Racing
The TBA continues to work with a number of industry stakeholders on changes to the race programme to accommodate and encourage specific segments of the breed including stayers and fillies. Read below to find out more about current and past TBA schemes.
Great British Bonus (GBB)
The Great British Bonus (GBB) launched on 29 May 2020. It is an industry incentive scheme that offers multiple bonuses of up to £20,000 per eligible race for British-bred fillies and mares. Its aim is to increase the number of British-bred horses in racing and, so, safeguard the future of British breeding.
Elite NH Mares Incentive Scheme
The Elite NH Mares’ Scheme rewards the owners of those mares proven on the racecourse or at stud, by providing subsidised, and in some cases free, nominations to eligible British-based stallions.
P2P 3-2-1 Bonus
The 3-2-1 Point-to-Point bonus formed part of the TBA’s mandate to improve race opportunities for mares, encourage owners to test their mares on the Point-to-Point circuit and provide proven horses with the opportunity to progress to the NH racing programme.
Fillies and Mares
In 2016, The TBA, along with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), launched the #thisfillycan campaign to promote the benefits of buying, owning and training fillies and mares on the Flat. The launch of the campaign followed an extensive review undertaken by the BHA to better understand the profile of fillies in training, the race opportunities available to them and their ability to compete with colts over the last decade.
NHMOPS
The TBA produced the National Hunt Mares Owners Prize Scheme (NHMOPS) in 2012, which was aimed at encouraging owners and trainers to race NH British-bred or sired fillies. The NH MOPS provided prize bonuses of up to £10,000 for registered fillies and mares who were successful in a qualifying race. The Great British Bonus (GBB) has now replaced this scheme as a further development.
Sponsorship
The TBA works with a number of industry stakeholders to help continue to diversify the breed by further developing a number of vital areas of the race programme including fillies, jump mares and stayers. For many years, the TBA worked closely with the BHA and EBF to develop filly and mares races through sponsorship.
Stayers
Background
The staying horse is part of British Racing’s heritage, however over the past 20 years a shift in commercial breeding patterns and reactive changes to the racing programme have contributed to a decline in the staying division.
In 2015 the TBA commissioned a review into the racing and breeding programmes of the stayer in Britain and following on from the report, commenced a long-term project with the BHA to revitalise the race programme for staying horses.
What changes have been made to the race programme since the report?
Since 2015, several improvements have been made to the race programme including:
For two-year olds
- Increase in the number of 2yo novice/maiden races staged over 10f
- Introduction of a programme of novice/maiden races purely for the progeny of a sire or dam who have won over a distance >10 furlongs.
- Reintroduction of the 10f Group 3 Zetland stakes at Newmarket in October for £40,000
- Introduction of a new 10f 2yo conditions stakes at Chelmsford in November for £15,000
- New 10f sire/dam restricted nursery at Newmarket in October for £40,000
For three-year-olds
- Eight Class 2 14f 3yo handicaps in 2018 for £50,000
- A programme of Class 3 and 4 14f 3yo handicaps for £30,000 and £15,0000
- 13f+ 3yo conditions stakes at Newbury in October
- A programme of 12f 3yo/3yo+ maiden/novice races.
For fillies
- A specific programme of 13f+ fillies’ handicaps from June onwards.
- A number of pattern and listed race upgrades e.g. the Goodwood Cup being upgraded to a Group 1.
What other initiatives have been introduced?
A number of other initiatives have been introduced including several listed/pattern staying race upgrades, prize money increases and the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers’ Million bonus.