THERE were four more €5,000 winners in the Weatherbys Ireland ITBA National Hunt Fillies Bonus Scheme in January from just seven opportunities.

The scheme is open to all fillies. Breeders can nominate their store fillies to the scheme for just €150 while a filly bought at the sales can be added in for €200. Should that filly win a maiden bumper, hurdle or chase confined to fillies, she earns an extra €5,000. In theory a nominated filly could win three bonuses.

The deadline for entry to the scheme is the end of September each year.

Montana Belle set the ball rolling for 2017 when winning a mares’ maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse, winning an extra €5,000 as a nominated filly. She is owned by Roger Brookhouse and was bred by Bernard Croke.

At Punchestown on January 14th Fintara won a Punchestown bumper in the colours Sally Rowley-Williams. The mare was bred by Hugh Hazard.

West Bridge was sold for just €2,000 as a foal but her owner Daniel Corry picked up a €5,000 bonus when the mare got her head in front in a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse on January 25th.

On the same card the multiple point-to-point winner Mystic Theatre scooped a bonus €5,000 by winning the bumper. Owned by Rose Boyd, this daughter of King’s Theatre was bred by Peter and Maria Byrne, and she looks the type who could go on to win over hurdles and fences.

There has been a 70% increase in the number of four-year-old mares in training since 2014 and the ITBA believes that the Bonus Scheme, along with a much improved programme for National Hunt fillies, has played a major part in this trend.