The British Owners and Breeders Incentive Scheme (BOBIS) has been well backed by breeders with 1,458 two-year-olds having been entered for the inaugural scheme, including Frankel’s half-sister by Oasis Dream.

This year will see the staging of approximately 420 BOBIS races and a further 450 will be added to the scheme for three-year-olds from 2014. Owners now have until Wednesday, 3 April to qualify fully their two-year-olds.

James Oldring, Project Director for BOBIS, said: “We have been delighted with the response from breeders to the British Owners and Breeders Incentive Scheme, and in particular with the number of yearlings that have been registered for the 2014 Scheme already, demonstrating a long-term commitment to BOBIS.

“The emphasis now moves on to owners and trainers to nominate their two-year-olds to BOBIS for 2013, and with around 420 two-year-old races to aim at and a £6,000 bonus available for every one of those, there’s plenty to motivate them.

“We have had a significant amount of constructive feedback from breeders over the last month, and I’m extremely grateful to all of those that took the time to contact us.”

A bonus of £6,000 is available for winning two-year-olds of all Class 2-4 maidens, nurseries, novice and conditions stakes and Class 5 fillies’ maidens in Britain in 2013. Owners of BOBIS-eligible horses will receive 60% of the bonus, while breeders receive 30%. The remaining 10% is paid to the trainer, jockey and stable staff of the winning horse.

A good range of leading British-based sires are represented in the scheme, but as it is not restricted solely to those stallions based in Britain, 22% of the eligible two-year-olds are by stallions from outside the UK, including 22 by first-season sire Sea The Stars, 21 by Invincible Spirit and 15 by another Irish-based freshman, Mastercraftsman. Racehorses are eligible for the scheme if they are either by a stallion who stands in Britain or if their dam is usually resident in Britain.

Louise Kemble, Chief Executive of the TBA added: “Breeders have shown great support for the British Owners and Breeders Incentive Scheme – as they should do with so much money on offer in 2013 – and I look forward to seeing plenty of them celebrating a significant bonus once prizes start being paid out later this year.

“I’m delighted to see so many British-based stallions represented thus far in the registration process and there’s also still plenty of time for breeders to register foals or yearlings this year for future Schemes. I’d urge people not to miss out on the opportunities that BOBIS affords them.”

A full list of horses which have been signed up for the scheme can be found on the BOBIS website.