KEY POINTS:
Victoria's star pacer Sting Lika Bee is poised to cap an exceptional year by winning tonight's group two Bendigo Cup at Bendigo.
Sting Lika Bee has won 10 of his 15 starts this year, including seven cups, and more than A$500,000 ($575,000) in prize money.
The Hunter Cup was his best winning run. His six other cup wins were country events and, ironically, already include a Bendigo Cup.
The race was run in March last season but for this racing season has been transferred to tonight.
Sting Lika Bee produced a personal best to win the March edition of the Bendigo Cup when he returned a mile rate of one minute 55.8 seconds for the 2650m.
On that occasion he defeated Safari, one of his main rivals in tonight's A$50,000 race.
Sting Lika Bee has drawn No 4 tonight and despite being outside the likes of Safari (barrier one), Cincinnati Kid (two) and Smoken Up (three) in gate four, he is still the clear-cut favourite with TAB Sportsbet in Australia.
Sting Lika Bee was last night at $2.15 with Safari, having his first start in six months, second elect at $3.60.
At his latest start Safari rated 1min 55.8secs in winning the Italian Cup to make it four successive victories.
Safari has been holding his own on the training track with the likes of Robin Hood, who won the Victoria Cup at Moonee Valley on December 15, and Manwarra Goforgold, who last week won the Tasmanian Pacing championship.
An added incentive for tonight's Bendigo Cup is that the winner becomes guaranteed entry into the semifinals of the Interdominions.
Sting Lika Bee has already picked up an exemption by winning the Cranbourne Cup this month.
- AAP
