Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Targeting racing at the grassroots level, the maidens will be held across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, spanning distances from 900 meters to 2000 meters, and open to eligible 3-year-old and up horses.
Connections of winners of a designated Maiden will receive the $100,000 bonus if the horse is an Inglis sale graduate from 2023 and beyond and is paid up for the Inglis Race Series.
The first five maidens are:
• Friday, August 2 at Coffs Harbour, NSW (Super Mdn Showcase H., 1000m)
• Sunday, August 11 at Sunshine Coast, Qld (3YO Mdn, 1000m)
• Wednesday, August 14 at Randwick-Kensington, NSW (3YO Fillies Mdn H., 1150m)
• Thursday, August 22 at Sale, Vic (3YO Mdn, 1100m)
• Friday, August 30 at Scone, NSW (Mdn H., 1300m)
Boost for entry-level racing
The initiative enhances Inglis' lucrative $12.55 million Race Series, which includes six prominent races. Among these are the $2 million R. Listed Inglis Millennium for 2-year-olds at Randwick each February and the $1 million Inglis Sprint for 3-year-olds during the Melbourne Autumn Carnival.
Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch emphasised the goal to make the bonuses accessible to as many connections as possible.
“The hardest race for a horse to win is their maiden, so we wanted to give every buyer and owner of an Inglis graduate the opportunity to win extraordinary prizemoney at the entry-level of racing.
“The hardest race for a horse to win is their maiden, so we wanted to give every buyer and owner of an Inglis graduate the opportunity to win extraordinary prizemoney at the entry-level of racing.” - Sebastian Hutch
“There will effectively be one maiden a week on average, at different venues, over different distances ranging from 900 metres to 2000 metres, giving so many of our clients regular chances to win significant money", Hutch noted in a press release.
A welcome addition
Murwillumbah trainer Matthew Dunn, who currently holds the highest winning strike rate among the top 20 New South Wales-based trainers, welcomes the initiative, calling it a “nice fresh concept” in a statement to TTR AusNZ.
“It’s a different approach compared to Magic Millions, which has a successful series primarily focused on one raceday and a few fringe races. Inglis, on the other hand, is spreading it out across various tracks and dates, which can only be beneficial.
“It’s a different approach compared to Magic Millions, which has a successful series primarily focused on one raceday and a few fringe races. Inglis, on the other hand, is spreading it out across various tracks and dates...” - Matthew Dunn
“These races will be popular and attract strong fields. If you’re entering a maiden race with that kind of prizemoney, you want to bring a quality horse.”
Given that racehorse ownership is a luxury for most, this series adds significant appeal for owners to invest and helps retain them in the sport.
Matthew Dunn
“It’s a good selling point for us. It helps us sell shares in horses. We’re always promoting the Magic Millions Series and the Inglis Race Series, such as the Millennium, and this just adds another attractive selling point that benefits everyone.”
A point of difference
Scott Darby’s successful syndication company Darby Racing is well-versed with the Inglis Race Series, having achieved notable success with the $500,000 Inglis Nursery and dual $1 million Inglis Sprints, courtesy of G1 Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign (Manhattain Rain) and Overpass (Vancouver).
Darby is equally excited about the new concept, telling TTR AusNZ, “There seems to be a concerted effort to boost maiden and country-level racing, which is welcomed by all participants. Only a small percentage of owners regularly compete at the highest level, so anything that supports grassroots racing is a significant positive.
“Investing in Maidens is beneficial because the industry knows many horses don't reach the elite level or even Saturday class. The more investment at the grassroots level or early stages of ownership, the better for keeping our owners engaged and improving affordability.”
“Investing in Maidens is beneficial because the industry knows many horses don't reach the elite level or even Saturday class. The more investment at the grassroots level or early stages of ownership, the better for keeping our owners engaged...” - Scott Darby
Darby also appreciates the distinction between the Inglis and Magic Millions series, stating, “We really like the two concepts: Magic Millions focuses on one feature day, while Inglis spreads its events across the calendar.
“Magic Millions is extremely popular among owners because its main sale is in January, coinciding with the holiday period, and is further enhanced by its feature raceday at the end of the sale. Inglis, on the other hand, spreads its investment across multiple dates, creating a complementary effect.
Scott Darby | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
While the bonuses are well-received, Darby emphasises the importance of proper promotion, noting that with a packed racing calendar, they can often be overlooked.
“The Magic Millions calendar doesn’t change much, so you have a good idea of which horses to target, but with new concepts being added throughout the racing calendar, they can sometimes be missed.”
Jamie Walter who operates the successful Proven Thoroughbreds concurs, stating, “The series needs to be very well-promoted, and I think the lead regulators of each state need to embrace this concept with open arms”.
Grassroots investment key
Proven Thoroughbreds has seen significant success at the elite level, having purchased and syndicated dual Group 1 winner Think About It (So You Think {NZ}), who triumphed in last year’s $20 million Everest, and Group 1 winner Private Eye (Al Maher), who has twice placed in the Everest. Despite this success, Jamie Walter remains pragmatic about thoroughbred ownership and applauds investment at the grassroots level.
“About 20 years ago, the Magic Millions raceday featured only races for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds. Because most of the horses I bought were later-developing, I didn't bother nominating for the series. But when they expanded to host races for every age group and sex, nominating for the series became essential.
“A similar evolution is happening with Inglis. With the announcement of this new series, I now automatically nominate every horse I purchase.
Jamie Walter | Image courtesy of Inglis
Walter is confident that this concept will improve retention of existing owners and attract new ones to the sport.
“One of our trainers, Joe Pride, has been advocating for higher prizemoney for maidens for quite a while because many horses win a maiden and not much else.
“Now, once a week somewhere in Australia, some very satisfied connections will win these maidens, providing opportunities they might not have otherwise had with that kind of horse.
“Now, once a week somewhere in Australia, some very satisfied connections will win these maidens, providing opportunities they might not have otherwise had with that kind of horse.” - Jamie Walter
“I support anything that helps owners earn good prize money with an average horse.
“More and more Inglis graduates will specifically target these races because, while the Super Maidens and the like are appealing, they don't offer anything close to the colossal stakes Inglis is providing.”
‘Enormous carrot for owners’
With the series set to kick off in six weeks, Hutch highlights the remarkable opportunities available for owners of Inglis graduates.
“If you look at the opening race as an example, the Super Maiden Showcase H. on Coffs Harbour Cup Day in six weeks, if the winner of that race meets the criteria of the Inglis Xtra Bonus Maiden Series, the winning prizemoney will be boosted to $122,000. That’s more than the winning purse for most races, so it really does represent an incredible opportunity for owners with Inglis Race Series eligible horses.
“To put it into further context, only 2 per cent of races run in Australia this season saw the winners take home $100,000 or more, so it’s an enormous carrot for owners of eligible horses and we expect the designated maidens to be targeted and bonuses to be won regularly through the 2024/25 season and beyond.’’
