Plans for the Josh Julius-trained five-year-old to contest this weekend's Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington have been put on ice after last year's Crystal Mile winner developed an unwelcome foot abscess on the weekend.

Just Folk was an early $26 chance for the Blamey Stakes in markets released on Tuesday.

The winner of the race is guaranteed an All-Star Mile wildcard for the March 19 feature - the world's richest mile race.

Bendigo trainer Julius described the timing of the abscess as unfortunate.

"Not that we had to back off him completely, but he just missed a pivotal gallop and it was enough where I just wasn't going to be comfortable heading to the Blamey third-up, three weeks between runs and up to a mile," he said.

Read more: All-Star Mile dream 'far from over', says Bendigo trainer Josh Julius

"Obviously going into those races you need everything to be in order.

"So, we'll head back a week and aim for a race a week later.

"Unfortunately that means we miss our chance to win and you are in (the All-Star Mile), but it's ended up a very strong race, so he definitely would have to have been on his A-game.

"Just missing that work last week, it couldn't have come at a worse time for us."

With the Blamey Stakes now out of the equation, Julius is already casting his eyes forward for future autumn targets, with the $3m Group 1 Doncaster Handicap at Randwick on April 2 emerging as a potential scenario for the son of Magnus and Fast Ruby.

Shorter-term, the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (1400m) at Flemington or Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill, both on March 12, are the options for Just Folk.

The Ajax offers its winner a ballot and penalty-free run in the Doncaster, where Just Folk would carry the luxury weight of 50kg.

With wild weather drenching much of New South Wales over the past week, Julius is heavily leaning towards a trip north to Sydney.

Planning is already advanced, with Just Folk galloping in the clockwise NSW direction on Wednesday morning.

"He's a horse who likes his toe in the ground and with plenty of moisture up there in Sydney at the moment it's the obvious choice," Julius said.

"We've also got him nommed in the Doncaster and the Ajax carries that ballot and a penalty-free exemption into that.

"Whilst we are not in the race we aimed for, being the Blamey, we still have plenty of options for us going forward into the remainder of the Melbourne autumn and starting to wind up the Sydney autumn.

"Not all is lost that is for sure.

"The other benefit of coming away from the Blameys and what not is he gets the chance to be back in handicap conditions again, although he's rated 100 and he's higher in those weights than he's used to being.

"But he gets his chance to season himself against those Group 2 and Group 3-type horses.

"Hopefully in the long term he can develop into one of those weight-for-age horses and we're one of those seasoned Group horses."

Julius remains stoked with Just Folk's progress this preparation, with his two runs producing a solid eighth in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in January and a sound seventh in the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) last month at Caulfield, where he finished just three-lengths from the winner.

"They were huge. We went away from the Australia Stakes and obviously Marabi was quite dominant," he said.

"Driving home we were saying if Marabi happened to come out and win a (Group 1) Oakleigh Plate, we'd be pretty chuffed, knowing where we finished behind her and in the worst part of the track and arguably getting in a hip and shoulder duel. We could have finished closer.

"Then obviously second up we finished behind I'm Thunderstruck, who's looked quite unlucky in a Futurity, getting bottled in amongst horses.

"We certainly believe we had some improvement in us condition-wise and probably do after another run.

"The fact the horses he has been racing against have all been progressing has certainly enhanced our thoughts about heading towards these types of races."

Just Folk's career highlight to date arrived last October when he won the $300,000 Group 2 Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley on W.S. Cox Plate Day.

He has won five races and been placed three times in 18 career starts for earnings of $393,938.

Meanwhile, Julius will unveil a stable newcomer Parisian Veil at Kyneton on Thursday.

The three-year-old filly, by Fiorente, was formerly trained by Lindsey Smith at Warrnambool and has had three career starts, the last of which was at Hamilton in November.

"She arrived at the stable quite fizzy and quite hot, but has really enjoyed our system and she's learned to relax a little bit," Julius said.

"She's trialling okay, hopefully, there's a maiden for her around the corner one day soon and we can raise the bar for her."

Read more: Group 2 success still surreal, says Julius

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