The feature jumps races at Warrnambool are likely to come around too soon for Wil John but the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained galloper could still be a player at the May Carnival.
Wil John will make his long-awaited return to racing when he steps out in the VOBIS Gold Heath (2100m) at Sandown on Saturday.
The gelding has not raced since winning the Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool, in November 2021, Australia’s longest flat race.
With an unbeaten record over jumps, Maher and Eustace have thought of Wil John as the ideal candidate for Australia’s longest race, the Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) at Warrnambool, but that will need to wait another year.
Eustace said the Listed Warrnambool Cup (2350m) on May 4, the day the Grand Annual Steeplechase is run, could be on the agenda for Wil John after Saturday’s return.
Wil John has been given a thorough grounding for his return and Eustace said he was pleasing the stable ahead of his return.
“It takes that length of time to come back,” Eustace said of the 17 months since Wil John last raced.
“But he’s going quite nicely at home and is a horse that stays very well and at some stage down the track will be a jumper again.
“Most of those stayers are the ones that get those tendon injuries. There’s not too many of those short, sharp types that get tendons as it’s more of a fatigue injury.
“He won’t be having a couple of runs and then having a break. We’ll race him on and get him out to a trip and then hopefully get him back over the sticks.”
Wil John won a maiden hurdle during the 2021 Warrnambool May Carnival and later went on to win another hurdle at Warrnambool before leading throughout to win the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown in August.
He is also an accomplished flat performer, and in the lead-up to his Jericho Cup success defeated Smokin’ Romans, who started favourite in last year’s Caulfield Cup, in a 2400m race at Caulfield.
