How much money is up for grabs in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham? Discover how the Champion Hurdle purse has changed and what the 2027 winner could bank!
The Champion Hurdle is one of the biggest events at the Cheltenham Festival each year. First held in 1927, its inaugural winner, Brown Jack, earned just £365 (roughly £20,500 in 2026, adjusted for inflation)! Nowadays, though, winning horses can earn hundreds of thousands of pounds for a victory in the race, with the Cheltenham Festival prize money on offer having grown exponentially since.
We’ve put together a list of past prize pots to show you just how the Champion Hurdle has changed over the years, as well as showing how much horses could win in the next edition of the race. Here’s all you need to know about the Champion Hurdle prize pot at Cheltenham, listing what all the Champion Hurdle winners have managed to rake in since the event began!
What is the Champion Hurdle prize pot for Cheltenham 2027?
The available prize money for the 2027 Champion Hurdle is expected to remain similar to the 2026 total of £450,000, spread across the top-placing horses.
Full details of the prize money for the 2027 Champion Hurdle are yet to be revealed, but we can look at the purse from the 2026 edition of the race to get an idea of how the winnings are likely to be divided:
Place | Prize |
1st | £262,078 |
2nd | £98,739 |
3rd | £49,416 |
4th | £24,685 |
5th | £12,389 |
6th | £6,194 |
What was the prize money for the Champion Hurdle in 2026?
The total prize pot for the 2026 Champion Hurdle was £450,000, which matches the standard sum we’ve seen for the last few years. The eventual winner, Lossiemouth, received £262,078, with second place earning £98,739 and third place earning £49,416.
How has the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle prize money changed over time?
At the turn of the millennium, the prize money for the Champion Hurdle was £250,000 – a massive increase since the inaugural race. In the years since then, though, the purse has continued to grow. This table shows how the prize money has changed with each edition of the race:
Year | Winning horse | First-place prize money | Overall prize pot |
2026 | Lossiemouth | £262,078 | £450,000 |
2025 | Golden Ace | £255,006 | £450,000 |
2024 | State Man | £262,303 | £450,000 |
2023 | Constitution Hill | £253,215 | £450,000 |
2022 | Honeysuckle | £253,215 | £450,000 |
2021 | Honeysuckle | £189,911 | £337,500 |
2020 | Epatante | £264,609 | £450,000 |
2019 | Espoir d’Allen | £253,215 | £450,000 |
2018 | Buveur d’Air | £266,383 | £450,000 |
2017 | Buveur d’Air | £227,800 | £450,000 |
2016 | Annie Power | £248,302 | £428,983 |
2015 | Faugheen | £227,800 | £393,480 |
2014 | Jezki | £238,051 | £400,000 |
2013 | Hurricane Fly | £227,800 | £370,000 |
2012 | Rock On Ruby | £210,715 | £370,000 |
2011 | Hurricane Fly | £210,937 | £370,000 |
2010 | Binocular | £210,937 | £370,000 |
2009 | Punjabi | £210,937 | £370,000 |
2008 | Katchit | £205,272 | £350,000 |
2007 | Sublimity | £205,272 | £350,000 |
2006 | Brave Inca | £202,683 | £350,000 |
2005 | Hardy Eustace | £174,000 | £300,000 |
2004 | Hardy Eustace | £174,000 | £300,000 |
2003 | Rooster Booster | £174,000 | £300,000 |
2002 | Hors La Loi III | £156,600 | £270,000 |
2001 | Cheltenham Festival didn’t take place in 2001 | ||
2000 | Isabraq | £145,000 | £250,000 |
In 2001, the Cheltenham Festival was cancelled due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in England, making it the only year in the 21st century where the race wasn’t contested. The Champion Hurdle prize money also took a noticeable dip in its 2021 edition, due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides that, the purse has remained high in recent years.
Who has won the most prize money in the Champion Hurdle?
Though the Champion Hurdle has seen some financial faltering as recently as 2021, the highest prize money won was in 2018. After Buveur d’Air took home the win for the second year in a row, they earned £266,383 to be split between the jockey, trainer, and owner.
And, if you’re looking to become a winner yourself, at Betway, we offer up-to-date Cheltenham betting odds on all the biggest races. This means you can get involved in the action from anywhere around the world!
You can also check out some of our other guides, which give you all the information such as when the Champion Hurdle is, alongside others like our Champion Hurdle betting guide offering some tips to help you out!
