Ascot Racecourse announced on Sunday that prize-money at the track will reach a record £17.75 million in 2025, with the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes scheduled to be run for £1.5 million to make it the richest race ever staged at Ascot.
The King George, which was worth £1.25 million in 2024, will also become a 'Run For Free' race, with connections of all horses that run (except supplementary entries) refunded their entry fees in full.
Ruth Quinn, director of international racing and development at the British Horseracing Authority, said, “The King George is obviously a wonderfully iconic race and plays a vital role in the programme, particularly in terms of the ever-important middle-distance horse. Ascot's 'Run For Free' concept, especially for this extremely valuable prize, is an example of tremendous initiative and dynamic thinking.
“The £1.5m prize fund, particularly against the backdrop of increasing international competition to entice high-quality runners, is extremely welcome news. The ability for owners to have entry stakes returned, and therefore be able to compete in this great race for free, shows welcome enterprise and should help to increase the attractiveness of lining up in this event.”
The £17.75 million on offer at Ascot in 2025 excludes the industry-owned QIPCO British Champions Day (£4.1 million in 2024). Of that figure, £10 million will be up for grabs at Royal Ascot alone, with no race run for less than £110,000 and all Group 1 races worth a minimum of £650,000.
Other race condition changes in 2025 will see the early closing entry requirements for the four Group 2 races at Royal Ascot that currently close in April removed. These are the Ribblesdale Stakes, King Edward VII Stakes, Duke of Cambridge Stakes and Hardwicke Stakes.
The combined effect of the prize-money increases and race condition changes will see Ascot's executive contribution to prize-money increase from £9.4m in 2024 to a budgeted £10.1m in 2025.
Nick Smith, director of racing and public affairs at Ascot Racecourse, added, “We have been thinking about the concept of 'Run For Free' for the King George for some time as a mechanism for incentivising runners at decision-making time, as there are other alternatives lower down the Pattern and overseas.
“Field sizes are very important, especially in the World Pool era, and we hope that connections of horses that aren't at the top of the betting might see this as a good reason to go for the big target, especially with record prize-money on offer.
“The four races with historical early closing at the Royal Meeting will now close at the five-day stage, giving connections more time to identify the right horses for these races, with the Epsom Classics, Coronation Cup and such like behind them.
“Once again, we are ensuring that no race at Ascot will be run for less than the previous year.”
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