NO WIN on Bendigo Cup day was as popular with the big crowd as that of improving mare Go Down.
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Despite a host of chances throughout the packed 10-race card, the Brendon Hearps-trained galloper's triumph in the three-year-old fillies and mare handicap was the only one by a Bendigo horse.
It proved crowd-pleasing on two fronts, with Bendigo jockey Brad Rawiller piloting the mare to a resounding win.
She finished five lengths of her nearest rival Strykinglee, with a pair of fellow Bendigo runners Flying Spark ($11), from the Shane Fliedner stable, and Brad Cole's mare Stella The Boss battling it out for third place.
It was the third time in her short career Go Down ($7) had won a race first-up from a spell.
Hearps was confident the mare would perform well, but conceded he thought she would not win as easily as she showed.
"She couldn't get out about the 250 (metre mark), so when she did she let down really well," he said.
"She likes being fresh (from a spell), she'll roll on a bit now."
Hearps said it was always pleasing to get a winner on cup day and hinted Go Down might be aimed at a race at Moonee Valley some time in the future.
Rawiller said the mare was "bolting" on approaching the 400m mark when in sixth position.
"It was just a matter of getting that luck; there wasn't much room there to get out, but she just went straight through," he said.
"It was an impressive win.
"She's always had potential. She bucked on me one day here at the 1400m and then I obviously won on here here at Bendigo (on April 24).
"She had another little buck coming on to the track today.
"It gives me good pleasure to get a winner on Bendigo Cup day and for Brendon Hearps, who is a long-time mate."
He praised the Bendigo Jockey Club for putting on a great race day.
The Churchill Downs-Go Bendigo mare advanced her record to three wins and two placings from eight starts.
Wins could also be on the horizon for Flying Spark and Stella The Boss on the strength of their efforts.
Flying Spark's placing was his second straight on Cup day after being one of vfour Fliedner runners to finish second last year.
Stella The Boss was attempting back-to-back wins, with the mare breaking her maiden status in 2014, and was well backed with punters.
The five-year-old has provided plenty of thrills for Cole and his co-owners, including a city win at Sandown last March.