A busy Bendigo Cup Day

 We have a busy week leading up to Australian racing's biggest carnival, saddling up two runners at Seymour on Tuesday and another five at the Bendigo Cup meeting on Wednesday.

The first of our runners is Miss Bonga Longa who, at her third outing steps up to 2215m.

Bred for a trip, being a daughter of Don Eduardo, the lightly raced four-year-old is a possible improver having proven "a bit disappointing" at her first couple over shorter trips.

"She is stepping up to her right distance now," Michael Moroney said, "so it will be interesting to see how she goes."

Barbuda is our second Seymour runner, the last start Echuca maiden winner stepping up in grade and expected to go on with it.

"He is a really nice horse," Moroney enthused about the son of Al Samer.

"We've got a bit of opinion of him and he should again prove hard to beat."

The first of our Bendigo Cup Day runners is debutant Tristram's Sun who lines up in the second event, a 1400m maiden.

"He is a nice staying prospect," said Moroney - "he is still lean but quite strong."

Next up is Te Karaka in the sixth race, a 1300m ratings handicap.

First up from a spell and having his first Australian run, the last start Hastings winner is a lightly raced six-year-old who has had just five runs.

"He is a nice horse but he may find the trip a bit short," Moroney said, noting that the son of High Chaparral's best form so far has been around the mile.

Maythehorsebemagic is our runner in the feature event of the day - the $250,000 Listed Bendigo Cup.

Safely held at his first couple of runs this time in, the eight-year-old son of Zabeel is however primed for the 2400m.

"He has improved a lot since his last run," Moroney said - pleased with the barrier draw (4).

"We will be disappointed if he doesn't run an improved race."

In the ninth event of the day we saddle up two horses - Viking Hero (pictured) and Between The Beats - both of whom are resuming from spells.

"Viking Hero boasts a reasonable fresh record," Moroney noted, "but in saying that he is not as forward as he has been in the past."

A son of Golan, Between The Beats is another Australian debutant whose best New Zealand form is over longer and the 1400m, Moroney said "will probably find this too short."

In other stable news Glass Harmonium pulled up very well from his unplaced W.S Cox Plate run in which he again missed the start.

He will back up in Saturday's Gr.1 Mackinnon Stakes - a race he won with authority last year.

"We are hoping he can repeat the dose," said Moroney, adding that "the barriers are a lot further away from the crowd at Flemington than they are at Moonee Valley," mindful that the grey can get stirred up.