Just Fine doing just fine in 2023

Transitioning from the UK to Australia is never easy for horses, with changes in training and racing environment, often having an impact on how a horse runs.

However, former Royal horse Just Fine has been a revelation so far this season, with many betting sites forced to stand up and take note. 

Having the pressure of being a Royal horse is often very overwhelming for both owners and trainers in the UK and whilst Just Fine was able to deliver a first winner for King Charles in October 2022, it appears to have fully found its calling in Australia.

Three wins on the spin at Royal Randwick have caught the eye with many punters and Aussie bookmakers and the future looks very bright for this promising 5-year-old.

Doing Just Fine

Having been acquired by the prolific training duo of Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott in the 2022/23 off-season, Just Fine was always expected to perform in Australia.

However, from Whitehouse’s own admission, very few horses make an instant adaptation to life in Australia but Just Fine has managed to do just that.

The 5-year-old is based at Royal Randwick and has raced impressively there, winning 3 of its 4 starts in Group 3 races.

Consistency in the winning enclosure is what both Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott and the major Australian betting sites want to see and Just Fine appears to be stringing some decent form together.

The Metropolitan next?

New South Wales racing is very much heading towards its crucial point of the season, with contests at Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick populating the Australian betting calendar.

Few races in Australia attract the attention the Metropolitan does with domestic and international betting sites alike and Just Fine is the comfortable market leader for the contest on Saturday 30th September.

Impressive showings over the 1600m to 2000m mark have left most punters in no doubt as to the credentials of Just Fine and it is a horse that clearly enjoys the racing environment at Royal Randwick.

Competition comes from the likes of Hoo Ya Mal and Benaud, horses coming from strong stock but currently, Just Fine is the runaway favourite to clinch glory in the 2023 Metropolitan.

Melbourne Cup claims

The hysteria over the claims of every horse in the build up to the Melbourne Cup in early November can sometimes be tiresome but the feeling within the Aussie racing fraternity is that Just Fine could be one to watch in 2023.

Most major betting apps are getting fully on board with Vauban, the Willie Mullins trained speedster that looks to have been primed for this race for years – as Mullins looks to break his well-documented Flemington duck.

However, as every punter knows all too well, the Melbourne Cup truly is a race like no other, with the occasion and atmosphere at Flemington a serious hurdle that horses and connections must overcome.

Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott are two of the savviest operators in Australian racing and by declaring Just Fine for the 2023 Melbourne Cup, they must feel it is within his remit to run well under the testing conditions.

Regardless of where Just Fine ends up, it has been a very promising start to the 2023 season, and it looks to be a horse that is set to have a big future in Australia.

Former Royal Horse Just Fine created a bit of a stir with some of the major online betting sites in Australia, picking up three consecutive wins at Royal Randwick to surge into Metropolitan contention.

As the heavy favourite for the Metropolitan at the end of September and a Melbourne Cup declaration, it could be a season to remember for Just Fine.