The Derby at Epsom is set to regain its position at the very summit of British flat racing after The Jockey Club confirmed that prize money for the 2026 renewal will rise to £2 million, making it the joint-richest race in the UK.
The £500,000 uplift takes the Derby’s total prize fund to £2 million, with £1 million awarded to the winner, placing the race on a par with Ascot’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, long regarded as Britain’s most valuable middle-distance contest.
The announcement comes after a six-month review by Epsom Downs Racecourse and The Jockey Club, prompted by a notable fall in attendance at this year’s Derby meeting. Official figures show the Derby crowd dropped by more than 4,500, from over 26,800 in 2024 to 22,312 in 2025, raising concerns about the long-term appeal of Britain’s most famous Classic.
A race whose prestige once eclipsed prize money
Historically, the Derby’s importance has never rested on prize money alone. For much of its 245-year history, victory at Epsom carried unparalleled breeding and reputational value, dwarfing the cash rewards on offer.
Well into the late twentieth century, the Derby paid significantly less than major jumps races such as the Grand National or Cheltenham Gold Cup, yet remained the race every owner, trainer and breeder wanted to win. A Derby victory could transform a colt’s value overnight, securing a lucrative stud career that far exceeded any prize cheque.
In recent decades, however, that imbalance has begun to shift. With global investment in racing concentrated increasingly in prize money-led jurisdictions such as Ireland, France, Australia and the Middle East, British racing has faced mounting pressure to compete financially as well as historically.
How the Derby now compares
At £2 million, the Derby will now sit at the top tier of UK racing alongside:
- King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Ascot) – £2 million
- The Derby (Epsom) – £2 million from 2026
By comparison:
- Cheltenham Gold Cup currently offers prize money in the region of £625,000
- The Grand National, Britain’s most famous jumps race, has a total prize fund of £1 million
- The Oaks, run on the Friday of the Derby meeting, remains below the Derby but continues to hold major Classic status
The uplift therefore restores a sense of hierarchy at the very top of British flat racing, ensuring that the Derby once again leads from the front rather than trailing its peers.
Wider changes to the Derby meeting
Prize money is not the only area where change is planned. In an effort to attract a younger and more diverse audience, under-18s will be given free entry to both days of the Derby meeting in 2026. Racecourse officials hope this will help introduce a new generation to Epsom Downs and to racing more generally.
There are also significant changes to the structure of the meeting itself. The Coronation Cup will move from Friday to Saturday, where it will be run alongside the Derby. Its prize money has more than doubled, rising from £450,000 to £1 million following new sponsorship from leading racehorse breeders Coolmore.
Across the two-day meeting as a whole, total prize money will increase by £1.375 million, while the Oaks will remain the feature race on the Friday.
A response to changing times
The changes follow a 2025 Derby won by Lambourn, trained by Aidan O’Brien, who recorded a record-extending 11th victory in the Classic. While the quality of racing on the track remains undiminished, the attendance figures suggest Epsom is grappling with wider challenges facing British racing: competition from other sports, rising costs for racegoers, and shifting leisure habits.
By restoring the Derby’s financial standing, restructuring the meeting, and lowering barriers to entry for younger fans, Epsom Downs is clearly attempting to balance tradition with modern realities.
Whether higher prize money alone can reverse attendance trends remains to be seen. But with the Derby once again sitting at the very top of the British racing prize-money tree, Epsom is making a clear statement of intent: that the world’s greatest flat race should also be one of its most valuable.
Horses racing Image: Credit Paul. CC BY 2.0