Bendigo Cup Night This Saturday

[Adaptor]

It's Cup Night at Lord's Raceway, Bendigo this Satturday night, January 5

After 4 years of unsettling date changes, the Bendigo Cup returns to its formerly usual early in January Saturday night slot.

Features are:
8 races, with a late start of 6.59 due to the predicted heat. ( Don't worry, the Raceview Area ..tote, bar, restaurant, bistro and great coffee are all very well air conditioned !).

The Group 1 $50,000 Aldebaran Park Maori Mile for trotters with a full field of 10, at 9.03

The Group 2 $60,000 Petstock Bendigo Pacing Cup with a field of 7 at 9.33

Youthful media output,
with Twitter via Periscope and Facebook handled by Luke Humphreys and
On-course PA and interviews handled by Committee Member Kirsten Graham.

The Kidzone under the huge "big shed" at the rear of the grandstand

Pony Trots

The extensive lawn areas for families to gather and picnic

The owners area just past the finishing post

A lighning fast track

Only $6 entry

Interesting earning stats for the horses in the main two races
The average earnings of the 7 pacers in the Petstock Bendigo Cup is $253,600
while the average earnings of the 10 trotters in the Aldebaran Park Maori Mile is $207,220

And the history and memorabilia areas will be open with lots of new old items, all with their own unique local history. PLease drop by and say hello to Noel (Adaptor) and Norm.

See you there ! Gates open at 5:30 PM

[Messenger]

The heat may have passed before 7pm Noel - not sure how they can be so specific but on Monday (!) I was reading that the change would be in Melbourne between 5-6pm on Saturday

It is a good field for the Cup albeit only with 7 runners. Half the card having < 8 runners is disappointing but could also be a result of the 'Stewart' factor

Dominant stables are not good for the sport - AFL football competitions took measures to reduce domination for it is not good for any sport

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BN060118&fromstate=vic

[Bonnie]

I hear what you are saying Kev about stable domination. However we have a horse in at Bendigo and I was watching the noms closely. Some of the Stewart runners were ' late ' noms. All races at Bendigo were extended beyond nomination time so some of the Stewart horses were not a factor in the original noms. Some races may not have stood up if it were not for late nominations.

[Messenger]

I hear what you are saying Kev about stable domination. However we have a horse in at Bendigo and I was watching the noms closely. Some of the Stewart runners were ' late ' noms. All races at Bendigo were extended beyond nomination time so some of the Stewart horses were not a factor in the original noms. Some races may not have stood up if it were not for late nominations.

Interesting Anne - has everybody gone on holidays!

[Adaptor]

Hi Anne and Kev.
Interesting comments about the nomination/acceptance process that goes on with owners, trainers, club officials (especially PR People) , and I guess drivers too..all watching and trainers making moves when appropriate.
The wash-up for Bendigo's main meeting for the year, (and the one that massive paid and voluntary effort goes into promoting and getting people through the gate)
is the potential for three lop- sided races with one horse dominating on paper anyway)

Here's what three of the eight races at Bendigo look like:

R 3 C1 only Konan 3 from 3, Mile rate 1:52.
R 4 3C0 to 3C1 Poster Boy 7 from 10 , $178,000 and 1.54.1
R 8 4yo Mares Not so clear cut, but Tell Me Tales 6 from 11, $100,640 and 1.53.1

The Bendigo Cup however is interesting even though there are only 7 starters.
The comeback horse Ideal For Real, 7 starts as a 4yo for 7 wins. First up since August 2016. 13 from 21 for $323,400. in against the seasoned Messini, the not quite there Mr Wickham, and the on the way up Turnbull horse The Faithful, and the Smith/Butt horse Moonrock.

However, 3 races each with 6 contestants could diminish the on course turnover which clubs rely greatly on.

On the brighter side, the Maori Mile with a full field looks a cracker ! Glenferrie Typhoon from the pole might break the track record of 1.54.1

[Bonnie]

I will be at Bendigo Noel. My horse is Poster Boy , not Ideal For Real although I wouldn't mind owning him too. They are both returning from a spell and it will be interesting to see where Poster Boy is at. He has a big assignment coming up. Good luck with your Cup meeting, we enjoy racing at Bendigo .

[Adaptor]

I will be at Bendigo Noel. My horse is Poster Boy , not Ideal For Real although I wouldn't mind owning him too. They are both returning from a spell and it will be interesting to see where Poster Boy is at. He has a big assignment coming up. Good luck with your Cup meeting, we enjoy racing at Bendigo .

Oops Anne
Bruce Edward bred Ideal For Real. I thought it was one of your breed.
I'm sure you'll enjoy Saturday night at Lord's Raceway.

Here's the Bendigo Cup prelude coverage from Thursday's Bendigo Advertiser
http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/5149120/trainer-eyes-bendigo-cup-comeback-for-class-pacer/?cs=12

[Adaptor]

The Bendigo Cup.
There were more than was thought !

The Bendigo Cup Chronicles
Until recently it was thought that Kalamas Peak, trained and driven by the legendary Jack (JP) Moore, was the first winner of the Bendigo Pacing Cup.
That was in 1965, 11 years after Lord's Raceway was opened.

However, research on Trove and the marvellous Classic Families, has confirmed that Kinnie Bazil was the first winner, at the inaugural race meeting of the Bendigo Trotting Club, formed in 1923.

Incredibly, there were four cups conducted in 1924.
The original Bendigo Trotting Club went into recess after the 1932 cup.

The Original Bendigo Cup
Run at the Epsom Racecourse Bendigo
1924 Feb: Kinnie Bazil, William Riedell (Tongala)
1924 July: Grand Voyage, Paddy Glasheen (Huntly)
1924 Oct: Queen Pirate, Paddy Glasheen (Huntly)
1924 Dec: Dummy, Bill Fortington (Horsham)
1929 First Cast, Orme Marshall (Ballarat)
1930 Princess Mauritius, George Gath (Port Melbourne/Footscray).
George drove his second Bendigo Cup winner Tara Meadow 40 years later.
1932 Le Wilkes, Alex McPherson (Stawell)

Kev, are there any McPherson's still in Stawell?

[Adaptor]

Here's the Petstock Bendigo Pacing Cup and Aldebaran Park Maori Mile prelude coverage from Thursday's Bendigo Advertiser[/B]
http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/5149120/trainer-eyes-bendigo-cup-comeback-for-class-pacer/?cs=12[/QUOTE]

And for good measure, the nice article by Joel Petersen in The Bendigo Weeekly.

http://www.bendigoweekly.com.au/news/top-field-up-for-cup

Nice to see the support for the Bendigo Pacing Cup meeting from the local Bendigo media...The Bendigo Addy and The Bendigo Weekly.
Both papers had their own journalists research and write the article. Great work!

[David Martin]

And some coverage on TV with WIN news in Bendigo tonight. There is a co-ordinated approach by HRV/clubs to trigger local media interest in Country Cups, etc., which some respond to as they have on this occasion.

[Adaptor]

And some coverage on TV with WIN news in Bendigo tonight. There is a co-ordinated approach by HRV/clubs to trigger local media interest in Country Cups, etc., which some respond to as they have on this occasion.

David, they certainly have responded.
In addition to the TV news ( relayed and shared on Social Media via Twitter and Facebook) there is a double page coverage in today's (Saturday) Bendigo Advertiser.
Kieran Illes writing and photo and Stuart McCormick's photo top off terrific media coverage for the meeting, with the two features The Petstock Bendigo Pacing Cup and the Aldebaran Park Maori Mile being extremely well dissected.

With Mornington gallops and the Bendigo Cricket Association games being called off, and a promised change in the weather after 5, there's a good chance that Lord's Raceway will see a great crowd.

Can't wait to see Ideal For Real's comeback, in the Cup and for the Maori Mile with the field of trotters being one of the best ever put together at Bendigo.

[Adaptor]

And some coverage on TV with WIN news in Bendigo tonight. There is a co-ordinated approach by HRV/clubs to trigger local media interest in Country Cups, etc., which some respond to as they have on this occasion.

They certainly have David.
On top off the TV news segments , which hav been relayed on Social Media via Twitter and Facebook, there is a double page sports feature in the Bendigo Advertiser today (Saturday).

Kudos to The Addy's journalist Kieran Iles for the writing and one image, with the other image from Stuart McCormick.

Can't wait to see Ideal For Real's comeback after 16 months away in the Petstock Bendigo Pacing Cup, and the cracking field of trotters in the Aldebaran Park Maori Mile.

With the gallops at Mornington, and all Bendigo Cricket called off, there's a good chance that by 6 , when the weather is predicted to change a little, people will be looking for a night out with their family. There's plenty of shade and lawn , and the Raceview area will be cool !

Bring it on !

[David Martin]

Thanks Noel, I'm looking forward to being there tonight. Hopefully that cool change arrives at the right time. I'm also at the Cobram Cup tomorrow, so it's going to be a big weekend at the Trots!

[Messenger]

Bendigo is certainly sandwiched in this year IMO it deserves a weekend where it is the sole Metro meet

[Messenger]

Gone midnight and still no replays up but the two big ones I saw were beauties

[Fan of Jate]

Bit of a surprise Messini started at $16. His form has been fairly good of late and has always raced in good company.

[Showgrounds]

Bit of a surprise Messini started at $16. His form has been fairly good of late and has always raced in good company.

He can't work like he used to but he sure can sprint. I couldn't understand how a horse first up from 16 months out could be so short. Messini's recent runs have been excellent and he was way over the odds. Once they reached the winning post the first time jokes were over. The fact he still hadn't faced any breeze until half way around the turn made him a certainty. A very underrated horse.

[Adaptor]

Great racing in the PetStock Bendigo Cup and the Aldebaran Park Maori Mile last night.

The undercard was certainly diminished by very small fields in 3 of the races, but two on-the-way-up horses in Konan and Poster Boy were impressive

Check out the Bendigo Harness Racing Club Website for reports and videos: http://www.bhrc.com.au

Here's Messini winning the Cup.

[Showgrounds]

I've noticed a lot of Art Major's have their grandsire's (Artsplace) head down, bum up gait. Messini, though, has never breathed down the neck of the driver in front. More likely he has given many a chill in their bum-crack!

[Fan of Jate]

Good photo, a few small fields were disappointing. C.Alford drove 5 winners-a good nights work for him.