News
The Great British Bonus (GBB) scheme has raced past yet another major milestone awarding more than £5 million to the owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys and stable staff of GBB fillies. Emily Upjohn, trained by John and Thady Gosden, She stormed in to win the 4.10 Nordoff Robbins Charlie Watts Memorial Fillies' Novice Stakes at Sandown. The Sea the Stars filly secured her second GBB bonus for her connections including her breeders at Lordship Stud and pushed GBB over the £5 million milestone.
The industry incentive scheme offers multiple bonuses of up to £20,000 per eligible race for British-bred fillies and mares. Bonuses are shared with the fillies winning connections: 65% to owners, 20% to Breeders, 7.5% to Trainers, 5% to the jockey and 2.5% to Stable Staff. It launched in May 2020 paying out its first bonus to Mark Johnston trained PELEKAI, and has now paid out more than £5 million in 372 races 234 on the Flat and 137 over Jumps.
Operations Executive Charlie Newton said: The Great British Bonus has been truly embraced by the industry and is supporting not only owners, trainers and stable staff but crucially breeders too.
There is huge demand for GBB fillies and were seeing clear evidence that the value of British- bred fillies is increasing in the sales ring.
I am consistently told that GBB is making a difference and that there is no longer the worry and disappointment in the breeding sheds if you have a glut of fillies rather than colts.
The small, private breeders who make up a large proportion of the sector are telling us that GBB is making breeding worthwhile, that theyre buying another mare or that theyre no longer giving up because GBB has been a game changer.
To have paid out £5 million in under two years is fantastic news for the industry and were truly grateful not only to the HBLB who help fund the scheme and make it possible but to all those breeders, owners and trainers who support it.
A key selling point of the scheme is the ability for fillies and mares to win multiple bonuses. Indeed, the Dan Skelton trained Molly Ollys Wishes has won four bonuses to date worth £80,000 and she continues to campaign for her 5th bonus to knock her over the £100,00 marker! Others in GBBs Hall of Fame include Blackerry (3 bonuses worth £60,000), Anythingforlove (3 bonuses worth £60,000), Dragon Bones (4 bonuses worth £70,000) and Chilli Filli (3 bonuses worth £30,000) all now standing at stud in Britain where it is hoped, they will produce more GBB winners.
Philip Newton, Deputy Chairman of the TBA, said: "In just 22 short months, GBB has changed behaviour, influenced breeding decisions, increased sales returns and rewarded owners. We couldn't have wished for anything more."