2026 Initiatives
HBLB has made available £4.11m for new initiatives in 2026 to support two complementary areas of focus as proposed in a submission from Racing: increasing prize money for the extensive programme of Flat and Jump Developmental Races, and targeting prize money at upper levels to aid the retention of high-quality horses in Britain.
Details of the initiatives are outlined below:
Developmental Races initiative
£2.5m has been awarded to directly increase prize money of Novice and Maiden races on the Flat and over Jumps, to be allocated via the existing Ratecard Plus mechanism in addition to the £60.67m detailed above. It aims to bring prize money for these race types closer into line with other nearby jurisdictions, incentivising ownership in Britain.
Elite Global Group 1 Strategy
The Elite Global Group 1 Strategy (£0.4m) comprises additional matched funding of £100,000 per race to the July Cup at Newmarket, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, Sussex Stakes at Goodwood and International Stakes at York, to help grow their appeal to both domestic and international participants.
Point-to-Point Bonus Scheme
The Point-to-Point Bonus Scheme (£0.25m) will comprise 15 Maiden races for 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds. Winners of these races will qualify for a bonus when they win their first development race over hurdles or fences under Rules during the next two core Jump seasons. The bonus payments will be £25,000 for a British-bred horse and £15,000 for a horse bred elsewhere.
Flat Black Type Races
£0.2m of funding will support an increase in Class 1 Flat races minimum values to boost the appeal of Britain to owners of quality horses.
The new minimum values are listed below:
|
Race Class |
2025 Minimum Value |
2026 Minimum Value |
|
Group 1 |
£250,000 |
£375,000 |
|
Group 2 |
£125,000 |
£165,000 |
|
Group 3 |
£85,000 |
£95,000 |
|
Listed |
£55,000 |
£60,000 |
|
Group 1 – 2yo |
£200,000 |
£275,000 |
|
Group 2 – 2yo |
£100,000 |
£125,000 |
|
Group 3 – 2yo |
£65,000 |
£75,000 |
|
Listed – 2yo |
£40,000 |
£45,000 |
The total value of this initiative will be £1.8m, with racecourses and owners contributing £1.0m and supplementary entry fees expected to provide the balance of £0.6m.