The Great British Bonus (GBB) prize scheme is up and running thanks to the debut win of Pelekai at Newcastle on Tuesday.
In victory, the Mark Johnston-trained filly earned her owner-breeder Newsells Park Stud an additional £10,000 on top of the race prize-money.
The well backed Pelekai showed a professional attitude on Tuesday, jumping out to make all under Franny Norton for a half-length score over Mamba Wamba. Plans now call for the filly to head to Royal Ascot, as assistant trainer Jock Bennett outlined to the Racing Post.
“Pelekai had been working very well at home and Joe Fanning said to me the other day how much he liked her,” he said. “We’ve done it a few years now where we’ve kicked off with winners that have gone on to win at Ascot so let’s hope this is the same.”
A daughter of Kodiac, Pelekai was bred in Britain by Newsells Park Stud out of Pelerin, winner of the Listed October Stakes and Listed Cooley Stakes. By Shamardal, Pelerin is a half-sister to the Listed-placed Masarah and out of the Listed-placed Fragrancy.
Promoted by the TBA, the GBB is an industry-wide scheme that awards significant bonuses of up to £20,000 to the connections of qualified fillies should they win an eligible race. Open to British-bred fillies under both codes, it is predominantly funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) alongside registration fee income from owners and breeders and replaces the two current schemes, Plus10 and NH MOPS. 
British-bred two-year-old fillies already paid up for Plus10 have been transferred over to GBB automatically as have those fillies and mares already registered to NH MOPS. 
To ensure 100% eligibility, the filly in question has to be British-bred and by a British-based stallion.
However, a filly can be eligible to win 50% of a prize if she is British-bred yet by a stallion standing abroad – as in the case of Pelekai.
For fillies born in 2019 and 2020, there are three registration stages to ensure eligibility; as a foal, as a yearling and as a two (for Flat-bred fillies) or three-year-old
(for Jumps-bred fillies). 
“A scheme underpinning all pillars of the industry is the best way to support Thoroughbred breeding operations in Britain, and when key participants benefit, those funds are more likely to be reinvested into the British racing industry,” TBA chairman Julian Richmond-Watson commented at the time of the scheme’s launch.
“GBB evolved from the latest economic impact studies commissioned by the TBA, and, after extensive collaboration across the industry, it will focus on assisting key areas of the race programme and horse population that can shape the future diversity of the breed.”
Registration payments start from £200. Yearlings and foals of 2020 both have until August 31 to be registered for Stage 1.
Registration and further information is available at www.greatbritishbonus.co.uk