US racing and UK/Ireland racing are similar in a lot of ways but when it comes to the prize pools, the USA seems to dominate. Despite the UK hosting some of the most prestigious events in horse racing such as the Grand National, Cheltenham Festival and Glorious Goodwood. The UK seems to lack in prize funds compared to the USA and we’re going to compare the biggest races from each to see the differences in rewards.
USA
Breeders’ Cup
The first race of this list is the Breeders’ Cup Classic which boasts a whopping prize fund. This was previously the richest horse race in the world but as time has gone on other races have appeared and Saudi races are offering huge prizes.
The Breeders’ Cup first started in 1984 which is by no means the oldest race in America but it’s still a legendary race. For bettors who prefer an easier and quicker way to play, https://oddgrenland.no/en/no-verification-casinos/ offer a hassle-free betting experience, allowing you to get into the action without lengthy identification processes.
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is the biggest horse racing event in the United States by a longshot. More than 150,000 attended the event in person and it’s estimated that over 14,300,000 people watched the event.
Despite the immense popularity of the race it’s not the richest race in the US. Compared to the Breeders’ Cup, the Kentucky Derby only offers $3,000,000 as the purse. Of course it’s crazy to say only $3m but with the Breeders’ Cup offering such a large prize pool, the Kentucky Derby has a long way to go with an extra $3m being needed to equal the playing field.
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes has recently boasted an improved $1,650,000 as their prize pool for this thoroughbred race. This prize is up $500,000 from 2019 and is one of the oldest races in the USA.
This race is actually two years older than the legendary Kentucky Derby and has been consistent with a massive prize and was offering $1,000,000 in prize money even in 1997.
UK/IRE
Epsom Derby
The Epsom Derby tops the list for the UK with a total prize fund of £1.62m which converts to around $2,000,000. So if you were to put this race into the USA list, it would be third in the list which isn’t a great look for horse racing in the UK.
The Epsom Derby might not be the most popular race in the UK but it is quite the legendary event. The best horses in the scene are out and all the biggest trainers will have a horse in the race. £1.6m is a hefty prize pool but for it to be the biggest in the UK and be £4m off the biggest in the US, it’s not ideal!
Champion Stakes
The Champions Stakes at Ascot is in second with £1,300,000 on offer to the top finishers. The Champion Stakes has seen some of the best horses in the UK win such as the legendary Frankel.
This Prize pool has been gradually increasing throughout the years and with competition on the rise around the world, we could see this get even higher in the future.
Others
There’s a few other races with big prize pools such as the Juddmonte International and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes which offer out £1,000,000 as the purse. The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes are just shy of £1m with £850,000 as the total purse and then you have the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at £750,000.
Most notably the Grand National doesn’t get anywhere near the top with only £561,300 on offer which is quite poor considering the size of the race. It’s estimated that 80,000 were in attendance at Aintree this year to watch the race and according to the BBC, around 600,000,000 people watched the race this year.
Punters pile in on the bets and with betting sites and flying all around the nation, it’s an event that gets the majority of the British public having a small punt on the huge race.
In conclusion, horse racing in the UK has a long way to go on the prize money front, they need to pump more money in the system if they want it to retain the interest of the leading horse racing personalities, the US are consistently upping their prize funds and the Grand National is a great example of where the UK is lacking on that front.