Julius
Trish Dunell
Cambridge trainer John Bell is taking a relaxed approach when it comes to the immediate goals for Saturday's impressive Ellerslie winner, Julius.
The strapping Swiss Ace five-year-old registered his second win from three starts in this campaign when he strode clear to comfortably account for his rating 75 rivals over 1200 metres on the weekend. Bell was delighted with the ease of the win and the manner in which his charge has come through the race.
"The track was pretty firm so I was keen to see how he would pull up this morning," he explained when contacted on Sunday.
"He got home and ate everything we put in front of him last night and again this morning. He's out chilling out and waddling around his paddock now without a care in the world and looking for more to eat.
"He'd eat you out of house and home if he got the chance so luckily it was a nice race with good prizemoney on the weekend."
Bell was quick to pay tribute to rider Jason Waddell who was in the saddle on Saturday.
"Jason handled him beautifully," he said.
"He made a decision to go forward from an awkward gate and had him handy to the pace throughout. When he asked him to go he put in a couple of big bounds which pushed him clear and then he was very kind to him in the run to the line."
Bell was keen to line-up his charge at Ellerslie again on Karaka Million night (29th January) but those plans have been thwarted by the lack of a suitable option.
"I was keen on taking him back to Ellerslie but there isn't a race for him at their next meeting which is Karaka Million night," he said.
"I want to keep him to a sprint trip this campaign although next year he will most likely step up to a mile. He's still got plenty to learn as he's still a bit clumsy and green but when he fully matures he will be some horse. – NZ Racing Desk
The strapping Swiss Ace five-year-old registered his second win from three starts in this campaign when he strode clear to comfortably account for his rating 75 rivals over 1200 metres on the weekend. Bell was delighted with the ease of the win and the manner in which his charge has come through the race.
"The track was pretty firm so I was keen to see how he would pull up this morning," he explained when contacted on Sunday.
"He got home and ate everything we put in front of him last night and again this morning. He's out chilling out and waddling around his paddock now without a care in the world and looking for more to eat.
"He'd eat you out of house and home if he got the chance so luckily it was a nice race with good prizemoney on the weekend."
Bell was quick to pay tribute to rider Jason Waddell who was in the saddle on Saturday.
"Jason handled him beautifully," he said.
"He made a decision to go forward from an awkward gate and had him handy to the pace throughout. When he asked him to go he put in a couple of big bounds which pushed him clear and then he was very kind to him in the run to the line."
Bell was keen to line-up his charge at Ellerslie again on Karaka Million night (29th January) but those plans have been thwarted by the lack of a suitable option.
"I was keen on taking him back to Ellerslie but there isn't a race for him at their next meeting which is Karaka Million night," he said.
"I want to keep him to a sprint trip this campaign although next year he will most likely step up to a mile. He's still got plenty to learn as he's still a bit clumsy and green but when he fully matures he will be some horse. – NZ Racing Desk
