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ADAAY IN DEVON lands her fourth bonus from the Great British Bonus (GBB) - the first flat filly to do so since the scheme launched in June 2020. Many will have read the backstory: her dam, Favourite Girl, was picked up at Exeter Cattle Mart by a group of farmers who were looking for a racehorse. They ended up breeding a small but, as it turns out, incredibly useful filly whose story continues to unfold. Trained by Rod Millman, the 2-year-old filly would go on to achieve the seemingly impossible taking home £80,000 in GBB bonuses on the flat.
Trainer Rod Millman said: "The mare landed on her feet. The owners are farmers and very good stockmen so, she has the best of everything and is well looked after. They sent her to Adaay who I've had success with before and we all know that Whitsbury Manor will look after their breeders".
Of the scheme Millman said "When FAVOURITE GIRL had a filly, it was a no-brainer to register her for GBB. It has been great for us we've won bonuses with several fillies including TAGLINE, CUBAN MISTRESS and CROOKED CROWN. I've been and brought several GBB registered fillies this year, it's great for the breeders and even better for owners".
ADAAY IN DEVON has been a pleasure to train and we've been absolutely delighted with her progress.
After three runs and two placings, ADAAY IN DEVON had her first win and £20,000 bonus at Windsor on 7th August where the filly won convincingly in a Class 5 Maiden Fillies' Stakes. Her second win came just nineteen days later on the 26th August at Goodwood in the Class 4 Novice Stakes. At this point, she had landed £40,000 in bonuses - an impressive but not unusual feat however, Rod had no intention of stopping there! Instead, on 13th September, the filly made the long journey from Rod's base in Devon to Carlisle racecourse where she stormed to victory landing her third £20,000 bonus.
GBB Operations Executive, Charlie Newton said: "Three bonuses is certainly possible but it is tricky and any filly aiming for it would usually run under a hefty penalty. Only seven other flat fillies have achieved this including PERDIKA, RUNNING LOIN and more recently WOODHAY WONDER".
On the flat, any class 2 to 5 maiden, novice or conditions race in Britain is covered by a GBB bonus which, under the rules of race, become increasingly difficult to win as the filly succeeds. However, trainer Rod Millman took this challenge head on and with clever planning set his sights on a fourth bonus.
On 17th October, ADAAY IN DEVON, lined up for the Fillies Conditions Stakes at Leicester where Oliver Searle would steer her to a triumphant win landing her fourth and final GBB bonus.
Millman said "We hoped to win one bonuses so to have won four is fantastic. It's great for her owners they're just smaller owner breeders so to reward them like this is great".
The scheme is supported by and receives significant funding from the HBLB and is managed by the Thoroughbred Breeders Association whose Chairman, Philip Newton said: "We're delighted to be able to support a super filly like this and we're thrilled for her connections. It takes careful race planning to achieve four bonuses on the flat so Rod's efforts have to be applauded. If you ever needed proof that breeding and racing a British-bred filly can be a profitable affair, ADAAY IN DEVON is it!"
ADAAY IN DEVON's fourth £20,000 GBB bonus means that she has collected £80,000 from the lucrative scheme dwarfing her career earnings of £23,295. Her next run will be in a listed race at Newbury or Newmarket Millman explains. But the mare has a filly by SERGEI PROKOFIEV this year so it won't be the syndicates last GBB bonus!