Ascot Racecourse Reveals £10 Million Prize Purse for Royal Ascot 2024
Ascot Racecourse Announces Landmark £10 Million Prize Purse for Royal Ascot 2024
In a groundbreaking move, Ascot Racecourse has revealed that the prize-money for the 2024 Royal Ascot meeting will reach an unprecedented £10 million. This represents a significant increase from the £16.8 million on offer across the entire 2023 season, excluding the industry-owned Qipco British Champions Day.
Nick Smith, the director of racing and public affairs at Ascot, emphasized the importance of maintaining the prestigious event’s global standing, stating, “> It is crucial for Royal Ascot to maintain its position on the global stage at a time when participants at home and abroad have so many alternative lucrative options away from Britain.”
The increases will see all Group 1 races at Royal Ascot boosted to a minimum of £650,000, an increase of £50,000 for several top-level contests such as the Gold Cup, Commonwealth Cup, and St James’s Palace Stakes.
Notably, no race at Ascot will be run for less than in 2023, despite a reduction in central funding for the core fixtures. This decision, according to Smith, has required further increases in the executive’s contribution to maintain the high-level prize purses.
The landmark £10 million prize-money announcement comes just a week after the Racecourse Association warned that purses may fall in 2024, with affordability checks posing a “triple whammy” of financial challenges for racecourses.
Ascot’s commitment to enhancing the prize-money for the 2024 Royal Ascot meeting underscores the track’s determination to preserve its status as a premier global racing destination, offering unparalleled incentives for participants and ensuring the continued success of the prestigious event.
🔗 Source
