Which circumstances make one favour track better than another in Caylus?
The real (and boring) answer is: it's going to vary, depending on the specific circumstances of the game you're playing.

My answer: the victory point track is very strong, and a good default option.  The build track is also extremely strong, as can be guessed from the fact that you don't even get a bonus the first time you move on it!  The money track is not so great, but sometimes it's exactly what you need if you're finding it hard to get funds any other way.  In my personal experience, the goods track is the weakest.  It's usually possible to get goods through normal actions, and the gold at the top end of the track is less good than just getting 5 victory points... unless you've set up a bunch of exciting things to spend your gold on.  But that seems like a lot of extra hoops to jump through.

Other people's mileage may vary, naturally!