After Mammas Girl (GB) (Havana Grey {GB})'s connections picked up a £20,000 GBB bonus on Oct. 19 for winning the Discover Newmarket Fillies' Restricted S. at Newmarket, her victory brought the total bonuses paid out by the Great British Bonus scheme to £8 million since June of 2020. The Amo Racing colourbearer and Richard Hannon trainee was joined later in the day by second bonus winners You Wear It Well (GB) (Midnight Legend {GB}), trained by Jamie Snowden, winning £20,000 in a Novice Hurdle at Worcester and juvenile Hill Cove (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}), trained by Jonathan Portman, collecting her second £10,000 with a win in a Novice S. at Kempton.
Bonuses have been paid out in 586 races to 462 fillies and mares, with 98 winning more than once; the most notable, on the Flat, is Blackberry (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) who won three bonuses totalling £60,000 soon after the scheme's launch. One of GBB's aims is to increase the interest in and value of British-bred fillies at the sales. More than 500 GBB yearlings have passed through the sales rings recently.
The TBA's Deputy Chairman, Philip Newton, said, “GBB was eight years in the planning, and we launched it just as racing restarted after the first COVID-19 lockdown in June 2020. To say that in a little over two years later, we have paid out £8 million in bonuses is amazing. Some 65%–more than £5 million–has been paid to owners and 20%–£1.6million–is back in the pockets of the breeders. The industry has truly embraced the scheme and it's been a game changer.”
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