News
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It's been a busy week for the team behind the Great British Bonus (GBB) scheme as it marked another milestone when Spirit of Jura claimed the first flat GBBPlus bonus since the initiative's launch on New Year's Day. Her victory in the 5:30 pm Class 4 Handicap at Southwell on Thursday evening earned her connections a £10,000 bonus. Earlier on same day, the Olly Murphy trained Space Voyage landed a £30,000 GBBPlus chasing bonus - making Isle of Jura's the fourth GBBPlus bonus awarded overall.
Under the flat racing rules of GBBPlus, additional bonuses are available for Class 2 to Class 4 Maiden, Novice, Conditions, and Handicap races at 8 furlongs and over for two-year-olds, and 10 furlongs and over for three- and four-year-olds. Eligibility is restricted to fillies whose sires stood for £50,000 or less at the time of covering.
Her win at Southwell marks Spirit of Jura's second bonus win in under two weeks, with her first coming on January 11th in the Fillies Only Novice Stakes at Chelmsford, where she earned a £20,000 payout under the original GBB scheme.
The win holds added significance for trainer Charlie Johnston, as the first-ever GBB bonus was awarded to Pelekai, a five-furlong sprinter trained by his father, Mark Johnston, in June 2020.
Reflecting on the success, Charlie Johnston said:
"Obviously we're delighted with Spirit of Jura having won her two races. We've always been huge supporters of the GBB bonus scheme and something we're always actively targeting, and this is a great example of what it can do. This filly has covered her entire training costs for the whole the year in the space of these two wins and it's these sorts of returns that are going to keep owners in British racing and keep them reinvesting. Now with GBBPlus opening up more avenues for fillies in handicaps and over longer distances there's some great incentives there to target. This filly wouldn't have been running at this time of year if these bonuses weren't available, we would quite happily have pulled up stumps after her third run at Wolverhampton and saved her to the spring but the fact these bonuses are there are what's keeping her on the track at the moment".
Charlie Newton, GBB Operations Manager, stated "GBBPlus represents an exciting evolution of the GBB initiative, addressing key areas of need within British racing, particularly for staying fillies and chasing mares. We're thrilled to see it making an impact so quickly, with trainers getting on board right from the start.
At the same time, the original GBB scheme continues to deliver exceptional results, with nearly £200,000 paid out already this year. It's business as usual for us, and were looking forward to seeing more British-bred horses rewarded as the year unfolds."
With Spirit of Jura adding her name to the growing list of GBBPlus winners, the scheme is already showing its ability to deliver valuable incentives for breeding and racing British-bred horses.