First-Starter Strikes NZB Mega Maiden Bonus

A winning debut at Ashburton on Wednesday was made $25,000 sweeter for the connections of Gruffalo (NZ) (Proisir), who struck a NZB Mega Maiden bonus in the process.

Wednesday’s $17,000 NZB Mega Maiden Series Bonus Race (1200m) was the 33rd stop in this season’s inaugural NZB Mega Maiden Series – an initiative created by NZB in partnership with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and Entain. Gruffalo earned an additional $20,000 for his owners with his victory, while trainer Robert Dennis picked up a $5,000 bonus.

Gruffalo went into Wednesday’s race without any trials under his belt, but his $4.50 second favouritism showed that a bold first-up performance was expected. The promising gelding did not disappoint.

After settling in third-last among a 10-horse field, Gruffalo and jockey Billy Jacobson moved away from the rail coming around the home turn and soon began to gain ground on the leaders.

Gruffalo quickened smartly in the straight and reeled in the front-running Sheaintsopeachy (NZ) (Rageese), then fought off a late challenge from Respectabelle (NZ) (Belardo) to win by a nose.

Gruffalo’s one-start, one-win career has banked $9,520 in prize-money, with his Mega Maiden Bonus lifting his earnings to three times that amount.

The son of Proisir became the seventh winner of a Mega Maiden Series bonus this season and the third from the South Island. The Kelvin Tyler-trained Reprobate (NZ) (Ace High) struck the bonus at Gore in October, and Lyn Prendergast’s Gatzby (NZ) (Almanzor) followed suit at Timaru in November.

The Mega Maiden Series is open to all horses eligible for the Karaka Millions Series, with a total of $1m in bonuses up for grabs across 40 non-Saturday maiden races each season for the next three years.

The next race in the 2024/25 edition of the series is the $17,000 NZB Mega Maiden Series (1200m) at Matamata on Thursday.