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FOUND yourself thinking the mosquitoes were bad on Bendigo Cup day?
Spare a thought for the city's racing fraternity.
Swarms of pesky mosquitoes have descended on the Bendigo Jockey Club complex since last Saturday, much to the irritation of trainers, jockeys and stable hands.
The barrage of bugs prompted a social media warning from the BJC for punters to bring some insect repellent with them to Wednesday's Cup meeting to protect themselves.
It might explain why stocks of mosquito repellents and bite treatments have virtually disappeared from store shelves across the city.
BJC track manager Bernard Hopkins said the infestation was as bad as he had seen in 17 years in Bendigo.
"I feel like I am back in Gippsland where I am from," he said.
"They were shocking (Cup day) morning, but they disappeared when it warmed up during the day, which was good.
"But during the morning they are bloody thick.
"They are in the grass in the track and when you walk along the track they come out.
"Obviously having such a wet winter, with all the water laying around has really brought them out."
BJC officials spent much of Wednesday morning putting mosquito coils in the various marquees around the racecourse.
There's been little respite for trainers and their trusty thoroughbreds, with many reporting behavioural issues and horses being covered in bites, particularly on Cup morning.
Trainer Danny Curran has taken to washing his horses down with citronella.
"That helps a little bit, but it doesn't help them too much," he said.
"They are like us (people), you put the repellent on and that helps, but it doesn't totally get rid of them.
"We are obviously a bit concerned about it, but I think everyone is right around the town and even in other parts of Victoria I notice the same thing."
Mosquitoes pose more than an annoyance to horses, they are also a health threat, despite Australia being free of many of the serious mosquito-borne diseases affecting the animal.
Rod Symons, who has been based at his Rohs Road property for the last 20 years, said he could only remember mosquito numbers being greater once before, about five years ago.
"That was terrible as we had this rainfall in the summer, not so much the spring," he said.
"All you can do is get the repellent on them as quick as possible before the horses get too cranky."
Symonds said he been using a concoction devised by his neighbour Peter Lane containing citronella and an assortment of other ingredients, including olive oil and garlic.
"I noticed his horses had been sprayed (on Wednesday) and had no mosquitoes at all," he said.
"But he was about the only one unaffected."
Mosquito numbers had declined considerably at trackwork on Friday due to the cooler temperatures, but trainers were bracing for their return as the day warmed up.