Huge incentives on offer through the Inglis Xtra Bonus Maiden Series
A full field of 14 will line up at Coffs Harbour on Friday in the first race of the Inglis Xtra Bonus Maiden Series, which offers a combined $5 million in incentives throughout the season.
Four horses, including the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained debutante Unite The Stars (Unite And Conquer), are eligible to claim the first $100,000 bonus which will be on offer in 50 maidens races held across the country during the 2024-25 campaign.
Provided the winning horse is an Inglis graduate and fully paid up for the Inglis Race Series, connections will be entitled to pocket the lucrative bonus in addition to the winner’s cheque.
Friday’s Super Maiden Showcase Handicap (1000m) on Coffs Harbour Cup Day is the first of 22 races this calendar year to feature the $100,000 bonus.
Should three-year-old filly Unite The Stars, an impressive winner at the Randwick trials last month, take out the inaugural contest her connections would receive $122,000 (before any BOBS bonuses were applied).
The other eligible horses taking part in the race are topweight Cerons (Street Boss), last-start runner-up Capital Dancer (Capitalist) and the Brad Widdup-trained filly Art’s Alive (Snitzel).
“Through the Inglis Race Series we wanted to create an opportunity for more people to win more prize-money more often, and the Xtra Bonus Series allows for exactly that,” said Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch.
“Races like the Inglis Millennium and the Inglis Sprint take owners to Royal Randwick and Flemington, amongst the best racetracks in the world, while the $1m Inglis Pink Bonus is the world’s most lucrative female ownership incentive scheme, but the Xtra Bonus allows us to do even more for owners of Inglis graduates.
“The hardest race for a horse to win is their maiden, so we wanted to give every buyer and owner of an Inglis graduate the opportunity to win extraordinary prize-money at the entry level of racing.
“There will effectively be one maiden a week on average, at different venues, over different distances ranging from 900 metres to 2000 metres, giving so many of our clients regular chances to win significant money.
“If you look at [Friday’s] opening race as an example, if the winner of that race meets the criteria of the Inglis Xtra Bonus Maiden Series, the winning prize-money will be boosted to $122,000. That’s more than the winning purse for most races, so it really does represent an incredible opportunity for owners with Inglis Race Series-eligible horses.
“To put it into further context, only two per cent of races run in Australia this season saw the winners take home $100,000 or more, so it’s an enormous carrot for owners of eligible horses and we expect the designated Maidens to be targeted and bonuses to be won regularly through the 2024/25 season and beyond.’’