Racing bosses add twists to NZ’s new richest race

Master Brutus races at Ruakaka on Saturday. Photo / Race Images

Racing bosses have added some twists to New Zealand’s new richest race with the NZB Kiwi set to make one lucky charity a big winner.

New Zealand’s first thoroughbred slot race will be staged for $3.5 million plus bonuses at Ellerslie on Champions Day, March 8, next year. The auction of slots for the first three years of the race was an enormous success in February.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing retained one of the slots for the race but have announced they will sell their slot for the first running of the race only at the Ready To Run sales at Karaka in November.

That will give those who missed buying a slot in the first auction, or potentially the owners of a leading three-year-old who fancy buying a slot rather than sharing any potential winning, the opportunity to secure a slot.

NZTR will donate 50 per cent of whatever the slot makes at auction, above the reserve of $125,000, to charity.

The winning charity will be decided by a sweepstake on the Sarten Memorial at Te Rapa in October, with all 14 slot holders nominating a charity, which will then be matched with a starter in the Sarten and the winning horse’s matched charity will be the one who profits from the slot sale in November.

The NZB Kiwi organisers have also launched a $175,000 bonus scheme to promote early slot negotiation, with every horse announced by a slot holder then starting to accrue points for placings in any race and the leading three horses on points come NZB Kiwi day will win $100,000, $50,000 and $25,000 respectively.

That promotes early deals as the sooner a horse is taken by a slot holder the sooner it can start earning points toward the bonus.

There are also two Australian races announced that will make their winners eligible for the major $1m bonus pool should they then finish Top 3 in the NZB Kiwi, aimed at attracting high-class Australian three-year-olds to the race.

With most of New Zealand’s leading juveniles, who will be eligible three-year-olds next season, in the spelling paddock it is unlikely the first slot will be filled until at least August and the business of how the 14 slots are negotiated will be fascinating to watch.

Brutus back

Punters won’t have to wait long to see one of the best horses of the show at Ruakaka today.

Former exciting three-year-old Master Brutus returns as the topweight in Race 1, having not raced since the Levin Classic in March of last year.

Master Brutus has form around Pier, Maven Belle and Sans Doute as a three-year-old but the removal of a bone chip has sidelined him for the past year.

“He has come back up well and his recent trial suggests he is ready to go,” says trainer Sophia Nolan.

“It is hard to be confident after so long off but he has a good draw and we scratched him last time so we could get a better track up there.”

With Opie Bosson aboard, Master Brutus will start odds-on and will be many punters’ anchor for the day.

Today’s other domestic meeting is at Otaki while the key Kiwi focus across the Tasman will be on Molly Bloom and Moonligh Magic in the A$700,000 Queensland Oaks and La Crique in her A$500,000 weight-fo-age fillies and mares race.