Jockey Club UK boosts 2026 prize money to £61.47m, up 4.4%

The Jockey Club has increased total prize money across its 15 racecourses to £61.47 million for 2026, a rise of about 4.4% on last year and the first time its purses have topped £60 million. The uplift comes as organisers expand the fixture list to 322 meetings and prioritise funding for flagship festivals and developmental races, a move that will alter distribution of purse money across the Flat and jumps calendar.

Funding for the boost is a mix of the organisation’s own resources and external support. The Jockey Club will contribute £31.7 million from executive funds in 2026, up from a budgeted £30.6 million in 2025, while increased payments from the Horserace Betting Levy Board have allowed additional prize-money to be routed to Class 1 events and to maidens and novices. The total £61.47 million equates to roughly US$84.8 million.

A headline allocation targets Epsom’s Betfred Derby Festival. The organisation is adding £1.375 million to the two-day meeting, taking the Derby weekend’s purse pool in 2026 to an announced £2 million for the race itself. Other high-profile allocations include the Coronation Cup being raised from £450,000 to £1,000,000 and the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai July Cup set at £800,000. Beyond the blue riband events, extra funding will be focused on Class 1 races and developmental races to support the long-term horse population.

Chief Executive Jim Mullen set out the rationale for the package, saying: “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. [...] 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.”

On a per-fixture basis the uplift raises average prize-money to around £190,000 in 2026, up from about £182,000 in 2025. Coverage of the numbers has used slightly different framings: some reports describe the rise as “an extra £3 million” compared with last year, while the arithmetic difference between £61.47 million and £58.1 million is £3.37 million. That rounding affects how large a slice the Derby uplift represents - roughly 46% of the rounded extra £3 million, or about 41% of the precise £3.37 million increase.

For owners, trainers and breeders the package signals renewed investment at the top end and a clear push to strengthen the pipeline of young talent. For racegoers the changes are an attempt to reinvigorate key fixtures such as Epsom and to sharpen competition at Group 1 level. The immediate watchlist will be which specific Class 1 meetings receive uplifts beyond the July Cup, how racing connections respond to the Derby enhancements, and whether the prize-money trajectory proves sustainable as The Jockey Club balances festival investment with efficiency plans announced in recent months.