The Bendigo Cup is a Group 3 race run each year under handicap conditions. While the race is a Group 3, it holds the prize money of a Group 1, with a cool $500K on the line. As the name suggests, the race takes place at Bendigo Racecourse and in 2024, the race will be held on Wednesday, October 30.
Bendigo Cup Tips, Betting, Odds, Horses & More 2024
Bendigo Cup Information
Before you take a look at every aspect of this Group 3 race, we’ve put together some quick facts you should know about the race:
📅Date: | Wednesday 30th October, 2024 |
⌚Race Time: | TBA |
📏Race Distance: | 2,400 metres |
🛣️Racecourse: | Bendigo Racecourse |
🐎Conditions: | Handicap |
🏅Status: | Group 3 |
🏆Prize Money: | $500,000 |
🏇2023 Winner: | Interpretation |
About the Bendigo Cup
The Bendigo Cup has been around for a long time, with the first running of the event all the way back in 1868. We’ve decided to create a similar page for the Bendigo Cup as we have for all the other Group 1 races due to the mammoth amount of prize money attached to it, which attracts some of the best horses to Bendigo Racecourse.
It is also one of the most famous country cups in Australia and raced at one of the top tracks in Victoria. The Bendigo Cup is held right in the thick of the Victorian Spring Racing Carnival. It is run the Wednesday after the Cox Plate and just before the Victoria Derby! Spring really is a magical time for racing, especially in Victoria.
The Bendigo Cup isn’t the only race to take place on the day. In fact, Bendigo Cup day is filled with action-packed racing and really shines a light on some of Australia’s lesser-known tracks. While there is heaps of action on the track, there’s also a lot of entertainment to enjoy outside of the racing.
Our Bendigo Cup page has all the details you could want about the race including betting, tips and odds information. The team at OnlyRacing.com.au also provides details on the field, form guide, results and more! We update this page regularly, so you always have the most up-to-date information.
The prize money is a massive draw card of this race and we’ve broken down the details so you know just how much each of the top finishers will take home. Check out the table below:
Place: | Prize Money: |
1st | $300,000 |
2nd | $90,000 |
3rd | $45,000 |
4th | $22,500 |
5th | $12,500 |
6th, 7th & 8th | $10,000 |
Bendigo Cup Tips
It’s probably the main reason you’re here - horse racing tips! Well, you’re in luck, because horse racing tips we have. Not only do we have tips for all the main races on the calendar but to sweeten the deal we also provide daily tips. Our experts are always on the hunt for their next great big win.
Back to the Bendigo Cup specifically now, we aren’t able to provide our tips for the race in 2024 just yet. We are waiting for the final field to be announced so we can properly analyse all the main chances in the race. Don’t worry though, as soon as the final field is announced, our experts will be on the case.
In the meantime, if you’re in the mood to read some tips, we’ve left up the set of tips our expert provided for the Bendigo Cup in 2023. As we now know the results of this race, you can use this information to judge how well our expert performed!
Bendigo Cup Best Bet - Interpretation
Putting the favourite, Interpretation, on top for the 2023 Bendigo Cup. There isn’t a heap of value around Interpretation, currently listed at odds of $2.70, but it’s better than a poke in the eye! I can see why he is the favourite as well, with a solid performance in the closing stages of the Bart Cummings (Group 3).
Gets in well at the weights as well and will be carrying 54.5kg on his back in the form of jockey Michael Dee, who retains the ride. He has a few runs under his belt at this stage and I think he’s peaking right now. Gets a good gate so he can settle better than in the Bart Cummings and have enough time to run them all down.
Bendigo Cup Next Best - Suizuro
Suizuro is my next best for the Bendigo Cup and he is currently listed with odds of $8.00. He has found winning form as of late and if anyone can give Interpretation a run for his money I think it is most likely going to be Suizuro. Impressive win last time out in the Moe Cup when jumping as one of the more favoured runners.
It was a fairly dominant victory in the end, winning by 3L. He drops 2kg from that race and jockey Craig Newitt stays on board, so it’s all looking pretty nice for Suizuro. He does have a bit of a stick barrier, which is why I think he isn’t closer to Interpretation in terms of the odds.
Bendigo Cup Best Roughie - Luncies
I’m banking on Luncies to raise a few eyebrows in the 2023 Bendigo Cup. Luncies, who is currently listed with odds of $12, presents what I believe to be the best value in the race. His best is still to come, with a couple of not-so-hot performances since coming back from a break.
But I think he’ll only be fitter for those runs under his belt and he gets the services of Blake Shinn. The weight and barrier concern me a little, but if Luncies can produce the type of run I know he can, all that won’t matter. Let’s see what Luncies can do come this Wednesday.
Our Bendigo Cup tips will be up and running during the week of the race. Make sure you check back again during that time!
Best Betting Sites for Group One Races
Bendigo Cup Betting
Before you go jumping in feet first and place your bets for the Bendigo Cup, we have some recommendations so that you can get the most out of your experience! There are plenty of Australian betting sites that will offer markets on the Bendigo Cup and it can be difficult to figure out which one is best.
The good news is that you don’t have to settle on just one bookie. In fact, one of our top recommendations is that you open accounts with multiple bookies. This means you can easily take advantage of any betting promotions on offer for this race as well as different odds being offered for the same runner/ market you wish to bet on.
When it comes to the market you should place your bet on, that will be guided by your knowledge. It’s a good idea to stick with the market you understand. That doesn’t mean you can’t expand your knowledge, but you should know what you’re placing your bet on. Some of the main markets that will be available for the Bendigo Cup include:
- Fixed Win/ Place
- Quinella
- Exacta
- Trifecta
- First Four
- Quaddie
- Same Race Multis
If you’re the kind of person who is on the go all the time, then you will benefit from a bookie that has a well-designed betting app. There are plenty of betting apps on the Australian market, but some in particular that we would recommend include PlayUp, Betfocus and Unibet.
Bendigo Cup Field
For the 2024 Bendigo Cup, we don’t yet know which runners will make up the field. The final field is determined each year for the Bendigo Cup a few days out from the event. While we aren’t sure which runners will line up, if history is anything to go by, we will see heaps of quality runners.
If you’re not one for waiting, you should check out any odds markets as they can act as your guide to the runners that are more likely to make an appearance. If the odds are available for the Bendigo Cup, we will list them in our “Odds” section below on this page.
We wish we knew the runners that will take part in the Bendigo Cup, but until the announcement, we’ll just have to wait. We’ve left the table up from the race in 2023, so you can see which runners took part. Check out the 2023 Bendigo Cup field below:
No | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
1 | LUNCIES (GB) | Kris Lees | Blake Shinn | 11 | 59kg |
2 | HEZASHOCKA (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Damien Oliver | 4 | 58kg |
3 | HO HO KHAN (NZ) | Mitchell Freedman | Ms Tahlia Hope | 14 | 56kg |
4 | KUKERACHA (NZ) | Chris Waller | Beau Mertens | 8 | 56kg |
5 | MURAMASA | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Blaike McDougall | 12 | 55.5kg |
6 | HASTA LA WAR | Sue Murphy | Ms Linda Meech | 7 | 54.5kg |
7 | INTERPRETATION (IRE) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Michael Dee | 5 | 54.5kg |
8 | SUIZURO | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Craig Newitt | 13 | 54.5kg |
9 | BRAYDEN STAR (GB) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Blaike McDougall | 2 | 54kg |
10 | PORT PHILIP (IRE) | Julius Sandhu | Ms Celine Gaudray | 9 | 54kg |
11 | PESTO (GB) | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Jye McNeil | 15 | 54kg |
12 | TARAMANSOUR (IRE) | Phillip Stokes | Daniel Stackhouse | 1 | 54kg |
13 | WIN O’CLOCK (GB) | Matthew Williams | Dean Yendall | 10 | 54kg |
14 | RICK’S CAFE | Rhiannon Schiffer | Ms Carleen Hefel (a) | 16 | 54kg |
15 | SPEAK (GB) | Michael Moroney | Billy Egan | 6 | 54kg |
16 | WERTHEIMER (NZ) | Matthew Enright | Ms Alana Kelly | 3 | 54kg |
In the 2023 edition of the Bendigo Cup, we saw a field of 16 runners confirmed. Before the race started, there were two scratchings and as there weren’t any emergencies listed, the field was therefore cut to 14 runners. The two runners that were scratched included; Muramasa and Speak.
Scratchings are an unfortunate way of life in horse racing and they happen all the time. It doesn’t matter if it’s a key race, like the Bendigo Cup, scratchings can still happen. This is why we recommend that you keep an eye on things, especially if you’ve placed a bet on the race.
Another aspect that is worthy of a mention is the barrier draw. The bigger the field, the more impact the barrier draw will have on the race. On top of this, the layout of certain tracks means the barrier draw has more influence. Some runners have a certain race style that is better suited for an inside or wider barrier as well.
Bendigo Cup Form Guide
Before the Bendigo Cup, it’s a good idea to look into the form guide, especially if you’re going to place a bet on the race. The form guide will provide heaps of relevant stats and data that you can use to determine which runner is most likely going to be the next winner.
With a race like the Bendigo Cup, there’s a lot of history. So, over the years, you’ll find that patterns have emerged, meaning you’ll know what to look for in the next potential winner. Some key aspects to look at in the form guide include:
- Recent past results
- Previous success in this race
- Success at track/ distance
- Performance in lead-up races
- Barrier draw
- Success of favourites/ roughies
- Weight
- Age
- Sex
One of the most important aspects is how each runner has performed in the lead-up to the Bendigo Cup. A horse that is in winning form cannot be knocked, but winning isn’t everything. There could be runners that have performed well recently, but didn’t get a clear run or were held up at a critical point in the race.
We understand that there’s likely going to be a lot of data to go through and if that isn’t really your thing, then we’ve got your back. Our experts sift through the form guide each year before the Bendigo Cup and provide their tips for the race! We’ll do all the heavy lifting for you, so all you need to do is place your bets.
Bendigo Cup Horses
There have been many editions of the Bendigo Cup now and while the race is listed as a Group 3, we still see some of the best horses compete. Only the best of the best can win the Bendigo Cup and this section is dedicated to them!
We’ve gone through the history of all the Bendigo Cup horses and found the most notable winners. These horses have accomplished many things throughout their career and have accumulated heaps of prize money in the process. Check out the top Bendigo Cup horses below:
Puissance De Lune - 2012
Puissance De Lune won the Bendigo Cup in 2012 and experienced great success throughout his career. He was racing at Group One level constantly and in his final race, he finished third in the Turnbull Stakes. Group One races always bring out the toughest competition and Puissance De Lune certainly wasn’t just making up the numbers!
Sertorius - 2013
With a career record of 45:10-10-4, Sertorius won the 2013 Bendigo Cup. While he wasn’t able to win a Group 1 race, he placed on two occasions and he was a Group 2 winner. With over $1 million worth of prize money in the bank, it’s easy to see why Sertorius deserves a place on this list!
The Offer - 2015
Group 1 winner, The Offer, was also victorious in the 2015 Bendigo Cup. The Offer won the Sydney Cup in 2014, which pushed his winning streak to three at that time. He won his two lead-up races, the Group 3 Manion Cup and the Group 2 Chairman's Handicap, before his Group 1 victory.
Francis Of Assisi - 2016
Francis Of Assisi never contested at Group 1 level but found success at Group 3 level when he won the 2016 Bendigo Cup. He finished his career with a record of 19:8-1-1 and placed on one occasion at Group 2 level. If Francis Of Assisi jumped as favourite, you wanted to be on him, as he had a record of 4: 3-1-0 as the favourite.
High Emocean - 2022
Straight after High Emocean’s victory in the 2022 Bendigo Cup, she went and tried her hand in the biggest race of them all, the Melbourne Cup. She put in another outstanding performance and managed to finish in third for the Melbourne Cup, which helped push her current prize money to over $1 million.
Bendigo Cup Odds
If you’re going to place a bet on the Bendigo Cup, you need to know two things: which runner/s you’re going to back and the odds! The odds for the Bendigo Cup are released well before the event so punters can get their best sorted, even if they have an early hot tip. The first market to open up will be the Fixed Win/ Place market.
As we get closer to the event, more horse racing markets will open up, like First Four, Trifecta and Quinella. You’ll notice that as soon as the market is up, the odds will constantly be changing. Many factors go into influencing the odds, so if you see a price you like, it’s a good idea to jump on.
You can place your bets with any bookie you like, as pretty much every Aussie bookie will offer Bendigo Cup odds. However, the bookie we like for the Bendigo Cup is PlayUp, as they are known to have fairly competitive odds. We’ve checked and at this stage, PlayUp hasn’t released their market for the Bendigo Cup.
We’ll keep checking in with PlayUp and as soon as their market is up, we’ll have the odds displayed in this section. A great time to place your bets on the Bendigo Cup is when the market is listed as “Before Noms” because this means you’ll get your stake back if the horse you chose doesn’t make the final field.
It won’t be long until PlayUp releases its Bendigo Cup market, so make sure you check back soon!
Bendigo Cup History
The Bendigo Cup is a race with a rich history and while it might not get as much attention as some of the other races on the calendar, it comes with a price tag of $500,000! The race is uniquely placed on a Wednesday and is right in the thick of Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival, which is undoubtedly one of the biggest horse racing carnivals of the year.
In the past, we’ve seen some runners who have had success in the Bendigo Cup go on to contest the race that stops the nation, the Melbourne Cup. This includes the likes of High Emocean in 2022, who won the Bendigo Cup and then went on to finish in third place in the Melbourne Cup.
The Bendigo Cup was previously known as the Sandhurst Cup and it is a local public holiday in all areas west of the Campaspe River. From 1979 until 2014, the Bendigo Cup held Listed Race status. From 2015 until now, the race has been run at Group 3 status.
Over the years, there’s been a bit of back and forth with the race distance. All the changes in the distance of the Bendigo Cup over the years are as follows:
- 1947 - 1993: 2,200 metres
- 1994 - 2008: 2,400 metres
- 2009 - 2010: 2,200 metres
- 2011 - now: 2,400 metres
Bendigo Cup Results
Want to know who won the Bendigo Cup? Well, you’ve certainly come to the right place! We’ve got all the details you’ve been searching for including the finishing order of every runner and a video replay, so you can easily relive all the action. As soon as the upcoming race has been run and won, we will update this section for your viewing pleasure.
For the Bendigo Cup in 2023, we saw the pre-race favourite, Interpretation, get the chocolates (i.e. the lion’s share of the $500,000 on offer). Jumping from barrier five, Interpretation was around the middle of the pack and had just enough in the tank to beat Brayden Star, who finished in second place, just 0.1L off the pace.
Taramansour, who jumped from the inside barrier, finished in third place, 0.6L off the leader. Taramansour presented reasonable value, with odds of $3.50 to place. The Bendigo Cup was run in a time of 2:28.52 and there was a total of 11.15L that split the first and runners across the finishing post.
See where each runner finished in the Bendigo Cup below:
Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Barrier | Weight |
1 | 7 | INTERPRETATION (IRE) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Michael Dee | - | 5 | 54.5kg |
2 | 9 | BRAYDEN STAR (GB) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Blaike McDougall | 0.1L | 2 | 54kg |
3 | 12 | TARAMANSOUR (IRE) | Phillip Stokes | Daniel Stackhouse | 0.6L | 1 | 54kg |
4 | 1 | LUNCIES (GB) | Kris Lees | Blake Shinn | 0.7L | 10 | 59kg |
5 | 8 | SUIZURO | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Craig Newitt | 2.45L | 11 | 54.5kg |
6 | 4 | KUKERACHA (NZ) | Chris Waller | Beau Mertens | 2.85L | 7 | 56kg |
7 | 11 | PESTO (GB) | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Jye McNeil | 2.95L | 13 | 54kg |
8 | 10 | PORT PHILIP (IRE) | Julius Sandhu | Ms Celine Gaudray | 3.35L | 8 | 54kg |
9 | 16 | WERTHEIMER (NZ) | Matthew Enright | Ms Alana Kelly | 3.45L | 3 | 54kg |
10 | 2 | HEZASHOCKA (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Damien Oliver | 3.55L | 4 | 58kg |
11 | 3 | HO HO KHAN (NZ) | Mitchell Freedman | Ms Tahlia Hope | 7.1L | 12 | 56kg |
12 | 13 | WIN O’CLOCK (GB) | Matthew Williams | Dean Yendall | 7.15L | 9 | 54kg |
13 | 14 | RICK’S CAFE | Rhiannon Schiffer | Ms Carleen Hefel (a) | 9.65L | 14 | 54kg |
14 | 6 | HASTA LA WAR | Sue Murphy | Ms Linda Meech | 11.15L | 6 | 54.5kg |
Bendigo Cup Replay
You know where every runner finished in the Bendigo Cup, so now it’s time to watch how the race unfolded. Take a look at the video below which is a full race replay of the Bendigo Cup:
Bendigo Cup Winners
As you probably already know by now, the Bendigo Cup has a rich history with many top-notch runners gracing the winners' stall. We’ve gone through and put together a table that includes all the recent Bendigo Cup winners. Check out the details below:
Year: | Runner: |
2024 | TBC |
2023 | Interpretation |
2022 | High Emocean |
2021 | Wentwood |
2020 | Princess Jenni |
2019 | Top Of The Range |
2018 | Red Alto |
2017 | Qewy |
2016 | Francis Of Assisi |
2015 | The Offer |
2014 | Bring Something |
2013 | Sertorius |
2012 | Puissance De Lune |
2011 | Tanby |
2010 | Dream Pedlar |
Bendigo Cup FAQs
Before you know everything you could possibly know about the Bendigo Cup, we have one last section for you! Our FAQs section covers all the most commonly asked questions about the Bendigo Cup. If you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers - check them out below:
Where to bet on the Bendigo Cup?
There are so many options in Australia that it can make the decision of where to bet on the Bendigo Cup a difficult one! We like to make things easier for you at OnlyRacing, so we have put together a list of all the best Aussie bookies and to sweeten the deal, even provided in-depth reviews on them, so you have all the information you need to make your decision.
How to bet on the Bendigo Cup?
On top of there being heaps of bookies available to bet within Australia, there are also heaps of markets! So, which market should you bet on? Well, that should come down to your personal preference and knowledge. It is a good idea to stick with the markets you fully understand, you can always expand your knowledge (and bet types later).
How to watch the Bendigo Cup?
The Bendigo Cup isn’t a Group 1 race and it isn’t raced on a Saturday, so you might find the methods of watching the race a little bit more limited. You’ve still got a few options though! You can catch the race through places like Kayo or Foxtel. On top of this, if the bookie you bet with offers live-streaming services, you can watch the race with them.
When is the Bendigo Cup?
The Bendigo Cup is scheduled for Wednesday 30th October 2024 and will be the key race on what we expect to be an action-packed day of racing, which is also a public holiday for some!
How long is the Bendigo Cup?
The Bendigo Cup is a middle-distance race that is run under handicap conditions. As a result, you’ll usually find the race is run in a time of around two and a half minutes and the distance between the first and last runners across the finish line can vary greatly.
Where is the Bendigo Cup?
The Bendigo Cup takes place each year at Bendigo Racecourse in Melbourne and works wonders to shine a light on one of the biggest country tracks.
Who won the most recent edition of the Bendigo Cup?
In 2023, we saw Interpretation, who was the pre-race favourite, win the Bendigo Cup. Brayden Star, who was one of the more favoured runners in the market, finished a close second, just 0.1L off the pace.
What is the prize money for the Bendigo Cup?
While the Bendigo Cup is a Group 3, it has attracted a lot of attention due to its placement in Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival and the amount of prize money that’s on offer. For the Bendigo Cup, there’s a cool $500,000 on the line.
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