The Inglis Race Series will be boosted by a game-changing $5m worth of bonuses for eligible horses who win their Maiden.
The introduction of the Inglis Xtra Bonus Series will see 50 Maidens be incentivised with a $100,000 bonus to the winner.
Connections of a winner of a designated Maiden will receive the $100,000 bonus if the horse is an Inglis graduate and paid up for the Inglis Race Series.
The new concept will see the Inglis Race Series jump to $12.55m in the 2024/25 Australian racing season as all existing races – Inglis Millennium, Inglis Sprint, Inglis Banner, Inglis Nursery, Inglis Bracelet and Inglis Challenge – as well as the Inglis Pink Bonuses will remain.
As part of the Inglis Xtra Bonus Series, 50 Maidens will be selected to carry the bonus with a focus on NSW and Victoria, while bonuses are also planned for Queensland.
The Maidens will range from 900m to 2000m and be for eligible 3YO and up horses.
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch believed the new Maiden Series would incentivise every buyer, starting at the Classic Sale next weekend.
“As we mentioned with the introduction of the Pink Bonus 12 months ago, we are always looking at ways to develop our Race Series,” Hutch said.
“This initiative gives investors through our sales the opportunity to win more prizemoney, more often.
“The respective racing authorities have done an incredible job driving increases in prizemoney, particularly at the top end – there will be 89 races for $1m or more in Australia in 2023 – and we wanted to enhance our Race Series with a concept that complimented those top-level increases.
“The hardest race for a horse to win is their Maiden and not all horses get to the top level so we believe this new concept will give every buyer and owner an opportunity to win extraordinary prizemoney at the entry level of racing.
“Effectively, owners will have the opportunity to win ‘Inglis’ prizemoney every week of the year and the plan is for these races to be everywhere, from major country carnivals to midweek metro to provincial and everything in between.
“$100,000 is going to be an enormous carrot for owners of eligible horses and we are expecting the designated Maidens to be targeted and bonuses to be won regularly through the 2024/25 season and beyond.’’
The Inglis Xtra Bonus Series will be for horses born in 2021 and beyond that are paid up for the Inglis Race Series.
The specific races themselves will be confirmed once the 2024/25 Australian racing season schedule is released next year.
The next opportunity to purchase a horse to compete for the Inglis Xtra Bonus Series will be at the Classic Yearling Sale at Riverside this coming weekend (Feb 12-14).
Inspections begin on Tuesday.
