Industry initiative launched in June 2020 has hit milestone figure in bonuses to winning connections of British-bred fillies
Five years ago, a filly named Pelekai (Kodiac x Pelerin) was the first to cross the finish line in a maiden fillies’ stakes at Newcastle, triggering something bigger than a win – the first-ever payout from the Great British Bonus (GBB).
Fast forward five years to Lingfield Park last week when Pixie Diva (Mohaather x Belvoir Diva) won a novice stakes, collecting a £10,000 bonus and pushing total GBB payouts to more than £20 million.
Owned by Clive and Laura Washbourn and bred by Bickmarsh Stud, the three-year-old was trained by George Scott and ridden by jockey Darragh Keenan. Sold at Tattersalls December Yearling Sale for 50,000gns she won on debut and is also a half-sister to one of the early GBB winners, Tattoo (Equiano).
Since 2020, nearly 1,500 individual bonuses have been paid out, and GBB, with support from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB), has now awarded more than £20m to breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys and stable staff across the country and has grown into a central pillar of British racing and breeding.
Launched in 2020 as a Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA) initiative with majority funding from the HBLB, GBB was designed to create value and increase demand for British-bred fillies, and its impact is measurable.
In 2024, GBB-registered fillies sold for an average of £30,000 more than their non-registered counterparts. An independent report by PwC found their overall value has increased by 16.3% - and that margin is growing.
In 2022, the number of annual individual British-bred fillies running exceeded pre-Covid levels – outperforming colts and fillies from other jurisdictions.
For the HBLB, the numbers are evidence of success. Levy Board chief executive Alan Delmonte said: “HBLB is proud to have provided the GBB scheme with funding since inception and has been impressed by the scheme’s impact to date.
“This year, HBLB provided an extra £1.1m to extend the scheme to give targeted support for middle-distance and staying Flat fillies and for steeplechasing mares. This demonstrates HBLB’s commitment to support British breeding and provide incentives for the racing of fillies and mares.”
TBA chairman Philip Newton added: “This is another fantastic moment for GBB with support from HBLB, and we are immensely proud to see that in a short space of time, we are now seeing breeders making decisions specifically to qualify for the scheme. That kind of shift takes belief – and it shows we’ve built something they can trust and that makes a difference.”
Of the £20m paid out so far, around 65% – £13m – has gone directly to owners. Among them is Ron Huggins, whose filly Spirit of Jura (Masar x Pamona) has won three bonuses.“GBB really can be a game-changer,” said the owner. “If you’re winning, it puts you almost on level terms with the French system.
“Trainers are getting behind it, and more owners are increasingly interested in fillies at the sales. The races are fiercely contested – everyone wants to win, which only adds to the excitement. A scheme like this has the power to reignite interest in British breeding and ownership and it should be expanded!”
Breeders have also seen a direct benefit, receiving around £4m to date. For Barry and Ed Green at Bickmarsh Stud – whose operation has picked up several bonuses this year, including three with Ali Shuffle – the scheme has had a profound effect. “GBB has made a difference for us at Bickmarsh Stud,” they reported.
“There's noticeably more interest in fillies at the sales – it becomes a selling point when you can say the half-sister picked up a couple of GBB bonuses. And of course, as a breeder, you still share in those bonuses even after the filly’s been sold, which is a huge incentive. Pixie Diva was a lovely type heading to the sales but having that GBB sticker definitely helped turn heads.”
While stars like Inspiral, Honeysuckle, Emily Upjohn, and Lezoo have all claimed bonuses, a large proportion of the money has gone to smaller owners and breeders. On the National Hunt side, mares like Molly Ollys Wishes and Kateira have earned six-figure sums. On the Flat, Adaay in Devon leads the way, picking up four bonuses and £80,000 in a single season.
Anniversary apple trees
To mark the fifth anniversary of GBB, along with the £20 million bonus milestone, GBB has gifted five apple trees – a symbol of longevity, heritage, and future growth – to 20 breeders across Britain.
In January 2025, GBB launched its next phase: GBBPlus, aimed at supporting staying fillies and chasing mares, further widening the scheme’s reach. In just six months, the extension is already showing signs that it will be impactful with the number of bonuses paid out to chasing mares more than doubling previous year’s numbers and the BHA seeing a noticeable increase in mares participating in these races.
Philip Newton added: “GBB is a success story - it’s working, it’s growing, and we should be shouting about it. GBB is proving there’s every reason to breed, buy, race in Britain - and be proud of it.”
From that first winning filly at Newcastle to an industry-wide shift in how British-bred fillies are valued, GBB is now deeply rooted into the industry providing genuine returns for those that back British as well as hope for the future.
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