So with only three bookmakers standing in Tattersalls, there were effectively only four paying punters for every bookie. The most recent report from the Starting Price Regulatory Committee, which oversees the SP system, is for 2016 and suggests that “some half of current bets” are conducted at SP. But then, what is a reasonable ratio of punters to bookies if you are looking for credibility in the SP? Taking 100 punters per bookie as a minimum, Southwell alone staged 49 meetings in 2017 that failed the test. The ratio dropped below 50:1 for 12 all-weather meetings at Lingfield, 18 at Wolverhampton and 14 at Newcastle, though only one at Kempton Park (which the Jockey Club hopes to bulldoze).

Source: The Guardian March 06, 2018 11:03 UTC