• Horserace Betting Levy Board approves increase in 2027 prize money funding
• Increased funding in line with strategic goals to support the number of horses bred, trained and raced in Britain
• Boosts to developmental races and midsummer Group 1s as well as extension of Great British Bonus to male Jump horses
• Increased minimum values for races in the mid and lower tiers

A £2.2 million increase in prize money funding for 2027 has been approved by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB), a boost the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) estimates will deliver a £3 million increase to prize money and associated bonuses.

The increases in prize money funding for next year follows the publication of the 2027 fixture list earlier this month and has been agreed as part of British racing’s strategy to stabilise and, ultimately, reverse the declining number of horses in training by making breeding, owning and racing horses in Britain as attractive as possible.

READ MORE: How was the 2027 fixture list developed and why?

The HBLB’s approval of this funding will deliver further increases in the value of developmental races in both codes, a doubling of support for the Elite Midsummer Group 1 scheme and an extension of the Great British Bonus to include male horses competing over Jumps.

Developmental races

Approximately 20 per cent of the race programme is made up of developmental races, which provide platforms for all horses to progress into handicaps or Black Type contests. Ensuring that prize money levels for these races remain competitive when compared to our closest international competitors is important as we seek to encourage the breeding and ownership of horses in Britain, including by offering significantly increased prize money in the early stages of horses’ careers.

A £2.5 million investment in these races was delivered in 2026 and to ensure they continue to be attractive to prospective owners, £1,000 will be added to the minimum values of all developmental races staged in Britain in 2027.

Race	Minimum value 2026	Minimum value 2027
Flat
Open Staying	£12,000	£13,000
Open Non-Staying	£10,000	£11,000
Restricted Staying	£10,000	£11,000
Restricted Non-Staying	£8,000	£9,000
Jump
Novice/Maiden Chase	£15,000	£16,000
Novice/Maiden Hurdle	£10,000	£11,000

Class 1 Jumps races

Most Grade 2 and Grade 3 Jumps races will see their minimum values increase in 2027 as the sport seeks to ensure our races offer prize money that appeals to the owners of talented horses.

Staging competitive and compelling racing at the highest levels over Jumps drives interest in our sport and carries significant potential to engage new and existing fans, in turn growing the sport’s reach.

This further investment is designed to encourage owners to place their best Jumpers in the care of British trainers and to race them in Britain. Increasing the minimum values of Grade 2 races can also help to provide an aspirational, meritocratic structure to incentivise runners, while boosting Grade 3s allows them to stand out from the rest of the programme.

Race	Minimum value 2026	Minimum value 2027
Grade 2 Chase	£80,000	£90,000
Grade 2 Hurdle	£60,000	£85,000
Grade 2 Novice Chase	£75,000	£80,000
Grade 3 Chase/Hurdle	£75,000	£80,000

Elsewhere in Jumping, the recently introduced Training Fees Credit Scheme will return for 2027.

Elite Midsummer Group 1 scheme

Introduced in 2026, the Elite Midsummer Group 1 Scheme aims to increase the appeal of our sport to new and existing fans by showcasing four of our most prestigious races over a range of distances at a time of year when Britain is well placed to attract top-class horses from around the world to compete.

A joint initiative between the HBLB and the host racecourses, this scheme is focussed on the July Cup, the Sussex Stakes, the International and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (due to be contested for £2.5 million in 2027) and demonstrated encouraging signs in 2026.

This stimulus from HBLB was rewarded over and above match-funding in the case of three of the four races. As a result, the quality, competitiveness and field-size metrics were positive for all four races in 2026. More pertinently for the broader intent of the scheme, they tempted unprecedented net international participation – generating enhanced media interest and a summer of ongoing fan excitement, both domestically and worldwide.

To build on this positive start, in 2027 an additional £100,000 per race will again be offered on a match-funded basis, provided the host racecourses increase their total prize fund via their Executive Contributions and/or sponsorship by the same amount. This will result in each total prize fund increasing by a minimum of £200,000.

The broader intent of this scheme is to demonstrate the holistic worth of investment in our best races to all racecourses and the sport as a whole.

Great British Bonus extension

Given the lengthy timescales involved and the competition from overseas, the Great British Bonus (GBB) scheme will be extended to include Jump geldings from 2027. The primary aim of this initiative is to boost demand from owners for British-bred Jumps males, thereby supporting National Hunt breeders in Britain.

All races currently covered by GBB, with the exception of Class 3 and 4 Handicaps and Bumpers, will be included in the scheme and will offer bonuses to any 100 per cent British-bred Jumps geldings or entires – specifically, a horse by a British-based stallion, foaled in Britain and registered with a GB suffix.

Bonuses for such horses will be 50 per cent of the equivalent filly or mare bonus, at a maximum of £10,000 per race for qualifying geldings. This value has been agreed to ensure the primacy of the existing GBB scheme for 100 per cent GB-bred fillies and mares.

The TBA will provide further details about how backdated registrations from the foal crops of 2024 and 2025 will be permitted.

Support for lower and middle tiers

The majority of owners campaign horses in the mid- to lower-tier of our race programme and while much emphasis is rightly placed on increasing the number of top-class horses bred and raced in Britain, it is recognised that owners across the programme are seeing their costs increase and that there needs to be support at every level.

To this end, minimum values for Class 4 to 6 races on the Flat and Class 3 to 5 over Jumps will increase in 2027, representing a further investment in this area of the race programme of more than £500,000.

Race	Minimum value 2026	Minimum value 2027
Flat
Class 4	£8,750	£10,750
Class 5	£6,000	£7,500
Class 6	£5,000	£6,000
Jumps
Class 3	£11,500 (Ch) £9,800 (Hu)	£13,500 (Ch) £11,800 (Hu)
Class 4	£7,300 (Ch) £6,500 (Hu)	£8,800 (Ch) £8,000 (Hu)
Class 5	£5,300 (Ch) £5,000 (Hu)	£6,300 (Ch) £6,000 (Hu)

Richard Wayman, BHA Director of Racing, said: “British racing has a clear strategy for the coming years to stabilise and, ultimately, grow the number of horses being bred, trained and raced in Britain.

“I am delighted, therefore, to be able to announce details of a £2.2 million increase in prize money funding for 2027 which we believe will translate into an extra £3m in prize money and similar payments. We are very grateful to the Horserace Betting Levy Board for approving this further investment in the race programme at this especially important time for the sport.

“Increases in the value of developmental races, of Grade 2 and Grade 3 Jumps races and of middle to lower tier races, and expanding the Great British Bonus scheme, are tangible steps that will build on the work of recent years and make an immediate difference to participants, support racing businesses and help us attract more people to breed, own and race horses here in Britain.

“Further strengthening the Elite Midsummer Group 1 Scheme will also aid with the sport’s growth strategy, helping to make four of our flagship races at a key time of the year as attractive as possible to domestic and overseas competitors as we seek to grow interest in racing.

“All of this builds on the package of investment announced in 2026, with the Training Fees Credit Scheme, GB Pointing Bonus and Elite NH Mares Scheme having all shown early signs of promise and will continue in 2027.”

Notes to editors:

1. The 2027 fixture list can be viewed here.
2. Richard Wayman’s blog on fixture list policy can be read here.
3. Details of existing initiatives announced in 2026 can be found here.