Godolphin’s English raider Qewy is back in action down under as one of the top fancies in Bendigo Cup 2017 betting for this weekend in a diminutive field of stayers.

English raider Qewy is well-supported to return to winning form in Wednesday’s Bendigo Cup 2017. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Headlining the midweek Wednesday racing action in Victoria, this year’s Group 3 $300,000 Bendigo Cup (2400m) has attracted just seven hopefuls at final acceptance stage.

Carrying top weight in the Bendigo Cup field with 59kg first-up is the Charlie Appleby-trained Qewy, the Street Cry eight-year-old racing for the first time since a disappointing second last in the Group 1 Goodwood Cup (3218m) over the two miles in Europe on August 1.

Qewy was a revelation in Melbourne last spring winning the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) before a fourth in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) behind Almandin.

The gun stayer also saluted in the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) last November and has Kerrin McEvoy reuniting with him in the Bendigo Cup first-up.

The latest Bendigo Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au list Qewy as the close $2.80 second favourite, markets led by the in-form Kiwia ($2.40) carrying 56kg from gate five.

Prepared by Darren Weir, the progressive Reset four-year-old Kiwia has won three of his past four starts going back to July including the lead-up victory on Caulfield Cup Day in the Group 3 Coongy Cup (2000m).

The gelding goes up two kilos for Wednesday’s race, but has Damian Lane retaining the ride.

Lane has also secured a ride in the 2017 Melbourne Cup, set to partner the Godolphin horse Hartnell as Blake Shinn keeps with Weir’s Cox Plate runner-up Humidor.

The other single-figure fancy in Bendigo Cup odds this spring is the rails-drawn Foundry who was among the 36 Melbourne Cup second acceptances taken on Monday morning.

Prepared by Robert Hickmott and owned by Lloyd Williams who won last year’s Melbourne Cup with Almandin, the $6.50 favourite to successfully defend his title this spring, the Galileo entire won the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) in Sydney two back.

Michael Dee rode Foundry, a veteran eight-year-old, to victory that day on just 50.5kg and was also on for the horse’s disappointing last (10^th) behind Lord Fandango in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) when walking home at Caulfield on October 14.

Foundry gets a chance to atone in the Bendigo Cup results, but is up in the weights again with 57.5kg.

The other notable Bendigo Cup horses in 2017 include Big Memory ($11) and Meet And Greet ($12) drawn in gates three and six respectively.

The Tony McEvoy-trained Duke Of Marmalade eight-year-old Big Memory comes off a fourth in the Moe Cup (2050m), but has winning form up to 2600m and has plenty of form at 2400m (8:1-5-0).

Meet And Greet is a lightweight hope at Bendigo, the Champions Gallery four-year-old second at Caulfield in easier company last time out with Wednesday a notable rise in grade.

See below for the full Bendigo Cup 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and latest Fixed Win odds provided by Ladbrokes.com.au.

2017 Bendigo Cup Field, Barriers & Odds