PONSONBY'S WILL TO EXCEL AT THE 'BOOL

FRIDAY: November 29, 2024: JAMES Ponsonby doesn’t lack a will to excel!

The experienced Hawkesbury horseman arrived back in Victoria this morning ready for another crack at the Jericho Cup on Sunday at Warrnambool with his hardy stayer Will To Excel.

It will be the fourth consecutive year Ponsonby has saddled the now nine-year-old gelding at the celebrated meeting, which was introduced in 2018 on the 100th anniversary of the first Jericho Cup.

Will To Excel for the third time will contest the $304,000 Jericho Cup to be run over 4600m, as a Benchmark 90 Handicap with a minimum weight of 65kg.

“We left Hawkesbury at 10 o’clock last night and drove through the night to reach Terang on Friday morning,” Ponsonby said.

“This time we have bought a stablemate with Will To Excel to keep him company.”

Will To Excel qualified for the Jericho Cup by bolting away with the 3200m Mountaineer Cup at Wagga on November 1.

He subsequently finished ninth to Queen Takes King (topweight with 70kg for Sunday’s race) in a Benchmark 78 Highweight (38600m) at The Valley on November 15.

“Will To Excel was a bit plain at The Valley,” Ponsonby said this morning.

“He followed the winner who bolted away from him, and then was in a melee on the home turn.

“We brought him back home the next day and he has freshened up nicely.

“Winona Costin galloped him for me at Hawkesbury on Monday morning, and gave him her tick of approval.

“Will To Excel is fit and well and has qualified for the Jericho Cup, so why not have another crack at it?

“I guess it’s something to do with never giving up.

“When he won the Mountaineer Cup at Dubbo, he ran faster time than when he won it three years ago.”

Will To Excel was a $5 chance when fifth in the 2021 Jericho Cup, then started at $26 when seventh the following year.

He did not make the “cut” last year, and started at $18 when a close fourth (beaten only one and a half lengths) in the Consolation.

Edward Keating rode him then, and has the Cup mount on Sunday.

This wonderful new addition to the Australian racing calendar arose to honour Bill The Bastard, the Australian Light Horsemen and their magnificent mounts The Walers (1914-1918).

Nearing the end of the First World War, the Australian Light Horse was planning a major offensive against the Turkish empire.

In order to lull the enemy into believing nothing unusual was afoot, a race meeting was organised on the eve of the assault, hence the Jericho Cup was born and run over three miles through the desert sands.

The winner was Bill The Bastard, regarded as Australia’s greatest war horse.