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By Ray Hickson

Connections of noted wet tracker Just Folk seem to get it right more often than not when they come to Sydney and trainer Gavin Bedggood says the evergreen galloper arrives at Rosehill on Saturday at his peak.

The nine-year-old has been on the comeback trail following a year off the scene and Bedggood would like to think there’s a sense of timing about him going into the Listed $200,000 Toyota Forklifts Winter Challenge (1500m).

Just Folk’s wet track credentials in NSW are well exposed and Thursday night's rain only added to the trainer's anticipation.

He won the Doncaster Prelude in 2025 on a wet Rosehill and is also a Hawkesbury Cup winner, and prior to Bedggood picking the horse he’d won an Ajax Stakes on a heavy track and chased Cascadian home in a Craven Plate.

Trainer Gavin Bedggood (Pic: Bradley Photos).

“The rain that was forecast was nothing quite like what they got so I was pleasantly surprised,’’ Bedggood said.

“He’s taken a little bit longer to get fit this preparation. He’s a year older and had 12 months off the scene.

“Normally his best run is third-up but I thought this preparation it would be fourth-up and this has been a target race since his kick off point.

“I said to the owners I thought this would be when we’d see him at his best and I thought he put the writing on the wall last start.”

The gelding, $15 with TAB on Friday, has improved with each run from his extended break and Bedggood said he felt all the signs were positive in his Winter Championship placing at Flemington two weeks ago.

He took up his customary role in front and was run down in the closing stages by Detonator Jack and Freedom Rally to be beaten a length.

“I thought he was gallant in defeat, a furlong out I thought he was the winner,’’ he said.

“He ran really well with good improvement to come out of it.

“His first run looked average on paper but it was a brutally run race, second-up was probably similar but he halved his beaten margin and he was gallant third-up.

“So I think he’ll be at his peak and if he gets the right run in transit and the right conditions the rest will take care of itself.”

Chad Schofield rides Just Folk and Bedggood said how the early stages of the race unfolds will be vital to his chances given he’s drawn just to the outside of noted front-runners Cool Jakey and Whinchat.

“He’s been given no favours by the barrier and there looks to be some pressure in the race but heavy ground brings him into contention,’’ he said.

“It’s a fair start, we know how our horse races and we won’t be riding him any differently.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting