Trainer Jamie Edwards waited until Wednesday's scratching deadline before confirming Sertorius a Bendigo Cup starter and was proved right when the gelding raced to a convincing win in the $240,000 race.

Sertorious suffered a setback which forced him to miss last week's Geelong Cup but Edwards, who trains in partnership with Bruce Elkington, was convinced he was fully over the slight injury and let him take his place at Bendigo for his first attempt at 2400m.

The talented galloper was the well-backed favourite ($3.80) and enjoyed a sweet run before going on to defeat Massiyn ($8.50) by 1-1/2 lengths with three-quarters of a length to Kesampour ($7) third.

"It was probably the first time I've felt a bit of pressure with the horse," Edwards told TVN.

"He had a little hiccup ahead of Geelong - I was pretty upbeat about him winning the Geelong Cup - but he has come through it well and the decision to run him was made about 7.30 this morning."

Edwards said the gelding had only had a quiet week and was going to the 2400m for the first time which was the query.

"So I'm just really rapt for the horse," he said.

Jockey Ryan Maloney had Sertorius, runner-up in the Cranbourne Cup at his previous start, in the perfect spot just behind the lead and he ran out the trip strongly to score his first stakes victory in the Listed event.

"This preparation he's been looking for a trip," Maloney said.

Earlier, Cox Plate winner Shamus Award's older half-sister Double Dee scored the second win of her career in a benchmark race over 1400m.

And Makybe Diva's three-quarter sister La Amistad raced to her second straight win with a 2-1/4-length success in a 2200m race.