So who does all of this suit? In short, it boosts the bookmakers.
Bookmaker Jerry White, speaking to ITV Racing, said: “The punters were on the ropes literally from the get-go, most of the short ones expected to win have been beaten.
“To be totally honest, if we were to put heaps of money all around the course and set them on fire, it would take forever.”
However, trainer Dan Skelton said “everyone has really embraced” having fewer short-priced winners and it shows the depth of talent in the sport.
“It has it all, this sport,” Skelton told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I felt coming into it that the depth has been better than it’s ever been.
“We’ve got used to having short-priced winners. There’s been less and less of that this year and everyone has really embraced it. The crowd has been phenomenal.”
Festival organisers are also smiling, with attendances up year on year, up to 226,223 from 218,093 in 2025.
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