AFTER a wet track last year, Bendigo Jockey Club racecourse manager Wayne Tucker is expecting Wednesday's Apiam Bendigo Cup meeting to go ahead on a Good 4 surface.
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It will be a far cry from the Heavy 9 which greeted jockeys, trainers and punters at the start of last year's meeting, which was downgraded to a Heavy 8 in time for the feature race.
Tucker is expecting that rating to hold throughout the day.
"We put 8mm of irrigation on Sunday night and I gave it another splash Monday night and we'll top it up Tuesday as needed," he said.
"I'll say we'll kick off on a Good 4 and hold that for most, if not all, the day.
"We could possibly get to a Good 3 if the weather is nice, but there is only light wind forecast, so that will help. But the plan would be to stay at four all day."
While the club's ground staff always approach cup day with a spring in their step, this one will be a little extra special for Tucker.
It's his first as the man in charge after replacing his long-time mentor Bernard Hopkins, who retired in June this year, following 24 years of service at the BJC.
"Everything I've learnt and know I can credit to Bernie - he's been a great mentor for me and everyone else around here," he said.
"It's put me in good stead to succeed in this role.
"Being in charge, it's a lot more pressure I feel. The pressure is all on me now.
"It's different and I've certainly seen a different aspect to it all - not just being out on the track and getting that right, but preparing everything on the other side of the fence.
"It's certainly a challenge, but it's been a good one."
Everything I've learnt and know I can credit to Bernie (Hopkins) - he's been a great mentor for me and everyone else around here
- Wayne Tucker
Tucker, who will clock on at 5am on Wednesday to ensure the track is in tip-top order, before switching his focus to putting the finishing touches elsewhere on the lawns and concourses, stressed it required a full team effort from all staff to be prepared for cup day.
He hoped their efforts would ensure a smooth and enjoyable race day experience for punters and patrons and, hopefully, a Bendigo-trained winner or two.
"There's a few locals in, so it would be fantastic if we could get a few winners, especially in the cup," Tucker said.
"That would be great to see.
"We always seem to have a local pop up on cup day. Hopefully that happens again this year."
Always a talking point on Bendigo Cup day, Tucker said the racecourse's roses were looking as good as ever.
"Our gardener Brian (Grigsby) has done a great job, as he does every year," he said.
"The roses are always a highlight of cup day.
"People love them and they are just synonymous with racecourses."
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