HIGHCLASS Harry has continued his rapid progression through the grades for Bendigo trainer Josh Julius by notching a third-straight win.
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The six-year-old gelding again won plenty of admirers for a convincing front-running performance at Geelong on Friday, landing an impressive benchmark 64 victory over 1450m.
Heavily backed into $4.50, Highclass Harry made it a hat-trick of wins following back-to-back victories at Wodonga in July and August.
It continued a flourishing partnership between trainer Julius and apprentice rider Madison Lloyd, who has been aboard the son of Magnus and Fast Ruby for each of the three wins.
Julius could not be happier with the development of Highclass Harry, who has three wins and second from just four starts this preparation.
"He's always been a horse, who has shown enough ability - his family we have got to know well through my grandparents breeding him and the indirect line," he told broadcaster Racing.com.
"The horse needed a fair bit of maturity, but he's certainly reaping the rewards of that."
Equally as polished as Highclass Harry's effort was that of Lloyd, who continues to go from strength-to-strength in her young career, and earned lavish praise from the in-form galloper's trainer.
"I think I said (after the last win), I'd been trying to get Madi on for a while, she's a good kid and obviously still claims a couple (of kilograms)," Julius said.
"She's certainly at the start of a pretty good career and she has a lovely set of hands.
"I was told by a few trainers that when she rides them, she does it to a tee and exactly how you want them, and that's how she has ridden him in three starts.
"I certainly can't fault the way Madi is going about things with him."
The win again stamped Julius as one of the state's most in-form trainers, with three winners from just four runners in the new season.
The 31-year-old has produced six wins from his last 12 starters, dating back to Piscatorial's victory at Bendigo on July 3.
Another win by Highclass Harry continued a brilliant six days for Julius, who notched a win with Just Folk at Bendigo last Sunday, and collected a pair of wins this week at the Bendigo Trainers' Association horse of the year awards.
Piscatorial was named the top two-year-old, while Melbourne Cup hopeful Super Girl was crowned champion stayer.
Julius revealed Super Girl would have her first and only jump-out at Bendigo on Tuesday before her much-anticipated return to racing.
He said a fourth-up run in the Group 3 Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington on October 3 was an early target for the six-year-old mare.
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