Heritage UK bookmaker Betfred has reaffirmed its commitment to British horse racing in a tough time by reintroducing its £2m Triple Crown bonus for the 2026 flat season.
The operator, which is continuing its landmark sponsorship of all five British Classics, will pay the bonus to the connections of any horse that can complete the historic treble of the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby and St Leger Stakes – a feat not achieved since Nijinsky completed the clean sweep in 1970.
Although the Triple Crown has been landed 15 times in history, it has become increasingly elusive in modern UK horse racing.
Likely contenders will come from the yards of Aidan O’Brien and Charlie Appleby, with the former’s horse Gstaad an 11/2 shot for this weekend’s Guineas and a 33/1 chance for the Derby at Epsom in June. O’Brien-trained colts Pierre Bonnard and Christmas Day have also emerged as early 6/1 joint favourites with bookmaker Unibet for the St Leger later this year.
Betfred became the first company to sponsor all five of horse racing’s flagship events last year and will do so again in 2026, kicking off with the Guineas festival at Newmarket this weekend.
Attention then shifts to the Epsom Oaks and Epsom Derby in June, before concluding with the 250th running of the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse in September.
This commitment comes despite marketing budgets having to be tightened all over the UK due to the now-in-place 40% tax on Remote Gaming Duty (RGD).
“It was an honour last year to be the first company in history to sponsor all five British Classics and I can’t wait to do it all again this year,” said Fred Done, who founded Betfred.
“That is why I am offering the £2million Triple Crown bonus again. Nijinsky was undoubtedly one of the greats and it is about time we had another Triple Crown winner to celebrate.
“Can another horse rise to the occasion, make history, and do it again?”
Betfred to kick on amid tax hikes
The firm, which operates around 1,350 physical shops as well as a Gibraltar-registered online gaming site, has not been shy on the impact which recent tax hikes will have on its £1bn gross profit.
Fred, along with his brother Paul, topped The Sunday Times tax list for 2025 for the first time, forking out around £400m in taxes.
Betfred Management has been open on how it is preparing for worst case scenarios, including the potential for widespread shop closures.
The bookmaker is not alone in this – other major UK operators such as Ladbrokes Coral owner Entain and evoke, the owner of William Hill, have already confirmed a select portion of its high-street shops will shut.
Marketing budgets have also been trimmed across the sector, with Coral withdrawing its long-standing Coral Cup sponsorship at the Cheltenham Festival, and SBC News viewing an email which suggests that the size of Paddy Power’s marketing team will be reduced.
However, Betfred clearly still sees value in sponsorship deals, with the brand also keeping its ties with rugby’s Super League and the PDC World Matchplay at the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
A statement prize of this size is sure to gain the British bookmaker extra attention ahead of what is still set to be an entertaining flat racing season despite regulatory disputes in the horse racing industry.
