Mega Maiden Bonus Caps Big Weekend for Rich Hill and Nearco Stud

The team that bred Saturday’s A$1m Group One Ranvet Stakes (2000m) heroine Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) capped their big weekend with a NZB Mega Maiden Series bonus at Matamata on Sunday.

The $18,500 McFarlane Mile (NZB Mega Maiden Series) (1600m) was won by Frozen Fortune (NZ) (Proisir) for owner-breeders Nearco Stud Ltd and Rich Hill Thoroughbreds Ltd. That same partnership bred the dual Group One winner and A$3.5m earner Aeliana, who was a $180,000 purchase from Rich Hill’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2023.

Frozen Fortune went through the Rich Hill draft a year later but was passed in during Book 1. Retained to race by Nearco and Rich Hill, the promising filly has now had four starts for a win, a placing and $15,375 in stakes. That amount that more than doubles with the addition of the $25,000 Mega Maiden bonus, of which $20,000 goes to the owners and $5,000 to trainer Tony Pike.

Ridden on Sunday by Michael McNab, Frozen Fortune settled back in fourth-last along the rail.

McNab spotted a narrow gap along the rail in the straight and drove Frozen Fortune through it. The three-year-old quickened smartly and dived through along the inside, hitting the front in the final 50 metres and kicking away to win by a length.

“How good! Sporting the Rich Hill colours, Frozen Fortune takes out the NZB Mega Maiden Series contest at Matamata,” Rich Hill Stud said on Facebook. “Congratulations to co-owners Nearco Stud on the win!”

The NZB Mega Maiden Series is an exciting initiative by NZB and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, generously supported by Entain. It sees $1m in bonuses up for grabs across 40 non-Saturday maiden races throughout New Zealand each season.

Frozen Fortune became the 10th horse to strike a Mega Maiden bonus in the 2025-26 season.

The next race in the NZB Mega Maiden Series is the $18,500 NZB Mega Maiden Series (1200m) at Tauranga next Sunday.