Horse racing’s biggest days of the autumn so far paired top-class horses with real jeopardy, and big fields made both possible. Melbourne Cup week averaged 13 runners a race and drew 300,000+ racegoers, the most since 2017, while 2.2m Australians watched the Cup itself, a six-year high.

British jump racing can take that lesson. In 2025, 52% of jump races had seven or fewer runners, up from 40% fifteen years ago. In fields that small, favourites win 44% of the time, against 32% when eight or more run, curbing the jeopardy punters seek in racing.

Parts of Britain’s model already work. Premier fixtures had bigger fields in 2025 and betting turnover per race rose, while at Core fixtures it fell for a second year. Cheltenham’s November Meeting, starting Friday, is the chance to show what big jump fields can deliver, and why more of them are what’s needed.