Mega Maiden Success for Young Jackson (NZ)

Roger James and Robert Wellwood, Dean Skipper and Proisir are a Karaka Millions-winning combination, and a similar recipe produced a Mega Maiden bonus in Friday’s $25,000 Seddon Park Funeral Home (NZB Mega Maiden Series) (1400m) at Te Rapa. 

James, Wellwood and Skipper triumphed in the $1m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) in January of 2023 with high-class Proisir filly Prowess (NZ). A couple of days later James and Wellwood bought another of Proisir’s progeny, Young Jackson (NZ), who opened his winning account on Friday with a Mega Maiden success. 

James and Wellwood paid $260,000 for Young Jackson, who is raced by a syndicate that includes Skipper along with the gelding’s co-breeder Daniel Nakhle. The four-year-old has now had two starts for a win and $14,825 in stakes, plus Friday’s $25,000 bonus – $20,000 for the owners and $5,000 for James and Wellwood.

Young Jackson made his debut at Ellerslie on January 11, where he finished a close and fast-finishing eighth despite having to weave a path through traffic in the straight.

He took a big step forward on Friday in start number two, striding powerfully down the middle of the track to challenge for the lead halfway down the straight. He forged clear in the closing stages and scored by a length and a half from fellow Karaka Millions-eligible runners Frozen Fortune (NZ) (Proisir) and Ruby Rush (NZ) (Ribchester).

“A pleasing maiden victory today for Young Jackson,” James and Wellwood’s Kingsclere Stables said on Facebook. “Luckless in his first start, the four-year-old Proisir gelding managed to put it all together today to pull away and win by a length and a half.

“Congratulations to his ownership group, which includes his breeders the Nakhles.”

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.

Multiple bonuses were struck across the northern, central and southern regions last season, with prominent owner and racing industry supporter Terry Lines taking out two of the bonuses with his runners Suavetta (NZ) (Almanzor) at Pukekohe Park for trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, and seven days later, Reprobate (NZ) (Ace High) at Gore for trainer Kelvin Tyler.

Young Jackson became the seventh horse to strike a Mega Maiden bonus in the 2025-26 season.

The next race in the Mega Maiden Series is the $18,500 NZB Mega Maiden Series (1200m) at Otaki on Sunday February 8.

Vendor	Haunui Farm
Purchaser	Mr RA James/Mr R Wellwood (Waikato)
Breeding	Proisir – One Swanstonstreet
Sale	Lot 391, Karaka 2023 Book 1, $260,000
Breeder	D E & E Y Nakhle
Owner	R Cole, S Hawkins, P Hogg, D Honiss, D Nakhle, A Opie, W Searle & T Drinnan, D & J Skipper