Group 2 racing greets us at the Bendigo Harness Club on Saturday night as well as a set of competitive heats for the Victoria Derby!
The Bet Deluxe team has gone through each of the best bets ahead of a cracking 11-race program.
Bendigo race 2
#12 Aldebaran Tess
You can make a case for a few runners in this field, but we are siding with the most talented of the lot and that is Aldebaran Tess.
The Matty Craven-trained four-year-old mare has spent a month away from racing after a horrow show in the SumthingaboutMaori Group 3 at Bendigo over 2150 metres.
She began horribly, galloped and finished last as a $2.6 favourite when being distanced by the rest of the field.
Her true form is the three starts prior to that where she destroyed her opposition – twice at Melton and once at Kilmore.
She draws the middle of the back row here and will be allowed to find her stride.
Has a big sustained sprint that can easily whip around this field at the halfway point and leave them for dead.
Suggested Bet: Aldebaran Tess win at $2.9
Bendigo Race 3
#11 american dealer
A gun three-year-old colt who looks destined for Group 1 glory again this preparation.
Nathan Purdon gears up with this jet-propelled chaser after a nice resuming run at Kilmore over 2180 metres in the listed Reg Withers 3YO Classic last week.
He was a beaten odds-on commodity that night but was racing after having a two-month freshen up.
That run is going to do him the world of good for this race and the fitness benefit he will derive will have him ready to fire in this event.
He will tag the back of his main danger Bondi Lockdown who he handled with ease when the pair went head to head up in a Queensland earlier this year.
Suggested Bet: American Dealer win at $1.90
Suggested Exotic: Trifecta – 11/ 10/ 2, 7
bendigo race 5
#12 patsbeachstorm
His form on paper might not appear as good as his Derby win at Menangle back in March but he looks ready to get back to his best tonight.
Dave Moran resumed him in the Group 3 Sires Classic over 2150 metres at Bendigo and he went down three metres to Bondi Lockdown who has been very heavily backed in one of the earlier derby trials.
It would suggest the form out of the race is quite solid and if we look at the most recent trial between runs, Moran just might have a few extra lengths up the sleeve of his pacer.
The race shapes up pretty well for him with Act Now going forward and allowing Moran to tag the back of him as he cuts the breeze.
Patsbeachstorm is an undefeated commodity at this distance range with three wins from three starts which gives more confidence that he will run a big race.
Suggested Bet: Patsbeachstorm each-way at $6 the win and $1.85 the place.
Suggested Exotic: Boxed First Four – 2, 9, 12, 13
bendigo race 7
#3 torrid saint
Even though his last two runs have not produced wins, Torrid Saint has been as brave as they come.
The five-year-old gelding battled hard to finish midfield in the Group 2 Kilmore Cup and whacked away to finish midfield in the Group 1 Caduceus Classic at Bendigo over 1650 metres.
Hoping his early speed is put to good use here as it his only genuine chance of winning here.
The early money for him suggests he will be pushing towards the front when the arms fold back and that is perfect for the drop back in distance to 1650 meters.
A lot of his rivals in this race have a much sharper turn of foot than him, but do not have the same stamina he possesses.
If he can go out hard early and make this a stamina sapping mile race while pinching an early break in the back straight and utilising his fitness base to full effect, then it will go a long way to winning this event.
Suggested Bet: Torrid Saint win at $4.8
Suggested Exotic: Boxed Trifecta – 1, 3, 6, 11
