The 15th edition of the annual Gold Rush Carnival kicks off at Bendigo this week with the heats of the Jarrod Larkin Concreting Gold Rush Maiden being run on Thursday and Friday.

The carnival’s flagship event, the Gold Rush Maiden series is always a popular series and each year unearths some stars of the greyhound racing world and this years series will prove no exception.

Despite the much publicised low greyhound racing pool the $10,000 to the winner series has drawn ten heats, five of which will be held on Thursday evening and five on Friday afternoon. While numbers are down on the traditional entries if the breeding of some of the debutants and the kennels being represented is anything to go by then the quality will most certainly be on show.

The placegetters plus the two fastest fourths will progress to the four semi finals on Wednesday afternoon April 17 and from there the first and second placed runners in the semi finals will make it through to the rich final on Easter Sunday.

BENDIGO THURSDAY FIELDS 

BENDIGO FRIDAY FIELDS 

Looking for standouts in the support cards this week on Thursday the highly promising Steinbrenner looks the goods in race seven after an impressive 30.01 Meadows maiden win on February 20 while on Friday promising stayer Blue Shadows, fresh off a flying 33.90 Sandown 595m win will be a short priced favourite for the tenth race over the 660m trip. A convincing victory is likely to see Blue Shadows then progress onto the Grays Bendigo Stayers Cup on Easter Sunday.

The Gold Rush Carnival continues on Sunday with a lunchtime race meeting highlighted by heats of the McIvor Road Vets Beau of Bendigo and Aussie Infrared Belle of Bendigo before four race meetings next week over the Easter weekend

*This release was compiled by the Bendigo Greyhound Racing Association. bendigo.grv.org.au