IT's been an auspicious start to new Bendigo Jockey Club chief executive officer Jason Paech's tenure.
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Mr Paech was at the helm of the club for just two weeks when Danny Curran-trained filly The Big Dance - bought for just $750 - steamed home to win the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush at the Golden Mile raceday on Saturday.
He said racing didn't get any better.
"For this to come through is such a romantic story," he said.
"It's what racing is all about.
"This is going to put Bendigo as a club and as a training centre in the headlines."
He said the Golden Mile meet was an "unreal" way to start his time as CEO.
"It's a great time to see how they do it here and what goes on," he said.
"It's a very proud moment because this is one of only two standalone Saturday metropolitan meetings in Victoria."
Mr Paech said he was impressed by the standard of racing in Bendigo.
"This is as good as any meeting you'll see outside of autumn or spring carnival anywhere in Victoria," he said.
"Bendigo has always had a reputation as being a great club.
"It''s got a great track; one of the best tracks in Australia. There are probably half a dozen racetracks in Australia outside of the cities where their reputations precede them and Bendigo is right up there."
Previously operations manager at Adelaide's Morphettville Racecourse, Mr Paech said he was looking forward to the new challenge in Bendigo.
He said he planned to build on the already successful Bendigo Cup meet.
"Bendigo Cup is a very big meeting; not just for Bendigo but in the context of racing in Victoria," he said.
"It's just got group three status which makes it even more prestigious than it already was and now it's a qualifying race for the Melbourne Cup as well.
"We want to make that as big and strong as we possibly can for Bendigo."
He said he also hoped to help improve the Golden Mile meet.
"This meeting we can grow as well, both in terms of the crowd and the quality of the horses. It's going from strength to strength every year," he said.
Mr Paech said he and his family were looking forward to enjoying all the advantages of life in Bendigo.
"Bendigo in general is a great sporting city and racing is a part of that sporting culture," he said.
Bendigo is a great sporting city and racing is a part of that sporting culture.
- Jason Paech
"Everyone is out actively participating in sport and it's a great city to live and work in."
