French Duke at Royal Ascot

Ascot announce record prize money for 2026

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Mon December 01, 2025 · 3M ago

Ascot have announced that prize money in 2026 will be a record £19.4 million, an increase on 2025 of £1.65 million (figures exclude the industry-owned QIPCO British Champions Day).

A total of 88 of Ascot’s 169 races (52%), across 25 racedays, will have a higher total prize fund than in 2025, with all races on the Flat worth £25,000 or more. Royal Ascot will be worth £10.65 million, from £10.05 million.

Ascot’s executive contribution to prize money will go up from £9.97 million in 2025 to a budgeted £10.7 million in 2026.

Increases to Royal Ascot have been made across the programme with all eight Group 1 races now worth a minimum of £700,000 (two at £1 million), while all races at the Royal Meeting will be run for £120,000 or more, up from £110,000. In all, 26 of the 35 races across the week will be run for more than they were in 2025.

In July, it was announced that the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes will become Britain’s first £2 million race next year, up from £1.5 million. This year’s running of the race saw the world’s current top-rated horse, Calandagan, triumph in another top-class renewal of Europe’s midsummer all-aged highlight. Total prize money on the day will now be in excess of £2.5 million.

Among other uplifts on the Flat, the Group 2 Summer Mile will be worth £165,000 (up from £140,000), while all Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup races will be run for at least £85,000 (up from £80,000), taking the total on the day to £525,000.

Investment in Class 3 and 4 races on the Flat takes all races to a minimum of £25,000 with total prize money increasing by £287,000 at those levels.

Over Jumps, the Ladbrokes 1965 Chase will be increased to £100,000, having been £80,000 this year, which delivers three £100,000 races on the Saturday of the Ladbrokes November Racing Weekend. All WFA Novice/Maiden Hurdles will also be run for a minimum of £25,000 as part of investment into the developmental programme.

Felicity Barnard, Chief Executive Officer at Ascot Racecourse, said: "We are delighted to be making these increases in prize money for 2026, demonstrating our commitment to the sport and focus on rewarding participants.

“We are of course conscious of the macro-economic factors currently at play which make taking a long-term view on prize money investment even more important. We hope that these uplifts will play a part in encouraging investment in British racing.

“In announcing this record figure, an increase of £1.65 million, whilst making an international statement with the King George, we have also focused on improvements across the programme.

“Over half of our races across both codes have seen increases and through £25,000 minimum Flat values and a focus on the novice hurdle programme, we are aligning many of our increases with an agreed industry focus on developmental races.”

Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Public Affairs at Ascot Racecourse, added: “Prize money is the most important investment tool that we have in attracting horses to run from home and abroad, at all levels of racing that we stage.

“We’ve seen some world-class racing at Ascot in 2025, with runners travelling here from four continents. It is vital in an increasingly competitive international market that we keep Ascot at the forefront and the flagship £2 million King George is key to this alongside the Royal Meeting.

“We will be promoting the King George alongside our Large Independent Racecourses and Jockey Club colleagues, under the Midsummer Elite Races banner. The July Cup, Sussex Stakes, International and King George are Britain’s historical, defining, all-aged summer races over their respective trips and we hope that promoting them together, with increased prize money all round, will gain traction.”

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