The Jockey Club has announced a freeze on prize money for 2025 while warning that trading performance at its 15 tracks in Britain could lead to a review. The figure will be set at £58.1 million, £30.6m of which will come from executive contribution.
While the figure is marginally down on this year's £58.6 million due to there being 15 fewer race days, this means the average prize money per fixture is improved from £175,000 to £182,000.
However, the Jockey Club cautioned that the budget could change due to performances over the first three months of next year. Last year, prize funds were cut by £1.5 million from the original budget after a challenging opening in 2024.
The Jockey Club's chief executive, Nevin Truesdale, said: "Prize money is our single biggest investment each year and we have worked hard to sustain these levels in 2025.
"There is no doubt that the ongoing economic environment continues to bring uncertainty to our income streams, and the government's October budget will have a significant and material impact on us, too. However, we have prioritized prize money as part of our budgeting process for next year, while also recognizing that in such a turbulent economic climate it is vital to review our financial performance and investments throughout 2025."
Prize money was notably affected by first-quarter trading performance this year after it was initially due to break the £60 million mark when announced in January.
The figure was reduced by £1.5 million from May 1 after falling attendance figures at the Cheltenham Festival plus the continued impact of affordability checks, resulting in five Jockey Club fixtures losing their Premier race day status.
Prize money for individual races, including major meetings under the Jockey Club banner at Cheltenham, Aintree, and Newmarket, have yet to be confirmed for 2025.
