Evergreen Qewy digs deep to win Bendigo Cup in track-record time

Qewy's love-affair with Australia continued on Wednesday when he added the Bendigo Cup to the Geelong and Sandown Cups he claimed during the 2016 Spring Carnival. He did so in a track-record time too.

Charlie Appleby has farmed the country cups at the last two Spring Carnivals and Qewy provided him with back-to-back wins in the Bendigo Cup following the success of Francis Of Assisi 12 months ago.

The betting suggested the Group 3, worth £105,263 to the winner, would develop into a duel between the the battled-hardened Qewy and the progressive four-year-old Kiwia from the Darren Weir stable. And so it proved.

Qewy did not break particularly well and sat fourth through the early stages. Keen to make use of his proven stamina, Kerrin McEvoy circled the leaders approaching the home straight and the seven-year-old dug deep to withstand the persistent challenge of Kiwia by a head.

The question on everyone's lips afterwards was whether he would take his place in the Melbourne Cup next Tuesday having finished fourth in the race last year.

McEvoy said: "He might lack a bit of brilliance but he stays well and tries hard so you would have to think that he would definitely have a top ten chance in the Melbourne Cup. It would be a big call.

"I am really pleased to see him return to his best form. I wanted to be closer but he didn't step great".

Chris Connett, Charlie Appleby's travelling head lad, kept us in suspense too.

Connett said: "We will see how he comes out of this first, then speak to Charlie and come back to you about the Melbourne Cup.

"It is great to be back here winning at Bendigo and it is a terrific team effort from everyone. He stays all day and shows great heart when he gets into a battle."

He added: "All the guys have flourished since coming down here and Qewy has really blossomed in the last couple of weeks. He was bustled up but the second is a progressive horse and I believe it was a track-record time so we are all delighted."

Result

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