Sponsor offers £2m bonus if horse wins Triple Crown

A bonus of £2m has been offered to connections of any horse which wins racing's Triple Crown.

The Triple Crown covers the 2,000 Guineas, the Derby and the St Leger, with Nijinsky - in 1970 - the last horse to win all three races in a year.

Next season, the five British classics - which includes the Triple Crown events as well as the Oaks and 1,000 Guineas - will all be sponsored by bookmakers Betfred.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien, who has a record 10 2,000 Guineas winners to his name, says the £2m bonus is a "great incentive" and will make the races "even more exciting".

"It takes a very unique horse to go through all the Triple Crown races - they have got to have quality, class, speed, stamina and mental strength," said O'Brien.

Amy Starkey, managing director of the Jockey Club racecourses, said the bonus was a "superb initiative".