Bookmakers give thumbs-up to 'Super Saturday' but 'baffled' Chester says 24 per cent crowd drop is 'painful'

Bookmakers reported the efforts made to showcase Saturday afternoon's best races under the guise of Premier racing had a positive impact on betting turnover and punter experience.

The day that had become known as 'Super Saturday' looked different this year with three fixtures at Newmarket, York and Ascot forming the action in the 'two-hour protected window' between 2pm and 4pm, and Chester moved to a later start time.

Although Chester's predictions of a significant drop in attendance from last year were realised, bookmaker turnover increased overall with firms noting punters engaged better with the action with more time between races.