Track record holder Typhoon Sammy is favourite to be anointed Victoria’s new country cups king in Friday night’s $78,795 Group 2 Bendigo Cup Final (425m).

Having already won the Traralgon and Horsham Cups in 2022, Typhoon Sammy is chasing a $50,000 bonus for winning three country cups in a calendar year, having come within half-a-length of securing the bonus when a close third in the Group 2 Healesville Cup Final last month.

The bonus was claimed last year by Ferdinand Boy.

KEY TIMES

7:08pm First race
8:08pm $15,425 Vic Bred Maiden Final (Race 4)
8:27pm $8,025 Battlers Cup Final (Race 5; first leg of Quaddie)
9:08pm $14,960 Bendigo Spring Cup Final (Race 7)
9:27pm $78,795 G2 Bendigo Cup Final (Race 8)
9:49pm $11,500 Cup Night Match Race between Robbie Rotten 📷 v Titan Blazer (Race 9)
10:48pm Last race (Race 12)

Typhoon Sammy established Bendigo’s 425m course record of 23.28sec in last year’s Cup heats, before running third to Paua Of Buddy in the final.

Winner of 37 of his 60 starts, Typhoon Sammy is trained by big race specialist Jason Thompson, who with wife Seona has won the Bendigo Cup on four occasions, courtesy of El Galo (2008), Peggy May (2012), Ronan Izmir (2013) and Aston Bolero (2016).

Typhoon Sammy (Box 3) is Sportsbet’s $2.15 favourite to add to Thompson’s trophy collection after producing the second fastest qualifying performance in last Sunday night’s eight heats, clocking 23.52sec to claim his third win from four starts at Bendigo.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION
– Watch the racing LIVE and FREE on the Watchdog App
– Behind-the-scenes insights on GRV Facebook, @WatchDogRacing Twitter and @greyhoundracingvic Instagram
– Regular updates with Trent Langskaill on RSN Racing and Sport (927 AM)

The fastest qualifier was lightly raced prospect Panadero Warrior (Box 6), trained by Paul Abela, which ran 23.48sec to qualify for his first Group final, and despite drawing awkwardly he’s the $4.20 second elect.

Others at single figures in betting are Group 2 Geelong Gold Cup runner-up Aston Merit (Box 1), one of two finalists trained by Jessica Sharp, Quinlan Bale (Box 2), runner-up in the Healesville Cup and winner of the Victorian Straight Track Championship and The Arrow match race series during Healesville’s Festival of Racing, and recent Group 3 SA Derby placegetter Salad Dodger (Box 7).

The outsider of the field is He’s No Slouch (Box 8), a litter brother to superstar Wow She’s Fast and winner of the Waterloo Cup, the highlight of the coursing season, in August.

The Cup meeting will also feature the Cup Night Match Race (Race 9) between Group 2 Warragul Cup winner Robbie Rotten and Group 1 Silver Chief placegetter Titan Blazer, the Spring Cup Final over 660m (Race 7), and the Vic Bred Maiden Final (Race 4), all worth $10,000 to-the-winner.

POINTS OF INTEREST

HISTORY BOOKS
The Bendigo Cup was first run in 1957, with the inaugural winner Cantee. The club initially raced at the Eaglehawk circuit, just outside Bendigo, with the Cup run over 400 yards, but moved to 528m for several years in the 1970s. Since Bendigo GRC moved to Lords Raceway in 1988, the Cup has been held over 430m and now 425m, every year except 2001, when it was held over 545m.

RECORD BREAKERS
Bendigo’s 425m track record has been broken in the previous two Cup series. In 2020, Shima Shine, trained by Andrea Dailly, clocked 23.35sec, which was in turn broken in last year’s heats by Typhoon Sammy, which posted 23.28sec. Paua Of Buddy then went within .01sec of breaking Typhoon Sammy’s record when winning the final in 23.29sec. After running third in the 2021 final, Typhoon Sammy will be striving to make amends on Friday night.

CUPS BONUS
Favourite Typhoon Sammy is chasing a $50,000 bonus for winning three country cups in a calendar year after victories at Traralgon and Horsham earlier in 2022. Typhoon Sammy is trained by four-time Bendigo Cup winner Jason Thompson.

MULTIPLE FINALISTS
Jessica Sharp from Avalon is the only trainer with multiple finalists after claiming a heat double, courtesy of Aston Merit and Orson Mick. Aston Merit will be contesting his third country cup final after finishing runner-up in this year’s Group 2 Geelong Gold Cup and fourth in the 2021 Group 2 Healesville Cup at just his fourth start. There’s great sentiment attached to Orson Mick’s first appearance in a Group event, as he is named after part-owner David Hogarth’s brother, Michael, who is waging a courageous battle against Motor Neurone Disease.

‘BOYS CLUB’
While Jessica Sharp trains two finalists, no female sprinters have qualified, with the last member of the fairer sex to win the Cup being 2019 heroine Crimson Vixen, which was trained by Warrnambool legend Norm McCullagh, of Bold Trease fame.

FIRST TIMERS
Typhoon Sammy is the only Group winner in the Cup field, with his seven rivals all striving to celebrate a feature race breakthrough. Fastest heat winner Panadero Warrior, Orson Mick and Shima Sheen will all be making their first appearance at Group level.

Group 2 BENDIGO CUP FINAL (425m)
Bendigo Race 8, Friday 9:27pm
Total prizemoney $78,795 (First prize $50,000)
1 ASTON MERIT (Jessica Sharp, Avalon VIC)
2 QUINLAN BALE (Daniel Gibbons, Avalon VIC)
3 TYPHOON SAMMY (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale VIC) 📷
4 ORSON MICK (Jessica Sharp, Avalon VIC)
5 SHIMA SHEEN (Garry Selkrig, Devon Meadows VIC)
6 PANADERO WARRIOR (Paul Abela, Parwan VIC)
7 SALAD DODGER (Anthony Azzopardi, Rowsley VIC)
8 HE’S NO SLOUCH (Peter Craig, Langwarrin VIC)
Reserves
9 TITAN BLAZER  SCRATCHED
10 PLAINTIFF  SCRATCHED

BENDIGO CUP HEAT WINNERS
Sunday 9 October
(fastest to slowest)

23.48sec Panadero Warrior 📷
23.52sec Typhoon Sammy
23.67sec Salad Dodger
23.68sec Quinlan Bale
23.69sec Aston Merit
23.87sec Shima Sheen
23.89sec He’s No Slouch
23.96sec Orson Mick

RECENT BENDIGO CUP WINNERS

2013 Ronan Izmir (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale VIC)
2014 Paw Licking (Kel Greenough, Pearcedale VIC) [April]
2014 Warrior King (Brooke Ennis, Lara VIC) [July]
2015 Fernando Bale (Andrea Dailly, Anakie VIC)
2016 Aston Bolero (Jason Thompson, Pearcedale, VIC)
2017 Landmark (Robert Britton, Lara VIC)
2018 Vanderworp (Chris Halse, Nambeelup WA)
2019 Crimson Vixen (Norm McCullagh, Warrnambool VIC)
2020 Yozo Bale (Correy Grenfell, Anakie VIC)
2021 Paua Of Buddy (Steven White, Buln Buln East VIC) 📷

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THE STIR UP FEATURING TYPHOON SAMMY, PANADERO WARRIOR AND QUINLAN BALE
GREEN LIGHT ON – BENDIGO CUP EDITION
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PANADERO SETS BENDIGO CUP PACE