British racing 2026 fixture list backed by £77.1m in funding from Horserace Betting Levy Board
The BHA has announced an additional £4.4m in prize money.
UK.- The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has published the 2026 fixture list for British horseracing alongside a package of measures intended to strengthen quality and competitiveness across the race programme.
Approved by the BHA Board following agreement from the sport’s cross-industry Commercial Committee, the programme will see a range of initiatives aimed at increasing the supply and retention of horses in Britain supported by an additional £4.4m in prize money as part of a £77.1m funding package from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB).
Developmental races on the Flat and over Jumps will be boosted by an increase in prize money of at least £3.2m, including £2.5m from the HBLB. This investment in the novice and maiden programme is intended to incentivise ownership and make Britain more attractive for horses of all levels to be based.
Novice and maiden races on the Flat will be run for at least £10,000, or £8,000 for restricted races, while over Jumps, novice and maiden hurdles will offer at least £10,000, with an increased programme of novice chases running for at least £15,000.
In addition, a new bonus series for point-to-point horses, worth an overall £250,000, will help maintain the sphere as a developing ground for future stars and enhance the pipeline of good National Hunt horses progressing to race under Rules.
The BHA said 2026 will also see an emphasis on growing the supply chain of high-quality horses. Prize money for the Flat Black Type programme will be increased by over £2m to help strengthen Britain’s Pattern races. This includes funding boosts for the Al Basti Dubai July Cup, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes and Juddmonte International Stakes – making the elite midsummer contests more attractive for domestic and international connections.
Funding will also be targeted more strategically towards Britain’s higher-profile contests on the Flat and over Jumps, particularly feature races on ITV Racing, to attract higher quality and competitive fields.
Further steps will be taken in 2026 to make it easier for fans to identify and engage with British racing’s showpiece occasions, with a refined number of Premier Racedays, better defined Flat and Jump seasons and 10-minute gaps prior to major races on Saturday afternoons to support promotion of the top races.
Race volume
Race volume remains largely unchanged from this year’s fixture list, but the BHA said that tactical adjustments will continue to be made throughout the calendar to deliver a competitive race programme and more consistent field sizes, while code breaks and rider restricted meetings will provide rest periods for jockeys.
There will also be a trial of earlier finish times at floodlit fixtures during the first nine weeks of the year and greater structure around finish times more generally, providing improved support and consistency for those working to deliver the fixture list.
Richard Wayman, director of racing at the BHA, said: “The 2026 fixture list has been developed with a view to delivering high quality, competitive and engaging racing, which is attractive to those who own, train and run horses in Britain and appeals to the sport’s customers.
“As agreed by stakeholders and the Commercial Committee, the approach for 2026 provides a bridge between the current two-year trial of innovations, and longer-term decisions informed by extensive customer insight about how racing is packaged and presented in 2027 and beyond.
“While the volume of fixtures will remain similar to 2025, we are investing in a range of measures that seek to increase the number of horses based and being raced in Britain. This includes a particular focus on growing the number of high-quality horses – something that is crucial to our global standing as an elite racing and breeding nation.
“We’ll be targeting more funding into prize money and investing in the programme at all levels, thanks to the increased contribution from the Horserace Betting Levy Board. There’ll be an emphasis on developmental races – where most horses gain vital early experience – and the major contests and headline occasions, especially those in the sport’s shop window.
“Like other sports, we know that it is our biggest events and best races that have the greatest potential to appeal to new fans. And by making it easier for people to identify these flagship events, we hope to attract the customers and future investment that can, in time, benefit the entire sport.
“We are also very aware of the need to ensure the fixture list is sustainable for the people being asked to deliver it, and the importance of taking steps to support them wherever possible. 2026 will include several code breaks to ease the pressure on some of our busiest jockeys, and we will be trialling earlier finishes at floodlit fixtures in the early part of the year. This is a relatively small change, but one that can help us measure the effects on people’s wellbeing.”
Meanwhile, the BHA is running a campaign against the UK government’s proposal to introduce a new unified Remote Gaming and Betting Duty. Its AxeTheRacingTax petition Is a response to plans to merge the current Remote Gaming Duty, General Betting Duty, and Pool Betting Duty into a new single category, which the BHA fears would raise the tax rate on horseracing betting from 15 to 21 per cent.
