Jade Dragon (NZ) Strikes Mega Maiden Bonus

The lightly raced Jade Dragon (NZ) (Time Test) exited maiden company in style in Wednesday’s $25,000 NZB Mega Maiden Series (1150m) at Te Aroha, striking a lucrative bonus in the process.

The Mega Maiden Series is an exciting new initiative created by NZB in partnership with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and Entain. Jade Dragon earned an additional $20,000 for her owners with Wednesday’s win, while trainer Pam Gerard picked up a bonus of $5,000.

The Little Avondale Stud-bred Jade Dragon was a $60,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2023 by Ballymore Stables, Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Catheryne Bruggeman. The three-year-old has now earned $14,900 from a two-start career, and those earnings are more than doubled by Wednesday’s Mega Maiden bonus.

Unplaced in her only two-year-old start last autumn, Jade Dragon has been brought along patiently by Gerard through the first half of her three-year-old season. She resumed at Te Aroha on Wednesday with two trials under her belt, and she won with authority.

Rider Kelly Myers positioned Jade Dragon in third along the rail, then moved away from the fence and loomed behind the first two coming into the home turn. Jade Dragon lengthened stride in the straight and reeled in the front-running Out Of Exile (Brazen Beau), passing that rival in the final 50 metres and going clear to win by a length and a half.

It was the first leg of a notable double at Te Aroha on Wednesday for Gerard and Ballymore Stables. Promising filly Dubai Gold (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai), who was a $110,000 purchase from Karaka 2023, later struck an Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Bonus with a smart maiden victory over 1600 metres.

“Getting a midweek double is an awesome achievement, but there’s more – both horses were eligible for bonuses in their respective races and took home an extra $47,000 for their connections,” Ballymore Stables said on Instagram.

“Thanks so much to NZB, Entain and NZB Insurances for putting these great bonuses up for grabs. We’ll certainly take them. Huge congratulations to all the connections involved in these horses, and to the staff at home who do a superb job.”

The NZB Mega Maiden Series is open to all horses eligible for the TAB 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 will be the $25,000 NZB Mega Maiden Series (2000m) at Riccarton next Wednesday.