The Jockey Club has announced that total prize money at its 15 racecourses will rise to £61.47 million this year, up from a budgeted £58.1 million in 2025.
This year-on-year increase can be attributed to three main factors. Firstly, The Jockey Club announced last month that overall prize money at the Betfred Derby Festival is to be boosted by £1.375 million in 2026.
In addition, a total of 322 fixtures will be staged across The Jockey Club over the next 12 months – up from a scheduled 319 last year. The third contributor is an increase in prize money for Class 1 and developmental races, made possible due to boosted funding from the Horserace Betting Levy Board for 2026 and increased investment from The Jockey Club’s own funds, demonstrating support for the long-term growth of the horse population.
Of the £61.47 million, a total of £31.7 million will come from executive contribution – the amount The Jockey Club puts in from its own funds – up from a budgeted £30.6 million in 2025.
The announcement means that average prize money of more than £190,000 per fixture is scheduled to be offered this year, up from £182,000 in 2025.
Jim Mullen, Chief Executive of The Jockey Club, said: “We’re pleased to be able to increase prize money across our racecourses and have worked hard throughout our budgeting process to ensure this is possible.
“Prize money is part of the essential foundation of our sport and we recognise the crucial role it plays as an incentive and reward to all participants.
“Going forward, the challenge is to maintain the commitment to invest meaningfully to drive the sport forwards. For The Jockey Club, prize money now accounts for more than 70% of our overall profits, up from 55% in 2019. It would not be sustainable for that trajectory to continue and that’s why we announced in December plans to invest in the growth of our key festivals and to tackle efficiency.”
Richard Norris, The Jockey Club’s Group Racing Director, also explained the significance of the increase in prize money for Class 1 and developmental races.
He said: “We are pleased to support the new industry initiatives for 2026 that seek to increase the number of horses based and raced in Britain generally, and at the quality end. Given current trends and their potential future impact, these areas must remain key priorities for British Racing.”
Prize money totals for this year are budgeted and subject to abandonments. Values for specific races and fixtures will be confirmed in due course.
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