Bendigo's event of the year - Saturday 11 January

5 January 2014 - the 50th Bendigo Pacing Cup is fast approaching and the Bendigo Harness Racing Club has some great racing, activities and prizes planned. The family entertainment event will give racegoers the chance to win a Dubai Holioday for 2 with entry coupons in the Bendigo Advertiser daily. $1000 Cash in the Maori Mile Sweepstakes draw and great prizes in the fashions on the field with categories for Open. Under 40yrs, Under 25yrs, Men and Children (5-12yrs). The race card is the best of the year with the Gr2 Petstock Bendigo Pacing Cup and Aldebaran Park Maori Mile. Cup Page  Bendigo Cup Honour Roll

Bitobliss to start favourite in Bendigo Pacing Cup

7 January 2014 - Trainer/driver Scott Stewart isn’t daunted by favourite Bitobliss’ second row draw in Saturday’s 50th Petstock Bendigo Pacing Cup and is confident the seven-year-old can add another Group 2 race to his impressive record.“It’s a pretty good draw for him actually,” Stewart said today. “I think he should have them covered.”  The trainer was surprised that the opposition in the Cup was not as strong as he expected with top horses Smoken Up and Carribean Blaster electing to go to the SA Pacing Cup and Keyang Steamer and Keyang Cullen not lining up at Bendigo. “The field is not what I was expecting,” he said. “Mah Sish is a class horse but is not currently in form, Mustang Mach will race handy,  Wartime Sweetheart is racing well and Im Corzin Terror is stepping up in class but could be a ‘dark horse’,” Stewart said. Bitobliss has won $414,000 in stakes and has a good winning strike rate over the 2650 metre Cup distance range. So far this season the son of Blissfull Hall has had seven starts for three victories with victories in the Black A fake Free for All, the VHRSC Cup and last week’s SEW Eurodrive Free For All, with each of the wins at Melton. The Group 2 Petstock Bendigo Pacing Cup has a capacity field of 12 with the emergency Victoria May. Locally owned pacer Composed has been racing in good form for David Aiken and like his stablemate Wartime Sweetheart, the gelding will start the Cup off the front row.Stewart will commence his Bendigo Pacing Cup weekend as the guest speaker at the Bendigo Harness Racing Clubs “Pacing Cup Eve” cocktail party at the All Seasons Hotel on Friday night.  The other main race at Bendigo’s Cup meeting is the Group 2 Aldebaran Park Maori Mile. The Maori Mile trot has attracted a field of 10. Goulburn Valley trainers David Aiken and Chris Lang appear to hold the key to the feature trot. Aiken will start the in-form My High Expectations and Cold Sister, while Lang will harness up Kyvalley Blur. Stoned I Am will have its second start this preparation for Bill and Simone Walker and looks a chance after finishing second at its first start since August in the Habibti Trot at Melton last month. Michelle Eastman’s Aleppo Midas has a fantastic Bendigo record with four wins from five starts at Lord’s Raceway. Gates open at 5.00pm, racing starts at 6.30pm.

Stewart says Bliss will fire in 50th Pacing Cup

10 January 2014- Scott Stewart is confident Bitobliss can live up to its favourite status and win tomorrow night's Group 2 $50,000 PETstock Bendigo Pacing Cup. Bitobliss was installed a short-priced $1.80 favourite with TAB Sportsbet on Wednesday for the 50th Bendigo Pacing Cup (2650m) at Lord's Raceway. 
Stewart, who will drive Bitobliss from the back row draw of No.9, says the pacer is back to its best after its win at Tabcorp Park in last Friday's SEW Eurodrive Free for All (2240m). "He has pulled up well from last Friday night and the draw isn't too bad," Stewart said on Thursday. "No disrespect to the other horses and connections, but he's probably a class above most of them, except for No.10 (Mah Sish). "But in saying that, you've still got to go out and beat them. With the way he has been racing and how he pulled up after last week, we're confident." Bitobliss has won 22 races from 43 starts, including two Kilmore Pacing Cups in 2011 and 2012.
Saturday night's Bendigo Pacing Cup will be the seventh race on the card at 9.30pm.

Im Corzin Terror is primed for the 50th edition Pacing Cup

11 January 2014 - Leading trainer Dean Braun is hoping for a change of luck with his two horses in tonights PETstock Bendigo Pacing Cup.
Im Corzin Terror and Mustang Mach will represent Braun in the $50,000 Group Two event and, on their best form, should be right in the finish. The worry for Braun is the racing gods haven't smiled on the two horses of late. "Im Corzin Terror is really going terrific, he could have won his past three, but he's just had no luck,'' Braun said "He was pretty stiff in the Horsham Cup (last Sunday), he was going to be right in the finish but got knocked over at the 400m."He's got a good draw this week, so hopefully he'll take up a handy position and be hard to beat." Mustang Mach has won two Group One races for Braun, but hasn't been the same since falling in last year's Bendigo Pacing Cup. "He's been very frustrating lately,'' Braun said. "He is a horse with enough ability to win the race, hopefully he can put it all together. "I can't fault his work, it's as good as ever. "If he finds his old form he'd be mighty hard to beat."  Im Corzin Terror, which will be driven by Chris Alford, has been well-supported in early betting. After opening at $4.20 with TABSportsbet on Thursday, Im Corzin Terror firmed into $3.80 on Friday. He's on the second line of betting behind favourite Bitobliss, who eased slightly from $1.80 to $1.85. Wartime Sweetheart is third favourite at $5, ahead of reigning Hunter Cup champion Mah Sish ($8.50). Smudge Bromac represents good each-way value in the race at $16. Mustang Mach is a $41 chance alongside Alchemy and Jazz King. Uncle Wingnut ($61), Composed ($81), Machin Out ($81), Victoria May ($81) and Exciteusinthecity ($101) are given little chance by punters.