The centennial running of Turkey’s most prestigious race is set to offer a potential winner’s return of €2.66 million, eclipsing every other Derby in Europe.

Turkey’s century-old racing classic, the Gazi Race, is preparing to make headlines in the global racing industry in 2026 not only because it will be run for the 100th time, but also because of the historic prize money on offer.

According to the prize, premium and bonus structure announced by the Turkish Jockey Club (TJK), the total earnings available to the winner of the 100th Gazi Race will reach TRY 141,870,000 if the winning three-year-old Thoroughbred is owned and bred by the same individual.

A Record Worthy of the Centenary

As part of the 100th Gazi Race, a total of TRY 86,350,000 will be distributed through the following components:

• Initial Entry Fees: TRY 4,390,000
• Nomination and Stage Payments: TRY 1,280,000
• Penalty Payments: TRY 200,000
• Race Purse: TRY 87,500,000
• Owner’s Premium: TRY 17,500,000
• Breeder’s Premium: TRY 26,250,000
• Final Entry Fees: TRY 11,000,000

When the special TRY 50,000,000 Centenary Bonus, announced exclusively for 2026, is added to this structure, the result is the largest financial reward ever seen in the history of Turkish horse racing.

Should the owner and breeder of the winning horse be the same individual, total earnings will reach TRY 141,870,000. If the breeder is a different person, the total payout will still amount to TRY 126,870,000.

Surpassing Europe’s Most Prestigious Derbies

Based on the reference exchange rate of the European Central Bank, where €1 equals approximately TRY 53.26, the total earnings available to the winning connections of the 100th Gazi Race amount to approximately €2.66 million.

This figure surpasses the prize funds associated with every major Derby in Europe.

The Betfred Derby at Epsom currently carries total prize money of approximately £1.97 million, which corresponds to roughly €2.28 million at current exchange rates. Meanwhile, the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) offers €1.5 million, the Irish Derby distributes €1.25 million, and the German Derby carries total prize money of €650,000.

A Century-Old Legend Chasing a New Record

First run in 1927 in honour of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, the Gazi Race has produced countless champions throughout its hundred-year history. However, no previous edition has ever reached the economic scale of the 2026 renewal.

The 100th Gazi Race, scheduled to be run at Veliefendi Racecourse on Sunday, June 28, is poised to claim the top spot among European Derbies in terms of overall financial rewards.

In other words, the winner of the 100th Gazi Race will not only secure a place in racing history, but will also receive a financial reward exceeding that of the winners of any other Derby in Europe.