EXPERT RACING TIPS: BENDIGO

Bendigo Racecourse was first established in 1858 and is situated approximately 150 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD. It has established a reputation as “the nursery of champions”, with several revered racehorses – including seven-time Group 1 winner Better Loosen Up and the 2009 Melbourne Cup hero Shocking – having broken their maiden at the picturesque track. From maidens to feature races, our punting experts bring you their Bendigo tips across all meetings. Mr. J A Canton, who would later become a notable Melbourne magistrate, was the club’s first President. The inaugural Sandhurst Cup, which would become the Bendigo Cup, was staged in 1868 and was won by Old England.   

In 1873, the Bendigo Jockey Club converted the Bendigo Racecourse to anti-clockwise running and the old grandstand, which had stood on the opposite side of the course, was replaced by a new one. This grandstand was then replaced in November 1902 by the stand that still graces the racecourse to this very day. 

The $400,000 Bendigo Cup, held each October over a distance of 2400m, has traditionally been considered a lead-up race to the Melbourne Cup. The Group 3 contest has been won in the past by several international raiders including Francis of Assisi (2016) and Qewy (2017), both owned by Godolphin and trained in the UK by Charlie Appleby. Horses have also used it for other races during the Melbourne Cup Carnival, such as the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Golden Mile Raceday is also a key fixture on the club calendar, head to the Betfair Hub for Bendigo best bets throughout the year.        

In 1998, the entire track was reconstructed and the racecourse now has a circumference of 1,995 metres, and a home straight of 400 metres. The big oval course is 24m wide and caters for races from 1000m to 2400m, plus jumps races over 3000m. The course features two starting chutes, one providing for races over 1000m and 1100m, and the other for races over 1500m and 1600m. The 1600m start provides a long straight run of 800m to the well-cambered horseshoe turn that leads into the long home straight. Sticking to the rail is always the shortest route home, but most runners tend to get their chance in the home straight as the wide track at Bendigo generally races very fairly. For all the best Bendigo bets, Betfair’s team of tipsters has you covered.