The 2026 Bendigo Trotters Cup was held at Melton on Saturday 10th Jan after the Victorian bushfires forced a last-minute change of venue.
The 5yo mare Jilliby Ballerini won as a $1.18 favourite should – easily accounting for the second favourite Gotfeelingsyouknow in the $30,000 Group Three Cup.
Both the first and second placegetters have half relations in the 2026 Nutrien Melbourne Yearling Sale on April 12 and interestingly both the yearlings in question are by sons of Cantab Hall.
Lot 211, on account of L N Pangrazio and M B Shaw, is a colt by Canadian 2yo Colt/Gelding of the Year On A Streak from the Sundon mare Shesasundon.
On A Streak’s first foals will commence racing in 2026 as 2yos.
Shesasundon won five races and her first two foals are winners in Jilliby Ballerini and Shesawish. Her third foal is a 2026 2yo.
With her win on Saturday night, Jilliby Ballerini took her record to 13 wins and 10 minor placings in just 28 starts and her stakes now stand at $231,840.
Despite somewhat living in the shadow of her illustrious stablemate Keayang Zahara, Jilliby Ballerini has now won three times at Group Three level in addition to being placed three times at Group One level.
Jilliby Ballerini’s half-sister Shesawish won at Group Two and Group Three level as a 3yo as well as twice finishing second at Group One level.
Lot 211 is being prepared for the Melbourne Sale by Neville and Louise Pangrazio, and they can be contacted on 0488 358 211 to arrange a pre-sale inspection.
Runner-up to Jilliby Ballerini was the 6yo Majestic Son gelding Gotfeelingsyouknow which, as a 3yo, won the Group Three Lunar Lass Trotters Classic and finished third in the Group One NSW Trotters Derby.
Gotfeelingsyouknow has won seven races and his unraced dam Zeeyena has produced two winners from her first two foals.
Zeeyena’s third foal is Lot 248 in the Melbourne Sale and is a filly by Australia’s Leading Sire of 2yo Trotters in 2023 and 2024 in Volstead.
Volstead produced 95 foals in his first two crops which were 3yos and 4yos in 2025.
He has had 73 of those foals race and 59 winners which gives him a remarkable 62% winners/foals with six $100,000 earners headed by the amazing Keayang Zahara which has won 21 of her 22 career starts and amassed stakes of $925,035.
Lot 248 is being offered by Brent Thomson who is also preparing the filly for sale. Brent can be contacted on 0447 773 379 to arrange a pre-sale inspection.