Entain Australia and New Zealand has joined forces with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing to introduce the New Zealand Summer Series Bonus – a move to further elevate New Zealand’s pinnacle race days over the summer racing season. The inaugural Series provides an incentive for New Zealand and Australia’s leading middle-distance horses to be at the top of their game, competing for a lucrative purse of $650,000 in bonuses.
The New Zealand Summer Series Bonus will be held across four races between January and March next year, rewarding $500,000 to the Series winner, $100,000 to the runner up and $50,000 for the third place getter in the Series (with the associated Trainers taking home 10% of the bonus payments).
To be eligible for the winning bonus, a horse will need to run in one of the two 1600-metre entry races – the $400,000 Harcourts Thorndon Mile at Trentham or the new $1,000,000 Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic at Ellerslie, held on TAB Karaka Millions night.
The Series will then progress towards two of New Zealand’s most iconic 2000-metre races – the $600,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa and the $450,000 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes at Ellerslie.
*Mandatory 10% Trainer payment to be paid from bonus amounts listed above.
The winner will be decided by a points system, with the points weighted towards the Series races as indicated below.
| Placing | Points |
| 1st | 9 |
| 2nd | 7 |
| 3rd | 5 |
| 4th | 3 |
| Start | 2 |
| Placing | Points |
| 1st | 13.5 |
| 2nd | 10.5 |
| 3rd | 7.5 |
| 4th | 4.5 |
| Start | 3 |