The Gai Waterhouse-trained The Offer will attempt to win the Bendigo Cup on his way to the Melbourne Cup.

The Offer is topweight with 59kg in a field of 11 for Wednesday's $300,000 Bendigo Cup (2400m) and Waterhouse intends to back him up from the Bendigo feature to the Melbourne Cup six days later.

The winner of the 2014 Sydney Cup, The Offer was the long-time favourite for last year's Melbourne Cup but did not make it to the race.

The Murray Baker-trained Maygrove, a last-start fourth in the Geelong Cup, will be reunited with New Zealand jockey Matthew Cameron at Bendigo.

Cameron won the Wellington Cup on the stayer in January.

Last-start Benalla Cup winner Araldo Junior will try to add another country Cup at Bendigo.