Australia: Wil John has been building up to two-mile handicap at Echuca Racecourse

Wil John, the 5-year-old Australian-bred gelding, has had a 2020 season geared toward a start in a two-mile handicap at Echuca Racecourse on Thursday.

In four races from mid-June to late August, Wil John has raced at increasingly longer distances. On Aug. 27 at Mornington, Wil John finished second by five lengths in a handicap at about 1 15/16 miles. Thursday’s race is a new distance for Wil John, but seems within a reasonable range for a runner who has won a respectable three races from 13 starts.

Trained by the partnership of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Wil John has one win this year – a handicap at about 1 1/2 miles at Geelong on July 31. Typical of his running style, Wil John closed from off the pace to win by about a head.

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Thursday’s race drew a field of 12 and is the fourth race on a seven-race program that begins at 11:30 p.m. Eastern, or 8:30 p.m. Pacific, on Wednesday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Wil John will be ridden by John Allen, who has been aboard for his last three starts. Wil John will carry 127.8 pounds, slightly less than topweight Jukila at 135.5 pounds or expected favorite Ascot Red at 129 pounds. They are all likely to be close in odds.

Jukila is trained and will be ridden by Michelle Payne, who won the 2015 Melbourne Cup on Prince of Penzance. Payne has ridden Jukila to wins in two of the gelding’s last three starts – a handicap at 1 1/2 miles at Geelong on June 21 and a handicap at 1 15/16 miles at Warrnambool on Aug. 6. In the latter race Jukila beat Ascot Red by 1 1/2 lengths.

Ascot Red followed that race with a 14-length win in a two-mile steeplechase at Ballarat on Aug. 23, ending a five-race losing streak since the same race in 2019. Ascot Red has switched between jump races and flat races in recent seasons, but is winless in seven flat races since August 2018.