Book 1 Bonus

From Tatts:


Tattersalls to Amend Book 1 Bonus Race Eligibility Following BHA Changes



Following the BHA announcement of changes to the two year old Flat Novice and Maiden Race programme in the first half of 2016, Tattersalls Marketing Director Jimmy George has outlined necessary amendments which will be made to the new £25,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonus scheme:




October Book 1 Graduate SHALAA (Copyright Edward Whitaker) 

Curvy surges to victory in the E.P. Taylor (Copyright WEG/Michael Burns Photography)




The BHA changes to the two year old Flat Novice and Maiden race programme obviously complicate the new £25,000 Tattersalls October 'Book 1 Bonus', which is essentially a very simple incentive scheme, but nevertheless it is our intention that the number of eligible races will remain exactly the same. Any Class 2, 3, or 4 two year old maiden which has been reclassified as a Class 2, 3, or 4 Novice race will be 'Book 1 Bonus' eligible. Existing Class 2, 3, or 4 Novice races will not, however, be added to the scheme. Naturally as the October 'Book 1 Bonus' was designed specifically for maiden races, no eligible two year old can win more than one bonus payment, as stipulated in the terms and conditions which are printed in the catalogue for Book 1 of the recent Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

Between Britain and Ireland there will be approximately 300 two year old races which owners of October Book 1 yearlings can target and this should remain the same. Full details of the reclassified races will be circulated to all concerned as soon as possible and we are looking forward to distributing these incredibly lucrative bonuses in 2016.

Book 1 of the 2015 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale that took place October 6 8 featured the only yearlings eligible for the all-new £25,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonus which offers a £25,000 bonus to any October Book 1 graduate who wins a Class 2, 3 or 4 Maiden or eligible Class 2, 3 or 4 Novice race in Great Britain or an Open 2YO Maiden in Ireland.

So basically the number of races remains the same, but they will be more difficult to win due to the opposition including penalised winners (anyone remember what Provideo mopped up?), is my take on it.

That's how I see it too. Provideo won 16 from 24 starts at two btw.

So if Tattersalls unearthed a Provideo/Superpower sent it to Mark Johnston, instructed him to grab as many bonus races as possible they would be saving £25k per race.

Sounds like a good business plan can I pitch it to them now please?

Its a shambles along with the Plus10.  Shows the contempt with which racings couple of dozen significants view everyone else.   Arguably fraudulent - anyone really think that the BHA didnt have a conversation with anyone at Tatts or Plus10 that they'd planned this.  And whats to stop juveniles winners in other countries (notably Ireland) coming here to win novices, its laughable to suggest it doesnt make winning less likely.  If you're going to change things do it like the US with maidens, allowances, optional claimers etc.  Oh wait that requires proper prizemoney funding and some NOUS.

I concur with Yer Ma completely. Advertised as win a maiden and then 170 maidens removed. Laughable

I think we're all preaching from slightly worst case, high horses right now perhaps?

The bonuses will still be there and the races will still be as numerous.
The scheme didn't seem to have too many knockers when it was first introduced and whilst Tattersalls may have had an idea what was possibly in the pipeline, they could hardly leave the launch of their bonus scheme until this week after the announcement of the maiden to novice transformation was made.

Do we really think  that a lot of horses will be shipped in from abroad to compete for our maiden,oops sorry, novice races to win the first prize of 3 or 4 grand?
I sort of think we have to let it bed in because whilst a Part 1 yearling might get beat 1st time out by Provideo or Spindrifter it really should be able to get the better of them 2nd time if it has part 1 ability and as we all remember the names of these juvenile speed freaks it is perhaps an indication of their frequency or lack of.

If the bonuses don't get won then that will need a pretty major re think but much as we have a good moan about Tatts, their business model sadly is a lot fairer than most and I would trust them to act from a position of integrity more than I would my bank, supermarket, car manufacturer, bloodstock agent, trainer etc etc

As you say PotM time will tell.  I'm more having a moan at Plus10 tbh as the vast majority of winners will be registered and if the owner/trainer has a brain then they should indeed be mopping up these novice races while they can and not for 3/4k - 13/14k.  You'd surely consider travelling one from Ireland for that rather than sitting on your hands with a maiden winner.   Some big trainers are so backward they might not do anything different but I predict Fahey / Quinn / Ryan / Hannon will win multiple bonuses with multiple horses - don't see the logic in a scheme bankrolling that.  Although I see it as a tax not an incentive anyway so boo sucks!

Not sure how many of these Bk 1 yearlings have won as a 2yo. Anyone have an idea?

It certainly won't make it any easier to win a race that's for sure. I have sent a filly to Wolverhampton thinking she could get a soft back end 2yo race. She will need to be lucky!

yer ma, I am SO with you on Plus 10. Of course they sell for more, they are the better horses and if you don't control the final payment it is indeed a tax. Darley win most of them, other big cheeses the rest. For Book 1 horses Truehoncho has a point - most don't appear until the autumn when the old-fashioned maiden will be alive and well. There is only one Book 1 bonus per horse. I may be wrong, but I think the Provideo days were when penalties weren't cumulative as they are now. Hopefully penalties will be properly related to the Class of race won - now the unfathomable practice of allocating a Class 4 penalty for a Class 5 win or worse a Class 5 penalty for a Class 2 win (yes, Goodwood does that) will hopefully be stopped. Given that the same median auction and "novice" auction terms will still apply and this is only until nurseries start in June it may be something that has little impact overall. It is unlikely though to encourage the exponential growth in owners that is envisaged by the BHA........

As someone who sold a paid up foal last year who then turned up at the sales this time without a Plus10 completion I'm understanding the frustration and feeling it in the pocket.
There are so many significant people, irish in the main, who aren't bothering. Mind you as a lot of those vendors offer different 'incentives' that I won't, perhaps I need to continue the bonus to keep up. But right now I am pretty cynical about the advantages of nominating. However the boffins claim an 11% higher median at Part 3 for lots nominated. At a lower end sale should we ignore that?
Perhaps we need to see what practical implications emerge with races being farmed for multiple plus10 prizes and maybe they will then be restricted to one win per horse.