Ascot prize-money set to hit record mark of £17 million for 2023

Up on the roof: a view from on high as the field hurtles down the straight mile at Royal Ascot; the racecourse will carry record prize-money in 2023. Photo: Hattie Austin/focusonracing.com

GB: Total prize-money at Britain’s premier racecourse Ascot will in 2023 hit a record £17 million ($20.4m) across 25 racedays in 2023.

Although the figure includes the annual five-day Royal Ascot meeting in June, it does not include the lucrative QIPCO British Champions Day card at the end of the season, which is industry-owned.

The £17m figure represents an annual uplift of £1.33m (8.5%) against 2022 figures, while prize-money for Royal Ascot 2023 will also be a record £9.52 million, up from £8.65m (10%) in 2022.

“We are delighted to have reached the £17m prize-money mark for the first time,” said Nick Smith, Ascot’s director of racing and public affairs. “It's never been so important to focus on the top end of the British programme with competition for the best horses so intense internationally.”

All G1 races at Royal Ascot will be run for a minimum of £600,000 for the first time with increases to the King’s Stand, St James’s Palace, Gold Cup, Coronation Stakes and Commonwealth Cup (all £500,000 in 2022), while the Queen Anne will be worth £750,000 (£600,000 in 2022).

The G2 King Edward VII Stakes will be increased to £250,000 (£225,000 in 2022) while two G2 races for fillies and mares – the Duke of Cambridge and Ribblesdale – are raised to £225,000 (from £175,000 and £200,000).

Both the G3 Hampton Court Stakes and Jersey Stakes also receive increases to £150,000 (from £100,000 and £110,000). As in 2022, no race at Royal Ascot will be run for less than £100,000.

Outside Royal Ascot, the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup meeting will be worth £640,000, a 15% increase, with all eight races run for £80,000 plus £25,000 in stable prizes once again awarded. The same stable prize bonus will also be in place on QIPCO King George Diamond Day.

Elsewhere, Ascot will host two high-value maidens with the Crocker Bulteel Maiden Stakes at the QIPCO King George Diamond Weekend worth £50,000 and a seven-furlong maiden in September worth £45,000.

No race on the Flat will be worth less than £15,000 with all Class 3 handicaps run for a minimum £20,000. Over jumps, no race will be run for less than £10,000, including National Hunt Flat Races.

The G1 Clarence House Chase and Betfair Ascot Chase will increase to £175,000 (both from £150,000) while each Saturday meeting during the jumps season will feature a handicap worth at least £100,000.

Ascot prize-money history

Year – total prize fund Royal Ascot

2014 – £10.59m £5.31m
2015 – £11.24m £5.55m
2016 – £12.39m £6.58m
2017 – £12.23m £6.60m
2018 – £13.45m £7.30m
2019 – £13.60m £7.33m
2020 – £6.59m £3.61m
2021 – £11.08m £6.00m
2022 – £15.67m £8.65m
2023 – £17.00m £9.25m
25 fixtures (Flat and jumps) excluding QIPCO Champions Day