$20,000 bonus in "The Christian Cullen"

A $20,000 bonus will be up for grabs when the first ever Group 1 The Christian Cullen is held at Addington Raceway on Friday, December 6.

The $200,000 race for the 4YO pacers is a new addition to a jam-packed programme that also includes the Group 1 $300,000 Garrards New Zealand Pacing Derby and the Group 1 $200,000 NZ Trotting Derby.  

The bonus for The Christian Cullen will be paid to the first horse past the post who isn’t a previous Group 1 winner.

The payment will be split, with $15,000 going to the owner, and $5000 to the trainer.

In the case of a dead heat, the bonus will be split evenly, with $7500 to each owner/s and $2500 to each trainer.

"The bonus is a way of adding more interest to what is already lining up to be a very good race," says HRNZ's Head of Racing and Wagering Matthew Peden.

"It gives the race an extra sense of occasion and we think it will be very well-received."

Christian Cullen was chosen as the name for the new Group 1 after an on-line competition.

As a four-year-old Christian Cullen was unbeatable. He won 12 from 12 including the 1998 New Zealand Cup, the Auckland Cup and the Miracle Mile.

Harness racing's pin up boy at the time, over all the Brian O'Meara-trained star won 22 from 31 starts and over $1.2m in stakes.