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The Australian Jumping Racing Association has applauded Racing Victoria for its continued confidence in the sport.

“It’s exciting that the industry is providing our owners and trainers with the opportunity to prepare and present horses for jumping with incentives to help increase our fields,” AJRA chair Marg Lucas said.

“We are looking forward to the jumps racing season starting next week and towards having an increased number of novice jumpers making their way through the grades, along with the appearance of quality jumpers in our feature events.”

Racing Victoria announced that the $10,000 bonus scheme for horses registering their first jumps racing win in Victoria will continue for the 2016 season.

The scheme was developed in 2012 as further incentive for owners and trainers to race jumps horses in Victoria, which ultimately is aimed at growing participation and field sizes in the sport.

For the first time, the $10,000 bonus will be split between connections in 2016 with owners to receive 80 per cent and trainers to receive 20 per cent.

“The bonus scheme is over and above the significant investment that has been made by RV in this year’s program, with the announcement that this season will see a $510,000 boost to prizemoney – the first increase in funding since 2012,” RV Racing Operations Manager, Paul Bloodworth said.

“The 2015 season saw the average field size for Victorian jumps races rise above eight horses per race for the first time since 2008 and the first win bonus scheme has played an important role in stimulating new and renewed investment in the sport.

“As well as the $10,000 bonus, maiden hurdles will also attract a minimum $25,000 in prizemoney while ratings hurdles and steeplechases will offer a minimum of $30,000 in prizemoney.”

The bonus scheme is supported by the Victorian Racing Industry Fund as an additional pool of prizemoney to reward and acknowledge first time jumps winners.

The Victorian jumps racing season will start at Warrnambool on March 8 and run until September 25 with a total of $3.51 million in prizemoney on offer across 63 jumps races (42 hurdle, 21 steeplechase).

Key program enhancements include the creation of a feature two-day carnival at Ballarat in August headlined by the $350,000 Grand National Steeplechase.