Goodwood racing bosses reveal £6m prize pot

Much of the boost comes from Qatar’s megabucks backing for Glorrious Goodwood, also to be called the Qatar Goodwood Festival, which totals £2m in this first year of a ten-year deal.

But Goodwood and other sponsors are also pitching in to create prize money sure to attract an even greater number and calibre of horses to the Downa across the season, which begins this Saturday.

The total prize money on offer across Goodwood’s 19 fixtures during 2015 will increase from £3,674,460 to £6.5m, up a staggering 77 per cent on 2014. The Qatar partnership has led to an investment of over £2m in prize money for a number of key races at the five-day festival, which runs from July 28 to August 1, and a commitment to increase this year-on-year.

Goodwood Racecourse general manager James Crespi said: “We are delighted with the increase in prize money and thank Qatar for its generous sponsorship of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

“We are also pleased to be able to enhance the start of the season with an uplift in prize money to the May Festival. This really is an exciting time for Goodwood and we are greatly looking forward to the season ahead.”

The May Festival cash injection sees the prize fund for the three-day event, running from May 21 to 23 this year and including races like the Cocked Hat Stakes and Height of Fashion Stakes, go up by £45,000.

STEVE BONE

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