THERE were seven winners of the €5,000 Weatherbys ITBA NH Fillies Bonus in May.

Trainer Noel Meade won three bonuses for his owners with just two mares. Une Lavandiere got the ball rolling for the stable when winning a Killarney maiden hurdle in the colours of owner Paddy O’Louhglin.

Stable companion Ladysingstheblues, owned by Patricia Hunt, went one better by winning her bumper in Clonmel followed by a maiden hurdle in Punchestown two weeks later.

Damian Murphy’s first runner as a trainer was Duhallow Gesture, and she scooped an extra €5,000 for owner Joe O’Sullivan when she won a bumper at Tipperary.

Willie Mullins has an outstanding record as a trainer of racemares and he was on the scoresheet again when maiden hurdle winner Miss Sapphire landed a bonus at Wexford for the Blue Blood Racing Club.

Almost a year after she had won her first bonus in a Clonmel bumper, the T.J. Nagle-owned and trained Khalessi picked up another €5,000 bonus at Limerick last month when she was victorious in a maiden hurdle.

Alan and Ann Potts have not had many racemares in the past but perhaps they will buy a few more following the success of Lesley Dawn in a Punchestown mares’ maiden hurdle. This bonus winner is trained by Jessica Harrington.

There were plenty of Bonus Scheme mares on offer at this week’s Goffs Land Rover Sale and many more catalogued for the Derby Sale later this month.

Unraced fillies can be nominated to the Weatherbys Ireland ITBA NH Fillies Bonus Scheme for just €200. Eligible fillies are marked as qualified for the scheme in sales catalogues and they can win an extra €5,000 for their new owners when they win a maiden bumper, hurdle or chase confined to mares.

An eligible mare can win an extra €15,000 in bonus payments in total.

For more information on the scheme contact the ITBA on 045 877543.