The Jockey Club is boosting its total prize money to a record £61.47 million across its 15 UK racecourses for 2026, a meaningful year-on-year rise from the £58.1 million figure for 2025.
The increased kitty serves as a clear signal to owners weighing up where to keep horses in training.
Three levers drive the uplift: a £1.375 million boost to prize money at the 2026 Betfred Derby Festival, an increase in fixtures from the 319 the Club scheduled last year to 322 over the next 12 months, and higher pots for Class 1 and developmental races. This latter piece relies on increased 2026 funding from the Horserace Betting Levy Board, which The Jockey Club is backing up by reaching deeper into its own reserves.
The Club is budgeting its internal spend — its executive contribution — at £31.7 million for 2026, up from the £30.6 million it budgeted in 2025. This pushes average prize money per fixture to more than £190,000, compared to £182,000 last year. It’s the kind of arithmetic that helps trainers plan, offering better returns at the top end and a clearer runway for bringing horses through the system rather than rushing them to the sales ring.
Jockey Club commits to ‘driving the sport forwards’
Jockey Club Chief Executive Jim Mullen framed it as a budgeting decision that keeps participants in mind. “We’re pleased to increase prize money across our racecourses and have worked hard throughout our budgeting process to make this possible,” he said.
“Prize money forms an essential foundation of our sport, and we recognise the crucial role it plays as an incentive and reward to all participants.”
But Mullen also put a ceiling on how far the model can stretch. The Jockey Club says prize money now accounts for more than 70% of its overall profits, up from 55% in 2019 — a trajectory he called unsustainable if it keeps rising. “Going forward, our challenge is maintaining the commitment to invest meaningfully to drive the sport forwards,” Mullen said, adding that the organisation has already flagged “plans to invest in the growth of our key festivals and to tackle efficiency.”
Group Racing Director Richard Norris underlined the strategic target for 2026: “We are pleased to support the new industry initiatives for 2026 that seek to increase the number of horses that owners base and race in Britain, particularly at the quality end.”