Move over Black Caviar... there's a new people's horse in town. The Bendigo Advertiser and Bendigo Harness Racing Club have secured a filly from Alabar Stud to race for charity and to promote Bendigo. The filly, who carries the stable name 'Addy', will be trained by Paul and Maree Campbell at Maiden Gully. She will wear special racing colours carrying an iconic picture of Bendigo on the back and the words: Bendigo - a sensational place to visit. We want you along for the ride. Ownership of the filly will officially be registered with Harness Racing Victoria as Bendigo Advertiser. We are now on the lookout for fans of the filly to join the Race For Fun Club. What's in it for individuals, families, business groups and community groups or organisations that get involved? Grab a copy of the Bendigo Advertiser to find out all you need to know about 'Addy'  Race For Fun Club membership and register today.

24 November 2011 - Wow, we haven't even hit the ractrack yet and we are already winning awards! - The Bendigo Harness Racing Club has won the 2011 "Best Local Media' Award at the Gordon Rothacker Medal night held at Tabcorp Park, Melton, last week. The Award was for the Race for Fun Club with Addy's publicity in the Bendigo Advertiser blowing away the judging panel. BHRC President Dennis Bice and GM, David Aldred collected the award in front of 400 racing industry participants. The BHRC and the Bendigo Advertiser thanks everyone who has supported the Race for Fun Club and making it a great success. We look forward to your continued support - Go Addy!

1 October 2011 - State government minister Denis Napthine was a man of many hats during a visit to Bendigo this week.  Dr Napthine, the state’s racing minister, channelled his former profession as a veterinarian when he opened the new Bendigo Equine Hospital for Dr John Brown. The new hospital is across the road from the entrance to the Bendigo Jockey Club and comprises stables along with surgical and examination facilities. During his visit to the city, the Minister capped off his visit with a trip to visit charity race horse Addy at Maiden Gully. He has been a vocal supporter of the Bendigo Advertiser’s Race for Fun Club since he joined earlier this year. Membership is still available in the Race for Fun Club with some huge competitions and prizes to be announced by the Bendigo Harness Racing Club and The Advertiser in the coming weeks. Membership to join in the fun of racing Addy, a 2yo filly by Lombo Pocket watch from Nw Zealand mare Flaming Fuel, is 100% free. Look in Tuesday's Bendigo Advertiser for more details and a weekly update on Addy's progress.

Addy has been slowly building speed with hopples on during three-horse workouts on the Maiden Gully training track this week (week 11). Trainer Paul Campbell said Addy continued to do everything right in training. Campbell said the stable had been changing workmates around for Addy to get her used to other characteristics shown by different horses. He said the young horses swapped and changed positions during the workouts to teach them how races could be run but under controlled conditions as they continued to build up speed.

Happy Birthday to me!
Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me... happy birthday dear Addy, happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeee. It’s my birthday on Thursday - I turn two. But don’t worry, I don’t plan on turning on the terrible twosomes or anything. I will be a good girl for you all and win some races before I turn three. I’ve heard I will be getting a big cake topped with juicy carrots during my birthday party at the Bendigo Harness Racing Club twilight meeting on Sunday afternoon. All you Race For Fun Club members better come and help me eat the cake - my mean trainer Paul Campbell keeps saying I weigh 396 kilograms, so I better just eat the carrots. I’ve been having plenty of fun on the training track this week playing ‘leap frog’. I get to run with two other horses and as we go round we keep swapping places at the front. I love it when Paul lets me go a bit and I can sprint past the other two horses to the front. Hope they enjoy eating my dust because that’s what all the other horses will be doing when I get to the races! See you all Sunday for my party! – Addy

Race For Fun Club star ‘Addy’ will have access to state-of-the-art equine technology at the new Bendigo Equine Hospital in White Hills. Bendigo Equine Hospital owner and head veterinarian Dr John Brown has offered the facilitiy’s services to Addy free of charge in support of the Bendigo Advertiser’s Race For Fun Club. Dr Brown, well known for his specialised equine services at the Bendigo Animal Hospital, said the new facility would lead the way in equine health. “It’s a secure site, and it’s drive in, drive out,” Dr Brown said. “It has a good examination area and really state-of-the-art equine surgery and consult rooms, 10 horse boxes and a fully functional office block. “It will be run as a primary access and also as a referral surgery hospital. ‘‘We’ll have the services of Dr Sarah Jalim, who is a fellow at the Australian College of Equine Surgeons, as well as Alister McLain, my partner 20 years ago, who will be coming in as a specialist surgeon.” Dr Brown said he was proud supporter of the Race For Fun Club. “I think it’s a fantastic concept just to get people interested in racing and to have a little bit of fun,” he said. “It’s not about making a lot of money - it’s about trying to get racing back into the entertainment side of things. “We are doing vet work on Addy free of charge, so he’ll be in safe hands."

Victoria’s racing minister has offered a glowing endorsement of a horse the Bendigo Advertiser will race for charity. Liberal MP Denis Napthine honoured his promise to meet harness horse Addy. Dr Napthine turned the clock back to his former profession as a veterinarian to offer an assessment of the two-year-old filly. “I am very confident about her prospects,” he said. “She’s well bred. Lombo Pocket Watch was one of the best, most exciting pacers and that is her dad... she comes from a good sire side, a good dam side. “She herself is a relaxed, well conformed young filly with all the potential to be a very good and very competitive race horse.” Dr Napthine assessed Addy’s legs and rump and predicted she would be a powerful harness horse. “I would encourage anyone to sign up and lend their support to Addy,” he said. “I have no doubt that she will be able to deliver the goods when she takes the track. “I am positive that the interest in Addy will get plenty of people through the gates at Bendigo and around the state so I am proud to offer my personal support to Addy, who I am sure will have a long and successful career.” Dr Napthine met Addy’s trainer, Maiden Gully’s Maree Campbell, at Bendigo’s harness racing track. He had his first experience in a sulky behind a harness horse and met students at the Bendigo Harness Racing Industry Training Centre, which trains 140 people each year to become stable hands, drivers, trainers and stewards. Dr Napthine said he looked forward to watching Addy race. “There is no doubt when she is racing I’ll be there and if the journalists at the Advertiser haven’t knocked off the odds I might have a dollar or two on her,” he said.

The Bendigo Advertiser’s Race For Fun Club will deliver a striking Bendigo tourism message from tonight. Hyland Sportswear donated the club’s new racing colours and young harness racing driver Emma Bowles was the first to model them yesterday. The new colours carry the iconic image of a beautifully lit Alexandra Fountain in Charing Cross and the words: Bendigo – a sensational place to visit. The colours will make their racetrack debut at tonight’s Bendigo Harness Racing Club meeting at Lord’s Raceway. Leading harness racing owner Eric Anderson and trainer Glenn Douglas have agreed to have stable horses carry the colours at tracks across Victoria and New South Wales in coming weeks to promote the Race For Fun Club concept. “The colours look fantastic. It’s a striking image and we hope it will attract plenty of attention around the tracks. It’s a new and novel way of promoting Bendigo as a great place to visit,’’ Bendigo Advertiser editor Rod Case said. “We’re thrilled Mr Anderson and the Douglas stable will promote the club with their horses. Given their strike rate, it won’t be too long before the colours find their way to the winner’s stall.’’

Support is growing for the Bendigo Advertiser’s Race For Fun Club horse “Addy”. The club has attracted Race For Fun Club members from Bendigo, Elmore, Charlton, Korong Vale, Woodvale, Wycheproof, Heathcote, Neilborough, Maldon and Pyramid Hill in the first week.
“Addy” will race for charity and promote Bendigo with her racing colours carrying an iconic image of the city and the words: Bendigo – a sensational place to visit.
Race For Fun Club members will pay nothing to share the excitement of “Addy” during her harness racing career under the guidance of Maiden Gully trainers Paul and Maree Campbell.
Two prominent Bendigo businesses have also jumped on board the Race For Fun Club and will soon be featured in the weekly update on “Addy” each Tuesday in the Bendigo Advertiser.
Bendigo Harness Racing Club general manager David Aldred said the harness racing industry was abuzz about the Race For Fun Club. “I think the most asked question has been how much does it cost to become involved and when the answer is it doesn’t cost anything, well, they are just blown away," he said. “Anyone in the family can be a fan of ‘Addy’ and join in the thrill of her racing, getting a taste of what it’s like to be a horse owner." The Read family of Bendigo was one of the first to join the Race For Fun Club this week. Amberlie Read and her son Cobi, 13 months, visited the Campbell’s stables to meet “Addy” yesterday.
“It’s the first time Cobi has seen a horse. He loves animals and we hope to get our own horse one day,’’ Amberlie said. Amberlie said the family had joined the Race For Fun Club because it was a fun way to help out a charity. 
Follow Addy’s progress each Tuesday in the Bendigo Advertiser or find out more about the club by visiting www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au and clicking on the Race For Fun Club logo.
Log on to Addy's Race For Fun FACEBOOK page. or Watch Addy on Video.....

Bendigo's Race for Fun Club has attracted a high profile fan with Victoria's Minister for Racing, Denis Napthine completing a coupon in the Bendigo Advertiser, committing his support to the promotions
"I am enthusiastic about the Addy horse, he told the Advertiser in a visit to Bridgewater late last week. "Its a terrific initiative and I hope the horse becomes an absolute champion," he said.
A vet by profession Dr. Napthine said he is alos looking forward toi "looking Addy over" when he next visits our region.

Victoria's opposition leader is the latest high-profile figure to become a fan of the Bendigo Advertiser’s charity harness horse ‘Addy’. Labor MP Daniel Andrews visited Bendigo recently and joined the Race for Fun Club. “Racing is a great industry and it is great fun,” Mr Andrews said. “This is a great way to raise money for worthwhile causes.” The Bendigo Advertiser and Bendigo Harness Racing Club have secured a filly from Alabar Stud to race for charity. The filly’s racing colours will carry a picture of a Bendigo icon and the words “Bendigo: A sensational place to visit”. Paul and Maree Campbell of Maiden Gully will train the filly, who carries the stable name ‘Addy’. “I am delighted to show my support for Addy,” Mr Andrews said. “And also to the Advertiser for a great idea.”

Victorian and interstate businesses are stepping up to support the Addy's Race for Fun Club with 18 individuals or busiunesses to date sponsoring the filly, the club and ultimately assisting in raising funds for local chariities. Some sponsors are providing the day to day necessities for Addy while others are supplying benefits for members, including prizes for future Race for Fun Club competitions.
Addy is being fully sponsored, the Lombo Pocket Watch - Flaming Fuel Filly is raced by the Bendigo Advertiser (on a special lease arrangement with Alabar Breeding Farms. Her main sponsors are: Paul and Maree Cambell (harness racing trainers), Alabar Bloodstock and PETstock Animal Supplies with support sponsors including: MUSTAD Australia, Nathan Monk, World's Best Hoof Oils, Bendigo Equine Hospital, Bendigo Equine Rehabilitation Centre, Equine Dental Association of Australia, Clark Rubber; Warehouse Sales: Hyland Harness Gear; Garrards Horse & Hound; Hygain Feeds; Golden Square Hotel