Australia: Wild Planet showing signs of life

The 2022 season did not go very well in Australia for Wild Planet.

A five-time stakes winner from 2018 to 2020, Wild Planet was winless in 10 starts, often racing in group-level competition.

A fifth-place finish in his comeback last month may be deceiving. The loss may have added to the losing streak, but Wild Planet closed with some interest to lose by 3 1/2 lengths in the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes at six furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse on April 15. The distance was arguably too short for his best effort.

The theory will be tested when Wild Planet has his 35th career start in the $135,000 Scone Cup at a mile at Scone Racecourse on Thursday evening. Wild Planet will be closing and will need a clean trip in a full field of 16 to win for the first time in 15 starts since the Moonga Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse in October 2020.

As of early Wednesday, Wild Planet was 6-1 in the Scone Cup, a race with long-term ramifications. The winner gains a berth in the Big Dance Stakes at Randwick in November.

Wild Planet will be in pursuit of Banju, who won the Tamworth Cup at seven furlongs on April 21 for his fourth win in his last five starts. Banju, who is quick enough to lead but tends to race as a stalker, was the 7-2 favorite on Wednesday.

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The one-mile distance is ideal for the cleverly named Jojo Was a Man, who is out of the mare Jo Jo Girl. The winner of 7 of 23 starts, Jojo Was a Man was third by slightly more than 2 1/4 lengths in the Hawkesbury Cup at a mile on April 22 after a wide trip.

Jojo Was a Man is winless in his last three starts but did win consecutive races at a mile on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve in December.

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

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