HRI Prize Money Increases: Is there a catch? Horse racing prize money is set to rise significantly in 2026 across both Ireland and Britain. In Ireland, Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) announced a 4.3 million euro increase, part of a three-year strategy to restore competitiveness and grow total prize funds to around 85 million euro by 2028. In Britain, the BHA and racecourses are boosting purses across Flat and Jump racing, with high-profile events like the Betfred Derby at Epsom reaching £2 million and Ascot offering a record £19.4 million for its 2026 season. These increases aim to attract owners, support trainers and jockeys, and strengthen the overall financial sustainability of racing while keeping the sport competitive internationally. Change to entry fees But there’s a catch; The increase in Irish racing prize money comes with a slightly higher cost to enter races, because HRI and racecourses are sharing the funding burden. Entry fees across most categories are expected to rise by roughly ten percent in 2026, which means owners will pay a bit more up front, but the potential returns for winning or placing are higher, especially in Pattern, graded, and higher-value races. It’s a way of boosting incentives for competitors while keeping the system financially sustainable, though smaller owners or low-level competitors might feel the pinch more than bigger stables. Speaking on this week’s irishracing.com’s Irish Angle Johnny Ward speaks of his own ownership experience: "If you're losing money as an owner with a horse who's struggling at the low level, just get out. "Get out of it because it's not worth your while, and you're paying the same training fees as if you own Gaelic Warrior or if you own a Grade One horse! There are too many horses running at the low level as it is. "Our prize money is still not good in this country. It's very, very average in a relative sense. But I do feel this is a good effort at improving matters and, you know, it's quite well thought out.” Paid too much? In early 2026, Cathal Beale, CEO of the Irish National Stud & Gardens, a semi-state organisation in County Kildare that’s owned by the Irish public and overseen by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, received a significant pay increase. Reports indicate his salary was raised by about €60,000 to around €170,000 as part of a set of approved salary hikes for CEOs of commercial state bodies, drawing commentary from politicians who said such increases were notable compared with average incomes in Ireland. When Suzanne Eade, the CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) was appointed, her pay package was structured so that she would move up toward about €190,000 per annum over a phased period - effectively a rise from the originally-agreed starting rate for the role - but that wasn’t a new raise announced this year; it was the original contractual arrangement when she took the job. Watch the full Irish Angle Show
