Racing Victoria has "announced significant prizemoney rises in some of Victoria's most important country cups," a move that will allow local and overseas stayers more options of gaining a start in the Caulfield and Melbourne cups, according to Patrick Bartley of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Spoils for this year's Cranbourne Cup will increase from A$100,000 ($77,055) to $300,000 ($231,165) and now will be viewed as owners and trainers' last hope of "squeezing into the Caulfield Cup or gaining a penalty for the Melbourne Cup." Run on Oct. 11, the Cranbourne Cup is the last significant Caulfield Cup lead-up and the A$300,000 on offer "could see those involved with a cup runner make their final bid for a start at Cranbourne." Racing Victoria Senior Exec Greg Carpenter said that this year's Bendigo Cup will now be worth A$300,000, up A$50,000 ($38,530) on last year's race, which he "believes can only strengthen the 2400-metre event." Cranbourne Turf Club CEO Neil Bainbridge said, "This increase further stakes Cranbourne's claim as one of the country's premier country cups and a significant event of the Spring Racing Carnival." In addition, the Bendigo Cup has been "lifted from a Listed event to a group 3 standard race, following the talent that has been successful in recent years." The Ballarat Cup, which is run as a stand-alone Saturday meeting two weeks after the final day of the VRC carnival, has also "received a healthy hike in stake money," moving from A$250,000 ($193,000) to A$300,000 (SMH, 6/29).
