WHERE THERE'S A "WILL", THERE'S A WAY TO JERICHO CUP

MONDAY: June 2, 2025: WILL To Excel has already contested three Jericho Cups and a Consolation of the marathon Warrnambool feature as well.

And his Hawkesbury trainer James Ponsonby has another crack in mind with the “old boy” (he’s rising 10 years of age) later in the year following his victory under 61kg topweight at Warren today.

Riding for the first time for Ponsonby, Jake Pracey-Holmes got $26 chance ($51 was bet) Will To Excel home in the Stayers Benchmark 58 Handicap (2400m).

“My wife Keryn said Will To Excel is on the cusp of lining up at Warrnambool for the fifth year in a row,” Ponsonby said this evening en route home.

“We just have to wait six months.”

The Jericho Cup, introduced in 2018 and now run annually to honour both the first Jericho Cup winner Bill The Bastard (probably Australia’s greatest war horse) when it was staged on the desert sands of Gallipoli in 1918, and the Australian Light Horsemen and their magnificent mounts The Walers (1914-1918), will be held over approximately 4600m on November 30.

Ponsonby posted his 11th winner of the current season and career 60th since switching gait from the standardbreds to thoroughbreds.

He paid $8000 online for Will To Excel in April 2021 after he had won two races (at Quirindi and Mudgee), and has won a further five with him.

“He’s been a wonderful horse to us, and he’s still going strong,” Ponsonby said.

“Will To Excel had a break after racing at Bathurst just before Christmas, and resumed at that track on Anzac Day.

“The 1800m was too short for him, and he has continued to improve in his work.

“I took him to Warren because I knew the 2400m would suit him, and that he would get a solidly run race.

“He needs good tempo to be competitive.

“I gave him an each-way chance, and full credit to Jake (Pracey-Holmes) who never went around a horse in the run other than the runner-up in the straight.

“He was to have ridden Sonny Fella for me at Bathurst last Monday but the meeting was called off after four races were run.

“Mathew Cahill was unavailable, so it was only fair to get Jake to ride Will To Excel.”

Despite conceding 6kg to Joshua ($8), Ponsonby’s gelding proved the strongest stayer.

That pair had the finish to themselves with third placegetter Instead ($6) more than three lengths astern.

Will To Excel ran fifth in the 2021 Jericho Cup, seventh in 2022 and 13th last year, and fourth in the 2023 Consolation.

“I still have plenty of time to plan a program for this year’s Jericho Cup, but we might take him to Melbourne a bit earlier this time and try to win a 3200m lead-up (no not the Melbourne Cup),” Ponsonby said.

. Ponsonby kept the Hawkesbury roll of roughie winners in the last week going.

Mitch and Desiree Kearney (Hard Pick) and Terry Croft (Gilette) scored with $41 bolters at Hawkesbury and Canterbury last Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, and Blake Ryan won with debutante Nothing But Net at $31 at Goulburn last Friday.