Last start winner Kostalot (NZ) carried winning race form into today’s inaugural New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Bonus Race (1400m) at Riccarton to race away with the inaugural $50,000 Bonus.

With his sale price of $16,000 and an entry fee of just $250 to be eligible for NZB’s Southern Bonus Race, Kostalot (Any Suggestion x Elemosa) more than paid his way with today’s Bonus win, taking his stakes earnings to just shy of $60,000. 

The open three-year-old event over 1400 metres gave qualified South Island Sale graduates preference in field selection, with the Bonus set to be struck by the first qualified graduate past the post, even if it didn’t win the race.

Such was the case today, with Biddedo (Edenwold) taking the winners spoils and Kostalot finishing in second place, three-and-a-half lengths from the winner, and ahead of the seven other Southern Bonus eligible contenders who lined up in today’s 16-horse field.

Trained by Neil Coulbeck, three-year-old Kostalot came into the race after a big win last start at Timaru where he beat Mikabella by 1.75 lengths with five lengths back to third place.

Coulbeck had the Southern Bonus Race in mind for the son of Any Suggestion after his last start victory and was thrilled with the Bonus win.

“The horse ran very well today,” commented Coulbeck. “The 1400 metres was a concern, as was the draw (11), but he managed to overcome both.

“We saw the horse at the South Island Sale last year and really liked him. He was a strong, athletic type of horse so to win the bonus with him is a great result.”

Bred by Sean Kiernan, Kostalot was purchased by the No. 8 Syndicate from Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock’s South Island Sale of 2YOs in August last year.

Of the $50,000 Bonus, $40,000 goes to the owners, No.8 Syndicate, with $5,000 going to the trainer and $5,000 to Curraghmore Stud as the owner who offered the horse for Sale.

The Southern Bonus Race will be held in 2013 for eligible graduates of this year’s South Island Sale. Nominations for the race are closed.