August 1, 2017 is not only the birthday of horses and the beginning of a new racing season but also the starting date for much greater returns to broodmare owners who produce winners of the many BOBS races run in NSW each season.

Some four years ago Thoroughbred Breeders NSW was successful in negotiating with Racing NSW to pay a small (2.5 percent) bonus to breeders of winners of BOBS Bonus Races in NSW but from August 1, 2017 that bonus will be 10 times higher thanks to Racing NSW agreeing to contribute up to $ 1 million a year and the agreement of stallion owners to forego the bonuses they have been receiving for nominating their sires to the BOBS Scheme and diverting these funds to benefit their clients, the mare owners, to achieve better returns when they breed winners entered for the NSW scheme.

Mare owner bonuses are based on bonuses paid to owners of racehorses entered in the BOBS Scheme when they win BOBS races run in metropolitan Sydney, provincial tracks and at country TAB and non-TAB meetings.

Owners of a qualified metropolitan Saturday winner receive a bonus of $20,000 on top of first prize money so from August 1 the breeder ( ASB- noted owner of the dam of the race winner at time of foaling ) will receive a bonus of $5000 or 25 percent of the owners’ bonus.

Breeders of winners of mid-week metropolitan races and winners of Highway races will now be eligible to receive a bonus of $2500 while breeders of BOBS-entered horses which win provincial and country TAB races will be eligible to receive a bonus of $1250.If you breed the winner of a non-TAB race in the country your bonus payment would be $312.50.

Thoroughbred Breeders NSW believes these now substantial payments are worthwhile incentives and rewards for broodmare owners to breed to BOBS stallions standing in NSW and will help them to remain financially viable in the face of ever rising costs with smaller breeders the major beneficiaries.

Despite a buoyant yearling market many smaller breeders lose money or at best break even when selling so the improvements to BOBS will assist them to remain active as THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS NSW Friday 7 July 2017 Big increase in broodmare owner bonuses for breeding winners of BOBS races in NSW breeders and hopefully encourage newcomers to participate in breeding.

Importantly, too, the substantial bonuses now available to those breeders who patronise BOBS stallions standing in NSW will now provide a powerful new incentive for breeders resident in other states and New Zealand to choose a NSW-based, BOBS-nominated stallion when deciding on a mate for their mare/s in 2017.

Creating extra financial incentives for broodmare owners to send mares to stud in future seasons should also help boost a declining annual foal crop and lead to increases in field sizes which, in turn, will lead to increased betting turnover and increased funding for racing.

Thoroughbred Breeders NSW is working with Racing NSW to find ways of streamlining the present system of information gathering needed to ensure that all winning breeders receive any bonuses to which they are entitled.