Bendigo Cup Preview

The Bendigo Cup is a listed open handicap race that takes place midweek on a Wednesday at Epsom racecourse in Bendigo in October during the Melbourne spring racing carnival. The race is run over a distance of 2400 metres and worth $200,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 Bendigo Cup was won by Tanby from At First Sight with Western Symbol third.

The Bendigo Jockey Club is located in the rural city of Bendigo which is about 150kms north-west of Melbourne and racing takes place at Epsom racecourse.

Bendigo Cup info
Date:	Wednesday 31st October 2012
Track:	Epsom racecourse, Bendigo
Distance:	2400 metres
Race Type:	Open Handicap
Status:	Listed
Prizemoney:	$200,000
2011 Winner:	Tanby

The Bendigo Cup brings a carnival like atmosphere to the Western District area and the city of Bendigo comes alive on Cup day to celebrate the running of their major cup for the year with local holidays and many festivities.

With the date change from mid November to late October in 2009 the Bendigo Cup now provides a good lead-up race to the Melbourne Cup the following Tuesday at Flemington and for 2011 & 2012 the race will be run over 2400m rather than 2200m to make it a more attractive proposition for those horses being aimed at our most famous race on the first Tuesday in November.

Tanby (2011) finished runner-up in the Gr3 Geelong Cup over 2400m at Geelong prior to winning this race and recent Bendigo Cup winners include Dream Pedlar (2010) and Zupacool (2009).

Spring Carnival Guide
Up until 2008 the race was held in November, which was a couple of weeks after the Melbourne carnival ends. With with the race being moved to the Wednesday prior to the Melbourne Cup in 2009 it may start to provide some kind of guide to our greatest race in future years.

Traditionally the Bendigo Cup has attracted handy country type stayers who will most likely continue on the country cup circuit and may go on to the other main western districts race, the Ballarat Cup in mid November. With the change of date, some horses may go on and tackle a race like the Sandown Classic in November.

My Bentley (2nd in 2010) went on to win the Ballarat Cup in November after running second in the Bendigo Cup.

Bendigo Cup Day Information
Gates Open: 10am
Admission: Adult $25
Concessions: $20
Child: Free
Pensioner: $20

Bendigo Jockey Club
Heinz Street (PO Box 108)
White Hills
Bendigo Vic 3551
Tel: 03 5448 4209

Bendigo Track Map
Bendigo race track has a circumference of 1884m and provides horses with ample time to get settled with most starts having good runs before having to negotiate the first turn. The track itself is quite roomy and with a long straight length of 400m it gives horses every chance in the run to the line.

2011 Bendigo Cup result
11. $4.00 Tanby 54.0 S King
2. $3.00 At First Sight 58.0 N Hall
3. $10.00 Western Symbol 53.0 K McEvoy

then followed
4. $10.00 Boom ’N’ Zoom 54.5 C Newitt
5. $19.00 Olympic Win 53.0 C Symons
6. $20.00 Back In Black 53.5 D Nikolic
7. $81.00 Sunset Cafe 53.0 S Baster
8. $11.00 Sahara Sun 56.0 D Dunn
9. $16.00 Dream Pedlar 56.0 C Williams
10. $31.00 Innocent Lady 53.5 J Winks
11. $41.00 Two For Tea 53.0 M Walker
12. $13.00 Cosmonaut 53.0 L Nolen

Margins: 1.75 len, 1.25 len
Time: 2:28.72

Bendigo Cup recent winners & placegetters
Year	Winner	2nd	3rd	Time
2011	Tanby	At First Sight	Western Symbol	2:28.7
2010	Dream Pedlar	My Bentley	Zauberin	2:18.2
2009	Zupacool	Crossthestart	Daka's Gem	2:15.0
2008	Banana Man	Imvula	Butwaittheresmore	2.28:8
2007	Captious	Hoodlum	On a Jeune	2:31.9
2006	Gallic	Brindabella	Home Sweet	2.31.9
2005	True Courser	Belzain	Garidar	2:30.3
2004	Gallic	Jakodae	Diamond Jake	2:32.5
2003	Western Waters	Chairmans Choice	Mr Prudent	2:28.3
2002	Forlorna (Ire.)	Fearless Sophie	Time Off	2:31.3
2001	Saboteur	Betta Watch It	Never Dull	2:28.3
2000	Yammer	Western Outlaw	Jamestown	2:34.4
1999	Majestic Avenue	Jamestown	Bohemiath	2:28.3
1998	Meeting Abandoned
1997	Napier Street	My Satorial	Northern Embossing	2:31.2
1996	Cockade	Sovereign Lira	The Red Man	2:33.4
1995	Double Take	Broann	Toil	2:28.3
1994	Ice Doctor	Unsolved	Seto Flowerian	2:27.2
1993	Frontier Boy	Red Zaam	Anfitrion	2:13.8
1992	Rasputins Revenge	Awesome Mover	Offshore Trust	2:17.5
1991	Stick Around	Tisolde	Home Show	2:14.6
1990	Jolly Good Thought	Aquidity	Cool Credit	2:16.3
1989	Chigarow	French Icing	Our Magic Man	2:16.7
1988	Bettota	Bronze Knight	Jolly Good Thought	2:14.9