Not the first time $1million bonus has been offered

IN WHAT can only be described as a phenomenal promotion, Harness Racing New South Wales has announced a whopping $1million bonus is ready for the taking.

To claim the cash, a pacer must win the feature race at all five legs of the Carnival of Cups series.

Parkes will kick-start the circuit on September 20, with Penrith hosting the finale on March 14.

There is also a $500,000 bonus for four wins and a $250,000 bonus for three wins.

Although HRNSW has referred to the massive amount is "unprecedented", it is in fact not the first time $1million has been offered as a bonus.

In 1981 the Victorian Trotting Control Board (now known as Harness Racing Victoria) 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.

For the record, Kara Supreme missed 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.

Like the Grand Slam Series, the HRNSW bonus is only applicable for pacing events.

Throughout the years there have been other sizeable bonuses, including 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 mouth-watering $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.

In 2007, Lombo Pocket Watch surpassed $1million in earnings as a three-year-old to be bestowed the title as harness racing first 'Million Dollar Baby'.

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.”