"The National Hunt Chase is done” - Ladbrokes announce Cheltenham Festival turnover

The Gold Cup topped Ladbrokes' list of the most gambled-on races of the Festival. The Albert Bartlett, County Hurdle, Triumph Hurdle, Hunters Chase and the Martin Pipe also featured in the top seven of the list, mainly due to the fact that they take place on Gold Cup day. The other day four contest, the Mares' Chase was down in 13th place.

The Stayers' Hurdle, won in fantastic style by Teahupoo, jumped up to third place in Ladbroke's turnover list. The Ryanair Chase was eighth, two places ahead of the Mares' Hurdle. The Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase were low on the list, which is unsurprising considering the betting for each was dominanted by just one horse.

Only three races generated a lower turnover than the Champion Chase. The Kim Muir Challenge Cup and Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, two races that I thought the Cheltenham Festival could lose, came in at last and third-place place respectively.

Down in 26th place was the National Hunt Chase. The oldest race at the meeting has undergone some changes in recent years. Those alterations were introduced to ensure the safety of the horses taking part, but they have certainly ushered a decline in the race's popularity, both with people within the sport and, it seems, the betting public.

"Sometimes you have to accept that things are done and I think the National Hunt Chase is done,” Said Simon Clare, PR Director for Entain, the parent company of both Ladbrokes and Coral. 

“Back in the day, it was a four-mile chase for genuine Corinthian amateurs on horses who wouldn't have been anywhere good enough to run in a Brown Advisory or an Ultima. They used to be relatively inexperienced horses who would give relatively inexperienced riders a good spin around Cheltenham.

"Now, it's practically Gold Cup horses and only the most professional amateurs. Some people will say you should get rid of the Turners but I think the anachronism is the 3m6f race. It's almost the lowest betting race, it's a small field every year. I'd get rid of it."

2024 Cheltenham Festival Race Turnover Ranking

*Only 27 races were listed because the Cross Country was cancelled*