| What | Golden Mile Day 2023 |
| Where | Bendigo Jockey Club – Heinz St, White Hills VIC 3550 |
| When | Saturday, April 1, 2023 |
| First Race | 12:25pm AEDT |
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Visit Ladbrokes |
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It is Golden Mile Day as metropolitan racing heads to Bendigo this Saturday for a bumper nine-race program. The Listed Golden Mile and Listed Bendigo Guineas take centre stage, while there looks to be plenty of value throughout the day. With Victoria copping a heap of rain this week, we expect to remain on a Soft 6 on Saturday, while the rail sticks to the true position for the card, which kicks off at 12:25pm AEDT.
Golden Mile Top Tip – Just Folk
The $200,000 Golden Mile is the feature of the day, and we are hoping the Josh Julius-trained Just Folk can pick up his first win in over 12 months. The six-year-old gelding ran on strongly behind Scallopini in the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue first-up, but getting back to Bendigo might just be the recipe for success. He has five wins and six minor placings on rain-affected ground, which is arguably one of the best wet-track records in the race, and despite giving race favourite Munhamek 4kg, we could well see the best of Just Folk on Saturday. If Harry Coffey can have him in clear air approaching the home turn, this guy should prove too hard to hold out.
Golden Mile
Race 8 – 
#2 Just Folk (8)
6yo Gelding | T: Josh Julius | J: Harry Coffey (58.5kg)
$8.50 with Bet365
Bendigo Guineas Top Tip – Is It Me
The Listed Bendigo Guineas has attracted a strong field of three-year-olds chasing stakes glory. Having been the definition of a good thing beaten at Flemington first-up from a spell, Daniel Bowman’s Is It Me looks to have a struck the perfect race second-up this campaign. He may lack the class that some of his rivals bring to the Guineas, but from what we have seen so far, Is It Me looks to be a great play. He was held up for a run until the final 150m at Flemington on March 11, before unleashing a strong turn of foot to be beaten by under a half-length to Meridius. He draws barrier 13 on Saturday under Declan Bates, and despite staying at the 1400m, he looks to gain a perfect tow into the race from the wide draw. With a strong finishing burst, it is hard to see how Is It Me gets beaten.
Bendigo Guineas
Race 7 – 
#12 Is It Me (13)
3yo Gelding | T: Daniel Bowman | J: Declan Bates (58kg)
$6 with Unibet
Best Bet at Bendigo – Queen Air
Wins do not come much more impressive than what the Lindsey Smith-trained Queen Air produced in The Mystic Journey at Moonee Valley on March 18. The three-year-old filly settled up on speed and tracked race favourite Summerbeel throughout the 2040m event, and when asked for an effort on the home turn, she quickened like a smart horse should and put four lengths on arguably a tougher field than what she faces on Saturday. She was placed in the VRC Oaks during the spring, so we know the 2200m will be no issue for this Toronado filly. Despite going up 8kg from her last-start win, Queen Air is clearly the class horse of the field. As long as she avoids issues in running, she looks a clear best bet of the day at Bendigo.
Best Bet
Race 6 – 
#1 Queen Air (8)
3yo Filly | T: Lindsey Smith | J: Jarrod Fry (60kg)
$2.05 with Palmerbet
Next Best at Bendigo – Croatian Belle
The Ben & JD Hayes-trained Croatian Belle showed plenty of potential in her initial campaign and looks poised to strike first-up from a brief 10-week spell. Having strung together consecutive Moonee Valley victories to begin her career, simply too much went wrong in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, but this looks to be a perfect kick-off point for her autumn and winter campaign. The Hayes boys are clearly the pick of the bunch this season when it comes to training two-year-old winners, and this filly looks to be one of their nicer ones. From barrier 11, look for Daniel Stackhouse to take luck out of the equation and have her settled outside expected leader Shesallshenanigans throughout. Despite lacking race fitness, Croatian Belle brings an element of class that should prove to be too much for her rivals in the VOBIS Gold Rush.
Next Best
Race 3 – 
#6 Croatian Belle (11)
2yo Filly | T: Ben & JD Hayes | J: Daniel Stackhouse (56kg)
$2.70 with Neds
Best Value at Bendigo – Noname Lane
We will be looking to strike value in the opening race when the Will Clarken & Nikki O’Shea-trained Noname Lane returns to Bendigo. The six-year-old gelding snapped up the Listed Seymour Cup in October last year in his only start at the track. He managed to take up the running under Linda Meech on that day, and in a race that may lack some tactical pace, Meech might just take up the initiative once again. The son of Shamus Award relishes the sting out of the surface with a wet-track record of 16: 9-2-0, and if he can build on his respectable first-up showing at Morphettville, this guy can salute at a nice price early on Golden Mile Day.
Best Value
Race 1 – 
#4 Noname Lane (7)
6yo Gelding | T: Will Clarken & Nikki O’Shea | J: Linda Meech (57.5kg)
$12 with Ladbrokes
Saturday quaddie tips for Bendigo
Bendigo quadrella selections
Saturday, April 1, 2023
- 1
- 5-6-7-12
- 2-5-9-11
- 5-8-9-13
Investment: $64 for 100%
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