recently bought The Claimant in an online auction and is hoping to sneak him into the final Jericho field.
“He picked up a couple of points for the Jericho with a placing in a heat on the Gold Coast,” he said. “We bought him with a jumps career in mind but thought we’d have a crack at the Jericho on the way through.
“If we don’t make the Jericho final we’ll have a crack at the consolation, which is a $60,000 race.”
Break time for Barbie
Handy Warrnambool mare Barbie’sdreamworld is heading to the spelling paddock following her third placing in last Saturday’s $200,000 Summoned Stakes at Caulfield. 
Trainer Peter Chow said the lightly raced four-year-old deserved a freshen-up.
“With a bit of luck she might have finished a bit closer,” Chow said. 
“I think we were forced to go a bit earlier than I would have liked but she was very brave. 
“She’s been running in career-best form. We’ll give her a break and look for a nice race in the autumn with her.”
Barbie’sdreamworld took her stake earnings to $221,575 with Saturday’s placing.
Mel branches out
Warrnambool jockey Melissa Julius has been granted a trainer’s licence and hopes to have her first runners within weeks.
Julius, 34, has ridden more than 210 winners including nine in the metropolitan area. She says she’s looking forward to the challenges of training.
“It’s a strange thing but I really never considered training until about 18 months ago,” she said. 
“I was helping out with the horses at my grandfather (Leo Dwyer’s) Illowa farm and I found I was enjoying feeding and looking after the horses. I found it a great release from race riding. 
“Horses have been in my blood all my life so I suppose it was the next progression. 
“I’ve got two horses in work and will be mixing training with race riding.”
Punters on top
Jack Hill and Will Gordon shared the riding honours at Dunkeld last Saturday with a double apiecee. 
Hill scored on Prophet’s Choice ($3.40) and Surfy Pete ($2.60 favourite), Gordon on Mere Morsel ($7.50) and Le Zebra ($3.50 favourite), the latter winning the Dunkeld Cup for Pakenham-based Kiwi expats Emma-Lee and David Browne. 
That made it a Dunkeld Cup double for the Brownes, who’d won last year’s event with Rhinoceros.
Mornington’s Matt Laurie took the training honours, winning with  Magnabelle Royale ($2.70 favourite) and Doubt In The Sky ($3.40). 
The bookies took a battering, with four favourites and two second favourites saluting, but fought back in the last with Aichi Icon ($17) springing a surprise for Kyneton trainer Neil Dyer.