BRISBANE Jan 10 AAP - At least four runners in Saturday's $2 million Magic Millions Two-Year-old Classic are assured of a big cheque even if they don't run a place.

Pinch River, Oakleigh Girl, Ruby Soho, and Sagatona are the only runners currently eligible for the $500,000 in bonus payments to horses owned by women.

Emergencies Pink Perfection and Star Drop are also eligible but are unlikely to get a start.

The runners do not have to win or even run a place to collect the money. The first, second, third and fourth all female-owned horses across the line earn cash.

The quartet is effectively in a race of its own for prizemoney about the same on offer for the Group One Doomben 10,000.

The Magic Millions introduced the incentive scheme to encourage more women to buy horses.

The first horse owned by a woman to pass the line will receive $325,000, second $100,000, third $50,000 and fourth $25,000.

Last year's Classic winner Real Surreal gave her owners a $1.5 million pay cheque with the bonus, the biggest prize in Queensland history.

Pinch River is owned by Angela Duncan, Oakleigh Girl by Louise Gillard, Ruby Soho is made up of female members of the Carroll family and Sagatona is raced by Judy Clairs.

Clairs has already benefited from the scheme as her other horse Missy Longstocking ran third last year and earned an extra $50,000.

Magic Millions media officer Greg Irvine said the scheme would be in place again next year for graduates of the current sales.

"It has created a lot of interest. Yes, they are virtually in a race within a race," Irvine said.