Plus 10, a new £5.5 million bonus scheme for Great British and Irish owners and breeders has been declared officially open for business with the support of global breeding powerhouse Darley, which has registered 332 foals into the scheme.
Plus 10 is set to become the richest joint owner and breeder scheme of its kind, offering £10,000 bonuses on more than 550 two- and three-year-old races once fully operational in 2016.
With its enhanced scale, Plus 10 will provide an incentive for breeders to keep their mares in Britain and Ireland and encourage breeders outside the country to support local bloodstock.
Named for its rich £10,000 bonuses, Plus 10 unifies and replaces existing bonus schemes, at first operating in tandem with the British Owners and Breeders Incentive Scheme (BOBIS), before replacing it entirely in 2016, while the Racing Post Yearling Bonus Scheme is set to be phased out over the coming 12 months.
The launch of Plus 10 was given a significant boost by the inclusion of progeny from some of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s leading sires, including Dubawi, New Approach (pictured) and Exceed And Excel.
Sheikh Mohammed’s Bloodstock Adviser, John Ferguson, said Darley had welcomed the launch of the new scheme, which recognised the commercial and historic links of the British and Irish bloodstock industries.
“As well as providing welcome prize money bonuses to owners and breeders in Britain and Ireland, Plus 10 also recognises operations like Darley which operate across multiple jurisdictions.
“It enables owners to purchase bloodstock with the knowledge their ownership experience will have the added benefit of racing for Plus 10 bonuses across their two- and three-year-old seasons,” Ferguson said.
“We believe Plus 10 will positively impact breeders large and small due to the incentive it offers people to invest in British and Irish bloodstock and by rewarding those who opt to race locally.
“As a mark of our support for Plus 10, Darley has registered 332 foals into the new bonus scheme.”
To be eligible for Plus 10, horses must be the progeny of either a British or Irish-based stallion or mare and take part in a three-stage registration process.
Bonuses won will then be split between the owner of the horse (75%), breeder (20%) and stable staff, jockey and trainer (5%). The 20% breeder share will be split equally between the payees of the Foal and Yearling Registration fees.
The new scheme has the financial backing of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) and the major bloodstock sales houses, with a dedicated BHA resource assigned to administer and promote the scheme.
Plus 10 Committee Chairman, Julian Richmond-Watson, described the launch of the scheme as a significant occasion.
“The launch of Plus 10 marks an important development for the British and Irish bloodstock and racing industries,” he said.
“By combining with Ireland we are able to offer larger bonuses, spread across a more targeted cross-section of races and which will, in time, expand to cover both the two and three-year-old racing seasons.
“We would like to also thank the British and Irish racing authorities, the Horserace Betting Levy Board and the bloodstock sales houses for their financial support of Plus 10.
“It has taken a significant amount of work to arrive at this point and we are proud to be able to invite breeders to take the first step on the Plus 10 journey from today.”
Paul Bittar, Chief Executive of BHA, welcomed the announcement, stating: “Plus 10 has been developed with industry support and has been designed to streamline and unify the incentive scheme marketplace.
“We are extremely pleased to be in a position to have launched the scheme within four weeks of receiving confirmation of the main source of funding from the Horserace Betting Levy Board.
“We expect Plus 10 to build upon the success achieved locally with the British Owners and Breeders Incentive Scheme and consider it to be this earlier scheme’s natural evolution.
“Plus 10 allows for more participants, more effective race programming and enhanced bonuses for all involved, on both sides of the Irish Sea and we look forward to working with Horse Racing Ireland for the benefit of all participants in British and Irish racing.”
HRI’s Chief Executive, Brian Kavanagh, said he was delighted to be working in partnership with his British counterparts for the good of the industry.
“Plus 10 recognises the significant links between the Irish and British industries and supports those operations which operate across both countries,” Kavanagh said.
“We envisage Plus 10 will encourage investment in bloodstock, stimulate racehorse ownership and incentivise owners to run their horses more often.
“I would like to encourage all Irish breeders to take part in the new scheme and to register their foals.”
With Plus 10 now open for business, breeders are encouraged to register their foals by 30 September 2014 to ensure their horses are in the running to compete for the bonuses.
To check your horse’s eligibility and to download a registration form, visit plus10bonus.com.
The first opportunity to invest in Plus 10 foals will be at the Doncaster Bloodstock Premier and Silver Sales on 26–28 August.
All foals which have been registered by the time of the sale will feature in Plus 10 eligible horse handouts. Breeders are advised to register early to ensure their horse does not miss out on the benefit of being a part of Plus 10.
Allison is the Publisher of Eclipse Magazine. She loves going to the Races and is learning to bet (despite being officially the worst bettor in the History of the Universe), there’s a lot more to learn…
