The Bendigo Cup is a highly anticipated race on the Australian calendar and if you’re planning to bet on the race, you should check out our guide. The team at AustralianBettingSites have worked hard to provide you with all the information you need on the Group Three race.
Bendigo Cup Betting Sites
Best Bendigo Cup Betting Sites
Bendigo Cup Markets
With the Bendigo Cup, as is the case with any horse race, there are several different markets available for you to choose from. We recommend sticking with the bet types you fully understand and you can explore other options as your knowledge grows.
To get you started, you can check out some of the most common bet types available when it comes to Bendigo Cup betting here:
Bet Type | Description |
Win | Here, you are selecting the horse you think will win the Bendigo Cup. |
Place | If you aren’t confident your chosen runner will win, you can select a place bet and to be successful, your runner simply needs to finish in the top three (as long as there are a minimum of eight runners in the race). |
Each-Way | You can hedge your bets with an each-way bet and this is where you essentially place two equal-value bets on the same runner, one bet for the horse to win and another for it to place. |
Exacta | Here, you select two horses that you think will finish first and second in the Bendigo Cup, in the right order. |
Quinella | The quinella bet is similar to the exacta, however, the two horses you selected to finish in the top two in the Bendigo Cup can finish in any order. |
Trifecta | This is another step up from the previous two bet types and here you are selecting the runners you think will finish in the top three in the Bendigo Cup, in the correct order. You can “box” your bet if you like and this means the three chosen runners can finish in any order. |
First Four | The first four involves selecting the horses you believe will finish first, second, third, and fourth, in the correct order. As is the case with the trifecta, you can also “box” your first four bet. |
Quadrella (Quaddie) | A quadrella (more commonly known as a quaddie) bet is where you select the winner for four pre-nominated races on the Bendigo Cup card, including the Bendigo Cup race. To increase your chances of success, you can add more than four runners to your bet. |
Treble | The treble bet is similar to the quaddie, but a step down. Here, you are simply selecting the winner of three pre-nominated races on the Bendigo Cup card. |
Double | The double bet is another step down and involves selecting the winner of two pre-nominated races on the Bendigo Cup card. |
Bendigo Cup Field
The Bendigo Cup takes place smack bang in the middle of the Spring Racing Carnival, which is known as the biggest carnival on the racing calendar each year. As a result, there is a lot of attention on the Group Three race and it takes place one week after the Geelong Cup, on a Wednesday each year.
The field for the Bendigo Cup is announced each year a couple of days before the race, usually on Monday. The race is run under handicap conditions and we usually see around 15 runners confirmed for the race each year.
The Bendigo Cup is such a popular race and is the biggest race on the calendar in Bendigo. It has become a staple on the Bendigo social calendar and we always see plenty of racing fans head to the track each year. On Bendigo Cup Day, all areas west of the Campaspe River enjoy a public holiday.
There is a sizable $500,000 worth of prize money on the line for the Bendigo Cup, so we always see a high-quality field of runners contending the race. Runners who do well in the Bendigo Cup usually head to other races like the Ballarat Cup or Zipping Classic.
Bendigo Cup Barrier Draw
With so much prestige and prize money on the line, we usually see a lot of excitement around the Bendigo Cup barrier draw each year. When the final field is announced a couple of days before the race, we see the barrier draw announced at the same time.
Several factors influence the importance of the barrier draw. For example, the larger the field, the more important the barrier draw is. It is also important to look at the size of the track and the length of the race. Bendigo Racecourse has a 400m straight which should give each runner their fair chance of winning the race if they are good enough.
For the Bendigo Cup, it is raced over a distance of 2,400m, which is one of the longer races on the calendar. This results in the barrier draw not necessarily being as influential. However, there are still barriers that have seen more success than others over the history of the race and runners have different racing styles that make certain barriers more appealing.
Bendigo Cup Winning History
Over the history of the Bendigo Cup, we have seen a raft of high-quality runners win the race. Horses that have gone on to bigger and better things! If a horse can win or perform well in the Bendigo Cup, it’s a good idea to look out for them later on throughout the Spring Racing Carnival.
Have a look at a brief history of the winners and placegetters for the Bendigo Cup (up until 2010) here:
Year | Winner | Second | Third |
2024 | Sea King | Berkeley Square | Star Vega |
2023 | Interpretation | Brayden Star | Taramansour |
2022 | High Emocean | Port Philip | Verimli |
2021 | Wentwood | Smokin’ Romans | Taramansour |
2020 | Princess Jenni | Pondus | Haky |
2019 | Top Of The Range | Brimham Rocks | Hang Man |
2018 | Red Alto | Dal Harraild | Sir Charles Road |
2017 | Qewy | Kiwia | Foundry |
2016 | Francis of Assisi | Second Bullet | Our Century |
2015 | The Offer | Divan | Kirramosa |
2014 | Bring Something | Massiyn | Order Of The Sun |
2013 | Sertorius | Massiyn | Kesampour |
2012 | Puissance De Lune | Practiced | Fiumicino |
2011 | Tanby | At First Sight | Western Symbol |
2010 | Dream Pedlar | My Bentley | Zauberin |
Bendigo Cup Tips
You may be keen to start placing your bets for the Bendigo Cup, but before you do, it’s a good idea to check out our Bendigo Cup race tips. A lot is going on in the world of horse racing and over the years, we have established a list of betting tips you should know.
Some of our top tips for Bendigo Cup betting include:
- Check out the entire field, not just the favourite - It can be easy to be drawn into the favourite, but it is a good idea to look into other runners as well. The favourite doesn’t win all the time and you could be missing out on a potential roughie by not expanding your search.
- Check out recent form of the field - Recent form is key to look into and all the best betting sites will have recent form information about all the runners expected to take part in the Bendigo Cup.
- Shop around for the best bookie - You have plenty of amazing options and there are even heaps of new betting sites popping up all the time. So, why would you settle for just one? Shopping around means you can find the best odds and promotions.
- Review the form guide - The best horse racing betting sites will provide in-depth form guide information. This means you don’t have to do the form yourself, but you can check runner comments, the speed map and fluctuations that can help you choose a runner.
Bendigo Cup Odds
It’s no secret that different bookies will offer different odds for the same markets. So, it really can pay to shop around to find the best odds going around for your chosen runner. You may think this would be time-consuming, but there are plenty of odds comparison tools around that can make the process as quick and easy as possible.
For a race like the Bendigo Cup, you’ll usually find that the betting markets will open up a couple of weeks before the race. When the market first opens, you are more likely to get a better price for your runner, so if you have a hot tip, it’s a good idea to place your bet before the odds potentially shorten.
Bendigo Cup Betting Offers
If you’re on the hunt for the best Bendigo Cup betting bonuses, it can be a time-consuming process. All the best bookies in Australia will offer a special for the Bendigo Cup and the special could very well be different among different bookies. You can take advantage of one bookie’s promotions or multiple bookies, the choice is up to you.
This means you’ll need to check out each bookie individually to see what the best deal is to take advantage and get the biggest bang for your buck. These days, you can’t see the promotions available with each bookie unless you log into your account. So, when you’re checking, make sure you log in first.
Bendigo Cup Betting FAQs
Hopefully, you now have a better idea about what makes the Bendigo Cup so special and how to bet on the big race. To wrap up our Bendigo Cup page, we have answered some commonly asked questions people have about the race.
When is the Bendigo Cup?
The Bendigo Cup takes place each year on a Wednesday and it is the Wednesday before the Melbourne Cup. There are plenty of Melbourne Cup betting markets available all year round if you want to bet on that race.
What is the prize money for the Bendigo Cup?
There is a cool $500,000 worth of prize money up for grabs in the Bendigo Cup each year with the winner taking home $300,000.
Where is the Bendigo Cup?
The Bendigo Cup is raced each year at Bendigo Racecourse, which is located about 150km from Melbourne’s CBD.
Who won the Bendigo Cup?
The Bendigo Cup has been won by some high-quality horses over the years. The likes of Sea King, Interpretation, High Emocean, Wentwood, and Princess Jenni have all won the Bendigo Cup.
What distance is the Bendigo Cup?
The Bendigo Cup is run across a distance of 2,400m each year, with a 400m straight for runners to contend with. At 2,400m, the Bendigo Cup is one of the longer races on the calendar.
Where to bet on the Bendigo Cup?
You have a lot of choices for the Bendigo Cup and essential every Australian bookie will offer markets. The biggest bookies in Australia will also offer tennis betting, NRL betting, AFL betting, and greyhound betting markets if you’re interested in more than just horse racing.