British EBF Increases Funding of Development Races

The British EBF has increased its contribution to the funding of high value development races in 2025, with the organization committing £400,000 ($527,000, £1=$1.32) to the total fund of £3.3 million ($4.35 million) for the series this year.

Leading stallion studs Juddmonte and Darley, along with the British Horseracing Authority and Tattersalls support the program of 88 races for 2- and 3-year-olds that has set minimum values. The open maidens and novices in the series are worth at least £40,000 and the restricted races have a value of at least £30,000.

Simon Sweeting, chairman of the British EBF, pointed to the impact the series already is having in identifying emerging equine talent.

“These races focus £3.3 million of prize money into a vital, foundation area of the program. Our 2024 races produced fantastic graduates, led by Manton Thoroughbreds’ Rashabar,” Sweeting said. “Second in a British EBF Maiden at Chester’s May meeting, he went on to win a scintillating Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished second in both the group 1 Prix Morny and Jean-Luc Lagadere. Our races alone have produced a further 10 stakes winners or performers including listed winners Englemere and Lady With The Lamp.”

The aim of the program is to provide owners and trainers with regular development opportunities and the ability to start making returns on purchase prices and training fees earlier in a horse’s carer.

The announcement was made as the British EBF unveiled a sponsorship package worth £2,000,000 to British racing during 2025, with Flat and National Hunt racing set to benefit from the support of 35 stallion farms throughout the year.

A total of 700 races will receive funding from the British EBF this year, with the British EBF Two-Year-Old Series an enormous part of the initiatives on the flat. More than 170 restricted maidens and novices worth up to £30,000 each act as qualifiers for the two finals which have a prize fund of £100,000 apiece with the fillies’ race held in Goodwood in September and the colts and geldings’ one in York the following month. 

Now in its fourth year, the series has a total fund of £2.3m and any horse that finishes in the top six of a qualifier is eligible for their respective final, with no early closing restrictions or entry fee.

Also on the Flat, the British EBF Future Stayers’ Series returns and the program reaches its tenth anniversary this year with graduates of the series including luminaries and British stallions Stradivarius and Cracksman.

A total of 12 races will form this year’s series which is limited to the progeny of sires and dams who ran over ten furlongs or further and is part of the British EBF’s commitment to the breeding and racing of middle-distance horses.

No race in the series will be run for less than £20,000 (Class 4) with that figure rising to a minimum value of £30,000 for a class 2 contest.