Bendigo Abandoned as Lightning Strikes Twice

Lightning activity around Bendigo caused the meeting to be abandoned due to safety concerns.

After race 2 stewards postponed the meeting several times before concluding it would be too risky to continue.

“ABANDONED MEETING: BDGO from R3 at 2:45pm – Abandoned Post Weighing Out due to Weather – Extreme lightning activity”, tweeted Racing Victoria Stewards.

The inclement weather system was apart of the same one which lit up the South Australian skies throughout Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning.

Emily Ollie reported for 7NEWS that destructive winds and lighting lashed the state leaving many without power.

“Wind gusts of up to 100km/h also lashed the state as storms hit.

“Residents from Eyre Peninsula to the CBD captured the incredible bolts – which numbered more than 170,000 before 9.30pm,” Ollie reported.

The lightning caused several fires in South Australia which have subsequently been put out.

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The Bendigo meeting wasn’t abandoned before hot favourite, Nantucket, took out Race 1.

The 3-year-old Gelding was backed into $1.60 (TAB starting price) before launching to break his maiden.

This broke the Levi Kavanagh trained runners three consecutive second placings from his previous three starts.

It was a nail-biting finish which left Kavanagh in a nervous wreck as they entered the Bendigo straight.

“They (Leaders: Flying Finch and Wildfire Rose) tore away in the lead and that left us a fair way back but Joe (Bowditch – Jockey) was patient on him and timed his run.

“It was nail-biting towards the end there but he (Nantucket) got stuck into his work and reeled off some good late sectionals and just got there,” Kavanagh said on the racing.com broadcast.

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The other race on the card was won impressively by Symon Wilde trained debutant, Sirileo Miss.

It is yet to be determined how Racing Victoria will account for the abandoned card.

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