BENDIGO trainers will supply at least two runners in the final of the Melbourne Cup Country Series, to be run at Flemington on VRC Oaks day.

The Mick Sell-trained mare Penny to Sell won his spot in the field with a strong second in Wednesday’s $50,000 heat at Geelong on cup day.

Penny to Sell was attempting back-to-back victories after saluting at odds of 150-1 at Bendigo earlier this month, but had to settle for second behind the impressive Ballarat-trained mare Truly Discreet.

With the first and second placegetters in each of eight heats qualifying for the final, to be run on day three of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, Penny to Sell will join the Danny Curran-trained Welcome Stryker, who finished second in his heat at Ballarat on October 14.

The mare’s second placing continued an impressive run for Sell, who transferred his stable operation to Bendigo in July this year.

The former Kyneton trainer prepared a winner at Tuesday’s meeting at Kilmore with promising four-year-old mare La Maestra.

Her victory gave Sell his seventh winner of the 2018-19 season, from 31 starts, at the handy strike rate of 22.5 per cent.

It was the mare’s second win from three starts for the Bendigo trainer, who has runners nominated at Moonee Valley on Friday and Morphettville on Saturday.

The final heat of the Melbourne Cup Country Series will be run at Bendigo on cup day, next Wednesday.

Next month’s final carries $200,000 in prizemoney.