Australia: The streaking Wisaka goes long at Sandown

The Australian gelding Wisaka is in the midst of the best form of his career and needs to be to continue that success on Wednesday.

After winning once in 16 starts, Wisaka won consecutive races for the first time in handicaps at 1 1/4 miles and 1 5/16 miles in June and July. Wisaka has yet to win at 1 1/2 miles in four starts, a losing streak that could end in a competitive race at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Wisaka was tried in races at 1 1/2 miles earlier in his career, but some of those starts were in stakes where he started as a longshot.

To win for the third time this year, Wisaka must beat a field of eight that includes the proven stayers Royal Crown, who is taking a drop in class from a recent state-bred race, and Bell Ex One, a recent import from Europe who has not started since a third-place finish in a race over hurdles at Cheltenham, England, in March.

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Wisaka, 5, was second in his most recent start at 1 1/2 miles, closing from sixth in a field of 11 and losing by 3 1/4 lengths to Rudhyar at Sandown on July 20. In June 2021, Wisaka closed from off the pace and lost a handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Sandown by a nose.

Royal Crown was second by 3 1/4 lengths to the Group 1-placed Teewaters in the $121,000 Stayers Stakes at 1 1/2 miles at Caulfield Racecourse on July 23 for horses bred in the Australian state of Victoria.

Bell Ex One will have his Australia debut for trainer Craig Thornton at Sandown. Previously based in England with noted jumps trainer Paul Nicholls, Bell Ex One, 4, was third in the Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at about two miles at Cheltenham in March, losing by 1 1/2 lengths at 28-1.

As recently as last August, Bell Ex One was successful on the flat in Ireland, winning a minor handicap at 1 3/4 miles at Galway when trained by Ray Cody. Bell Ex One has won 2 of 14 starts in flat races on turf in his career.

Sandown has an eight-race program beginning at 10:25 p.m. Eastern or 7:25 p.m. Pacific on Tuesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.