THE Jockey Club has announced its racecourse arm will offer more than £40m in prize-money in 2013 – an increase of £5m on this year.

The group are to stage 361 fixtures next year and of the £40m in prize-money, a record £18.6m will be contributed directly from Jockey Club Racecourses.

The Jockey Club is responsible for 15 British racecourses including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom and both the Rowley Mile and the July Course at Newmarket.

Jockey Club group chief executive Simon Bazalgette said: “The Jockey Club exists solely for the good of racing and cares about the longterm health of our sport.

‘‘Today’s prize-money announcement is another demonstration of how everything we make goes back into British racing and the importance of providing a fair return to horsemen.

‘‘The further increase in our own contribution to a record £18.6m, coupled with extra Levy funding next year, means a £5m injection into prize-money on our courses in areas we believe will benefit horsemen the most, to a total in excess of £40m.”