Beginning of $1million quest
AS YOU'D expect, Harness Racing Victoria offering a whopping $1.5million in bonuses has garnered attention from near and far.
Along with local hopefuls, interstate stars - and even the Kiwis - have set their sights on the mouth-watering tally.
In what can only be described as a phenomenal promotion, HRV will pay $1million to any pacer which wins four legs (including the Hunter Cup) and $500,000 to any trotter which wins four legs (including the Great Southern Star).
There are six stages in the bonus series, with the opening legs to be conducted in Bendigo tomorrow night.
While it is an extremely lucrative amount, it is not the first time some 'extra cash' has been up for grabs.
In fact, it's not the first time a $1million bonus has been made available, nor is it the first for multi wins along the country cups trail.
In 1982, the Bendigo, Shepparton and Ballarat Clubs band together to guarantee $50,000 to any pacer which captured all three majors.
Popular Alm set track records winning the first two, but after a horrid run in the third, the Bob Knight-trained champion fell short by finishing second behind Doubter in what was a controversial and unpopular result.
Aiming for his 16th consecutive win, Popular Alm was beaten two metres after beginning from a 25-metre handicapped and being forced four-wide during the middle stages.
A year early, the Victorian Trotting Control Board launched the Grand Slam Series, which came with a $1million incentive.
The first major two, three and four-year-old series of classics for pacers and trotters in the southern hemisphere, the TCB would reward any competitor which could complete a clean sweep of the Finals.
On the surface the bonus appeared to be nothing but terrific news, however, controversy struck the following year after Kara Supreme matched his two-year-old win by capturing the three-year-old Final.
Beyond excited to be on target to secure $1million, Kara Supreme's connections were left gutted when it was declared the money was restricted to pacers, with trotters to receive an abysmal $10,000.
It mattered little, however, with Kara Supreme missing the four-year-old leg.
Several years later Gammalite won the three pacers' Finals, with the bonus cut dramatically to $50,000!
The series was abandoned after five seasons.
Throughout the years there have been other sizable bonus wins, including New South Wales pacer Western Grant claiming $120,000 for his clean sweep of the John Brandon Derby series in New Zealand in 1989.
The following season Master Musician collected a more than tidy $500,000 bonus by winning eligible two-year-old features in his native New Zealand and New South Wales.
With stake earnings of $571,164, the gelding became the industry's first 'Million Dollar Baby', however, with bonuses not recognised as official earnings, Master Musician has been denied that title.
Master Musician's trainer Robert Dunn believes his former champion deserves the acknowledgement.
“Bonus money, or stakes, he still pulled in $1million,” Dunn declared. “It was something that had never been done before and hasn't been done since by a two-year-old.”
And who can forget Swayzee earning $500,000 on top of his prizemoney for securing four Cups in New South Wales last season!
Like Popular Alm, Swayzee fell agonisingly short of a bigger payday when runner-up in the Albury Cup in February.
Success in Albury - ultimately resulting in a series clean sweep - would have netted Swayzee's connections $1million.
