Racing: Defending Railway champ Julius still a chance at Ellerslie despite setbacks

Julius was the winner of the last Railway Stakes. Photo / Trish Dunell

Trainer John Bell hasn't given up on Julius defending his Railway title at Ellerslie this Friday even after a series of setbacks.

The muscular nine-year-old will go into Friday's Group 1 of the back of an eighth at Te Rapa last start, his worst career placing in 20 starts and only the second time he has finished out of the top four.

Making the road to Ellerslie even bumpier is fact trainer Bell is up to his fifth recent rider for Julius after the now-disqualified Jason Waddell, Vinnie Colgan, Andrew Calder and then Chad Ormsby, who was booked for the Railway but has been suspended.

That sees the in-form Michael McNab jump on the big boy and he will ride Julius in track work this morning.

So can a nine-year-old who hasn't won a race since the Railway last year, with a new jockey and up against exceptional mares Levante and Avantage, still win the great race?

"Of course he can," says Bell.

"I am very happy with him and forget he even went around at Te Rapa because he hated being down on the inside.

"Because he didn't really have a race there we had an exhibition gallop between races at Matamata last week and he went his last 600m in 33.5 seconds.

"So he is spot on and we are lucky to get Michael after losing Chad to suspension, which was a real shame."

Julius is still rated the $10 fourth favourite for the Railway before Tuesday's barrier draw and Bell says what may seem a bad barrier to others would suit his stable star.

"I don't want him drawn inside barrier six or seven. He needs to be out wider where he can get racing room."

The same could apply to Railway favourite Levante, who co-trainer Ken Kelso admits he could prefer a midfield barrier rather than something close to the rail because the sensational last-start winner can be slow away.

Kelso is happy with the mare's progress since her comeback win at Counties, as she beat stunning Saturday winner Entriviere in a December 14 trial.

"She is where she needs to be," says Kelso.

The rider swapping in the Railway continues with Opie Bosson back on Avantage after Danielle Johnson rode that mare through the spring, with Johnson securing the ride on Spring Heat.

Johnson is one-from-one on Spring Heat, having won the Kings Plate on her at Ellerslie last February and the Australian-bred mare is one of three now guaranteed a start in the race for trainers Andrew Scott and Lance O'Sullivan.

Meanwhile, trainer Shaune Ritchie will wait to see how the handicapper rates Swords Drawn's win at Ellerslie on Saturday before he knows his next move with the enigmatic stayer.

Swords Drawn surged from near last to win his Dunstan Feeds qualifier for Ritchie and training partner Colm Murray but heading into the race sat 26th in the order of entry for this Friday's Auckland Cup.

Ritchie is hoping for five or six rating points to get Swords Drawn into the Cup, where Sam Weatherley would ride on the 53kgs minimum.

"If he gets in he will start there otherwise we will go to the Dunstan Final and maybe look for an apprentice to give him some weight relief," says Ritchie.

RAILWAY MARKET (pre-draw)

$2.50: Levante
$3.20: Avantage
$7.50: Summer Passage
$10: Julius, Spring Heat
$18: Pretty To Sea
$26 or longer: The rest