Home / Stats & Records / Field size
LiveFree dataUpdated after every racing day

Favourites by field size: small fields against big fields

How often favourites win in fields of two to six, seven to ten, eleven to fourteen and fifteen or more runners, jumps and Flat. This season's table updates after every racing day.

8549 races so far this season · Results to 17 October 2026 · Refreshed 18 October 2026
44.7%
Two to six runners, jumps 2025/26
29.4%
Fifteen or more, jumps 2025/26
42.2%
Two to six runners, Flat
8,549
Races this season
44.7%

In the 2025/26 British and Irish jumps season, favourites won 44.7% of their runs in fields of two to six runners and 29.4% in fields of fifteen or more.Sample: 1550 small-field races · Window: 2025/26 jumps season, with ten-season comparison · Source: RaceWatch results database, Industry SP

Go deeper before the next race.

Open every racecard in full and get your research done before they go to post.

  • 14racecard tabs per race
  • 20+bookmaker prices side by side
  • Trackeralerts when your horses are declared

30-day free trial

£0today

Start my 30-day free trial

By continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.

£0 today. Card on step 2. £24.99 from day 31.Cancel any time.

Favourite win % by field size, ten seasons
JumpsFlat
0%20%40%60%80%2 to 67 to 1011 to 1415 or morJumps 2 to 6: 45.1%45.1%Jumps 7 to 10: 34.2%34.2%Jumps 11 to 14: 30.1%30.1%Jumps 15 or more: 27.6%27.6%Flat 2 to 6: 42.2%42.2%Flat 7 to 10: 33%33%Flat 11 to 14: 27%27%Flat 15 or more: 21.2%21.2%

Fav win % by Runners

Favourites by field size

2 to 6Jumps2016/17 to 2025/2645.1%88.2%13,85214,5156,544-
7 to 10Jumps2016/17 to 2025/2634.2%74.3%20,06721,6697,418-
11 to 14Jumps2016/17 to 2025/2630.1%65.6%11,31712,3493,721-
15 or moreJumps2016/17 to 2025/2627.6%59.8%5,3885,9191,631-
2 to 6Flat2016 to 202542.2%85.4%13,91914,6216,166-
7 to 10Flat2016 to 202533.0%72.5%34,83837,64912,409-
11 to 14Flat2016 to 202527.0%63.1%22,72224,9806,744-
15 or moreFlat2016 to 202521.2%52.2%4,8975,4891,162-
2 to 6Jumps2025/2644.7%88.3%1,5501,626727-
7 to 10Jumps2025/2634.3%75.3%2,0332,180747-
11 to 14Jumps2025/2630.5%67.1%9411,041318-
15 or moreJumps2025/2629.4%58.9%517565166-

British and Irish races, field size = runners that started. Favourite = lowest Industry SP, joint favourites all count. Top three in market win % = share of races won by one of the first three in the betting.

Additional research statistics and historical returns are in the RaceWatch app.

Go deeper before the next race.

Open every racecard in full and get your research done before they go to post.

  • 14racecard tabs per race
  • 20+bookmaker prices side by side
  • Trackeralerts when your horses are declared

30-day free trial

£0today

Start my 30-day free trial

By continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.

£0 today. Card on step 2. £24.99 from day 31.Cancel any time.

Favourites by field size, this season

2 to 6Jumps2026/27 to date41.3%87.0%523543224-
7 to 10Jumps2026/27 to date33.4%72.7%619670224-
11 to 14Jumps2026/27 to date26.2%60.2%30935192-
15 or moreJumps2026/27 to date24.1%51.8%19924158-
2 to 6Flat2026 to date43.0%85.1%1,4761,555668-
7 to 10Flat2026 to date33.8%72.0%3,2993,5781,208-
11 to 14Flat2026 to date26.8%62.8%1,6821,874502-
15 or moreFlat2026 to date25.4%60.3%442507129-

Jumps from the start of the 2026/27 season (26 April 2026 in Britain, 3 May 2026 in Ireland) and Flat from 1 January 2026 to the last results date. Bands under 30 favourite runs left out.

Additional research statistics and historical returns are in the RaceWatch app.

Go deeper before the next race.

Open every racecard in full and get your research done before they go to post.

  • 14racecard tabs per race
  • 20+bookmaker prices side by side
  • Trackeralerts when your horses are declared

30-day free trial

£0today

Start my 30-day free trial

By continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.

£0 today. Card on step 2. £24.99 from day 31.Cancel any time.

Field size on today's card

Members see every race on today's racecards with runner counts, RWS scores and market moves across 20+ bookmakers.

Start free trial

By continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.

How often does the favourite win in a small field?

Over ten jumps seasons, favourites in fields of two to six won 45.1%, and in 2025/26 the figure was 44.7% from 1,550 races.

Do favourites struggle in big fields?

Jumps favourites in fields of fifteen or more won 27.6% over ten seasons, and Flat favourites in the same band won 21.2%.

How do mid-size fields compare?

The seven to ten and eleven to fourteen runner bands sit between the extremes, with runs, strike rate

How often does one of the top three in the market win?

The top-three strike rate column shows how often any of the first three in the betting won in each band, which holds up better than the favourite alone as fields grow.

Does field size matter as much on the Flat?

Flat favourites follow the same pattern as jumps favourites, with strike rate falling as the number of runners rises, and both codes sit in the same table.

Questions people ask

How often does the favourite win with six runners or fewer?

Over ten British and Irish jumps seasons, favourites won 45.1% in fields of two to six runners. Flat favourites in the same band won 42.2% from 2016 to 2025.

Do favourites win less often in big-field handicaps?

Jumps favourites in fields of fifteen or more won 27.6% over ten seasons, and in 2025/26 the figure was 29.4%. More runners means the chances are spread more thinly.

Does field size count runners declared or runners that started?

Field size is the number of runners that actually started the race, not the number declared. Non-runners are removed before each race is placed in a band.

How is this season going for favourites by field size?

The this-season table covers 8,549 races so far across jumps and Flat, split into the same four field size bands. The table updates after every racing day.

Why do small fields suit favourites?

Fewer runners means fewer rivals able to beat the market leader and less chance of trouble in running. The top-three strike rate is also highest in small fields.

More free data

Favourite win rateThe overall favourite recordHandicap favouritesHandicaps against non-handicapsFavourites by goingFirm to heavyShock winners by courseWhere outsiders win mostRacing reportsMonthly reports and the annual review

Go deeper before the next race.

Open every racecard in full and get your research done before they go to post.

  • 14racecard tabs per race
  • 20+bookmaker prices side by side
  • Trackeralerts when your horses are declared

30-day free trial

£0today

Start my 30-day free trial

By continuing you agree to our Terms and Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use policy.

£0 today. Card on step 2. £24.99 from day 31.Cancel any time.

Updated