Twenty damsires were behind 32% of every jumps winner in Britain and Ireland last season. We put all 13,512 of their runners through the same test: what did the Betfair price expect, and what did the runners deliver?

The short version

  • 9 of the 20 beat the price, led by Robin Des Champs (1.24), Shantou (1.23) and Yeats (1.20). A/E is actual winners divided by the winners the Betfair prices said should win; 1.00 means the market had them exactly right.
  • Presenting was damsire of the most winners, 269, and the market priced them almost exactly: 0.99.
  • The middle of the market was the place to be. Runners between 5/1 and 10/1 ran at 1.09; the long shots fell short at 0.92.
  • The biggest single result of the season. Crokes Cross won at 999/1 on Betfair and turned Flemensfirth's figures from minus £256 into £723.

The league table

League table of the 20 leading jumps damsires of 2025/26 by winners

Presenting's 269 winners came from 2,319 runners, far more than any other damsire, at almost exactly the rate the prices expected.

Which damsires beat the price

Bar chart of A/E at Betfair SP for the 20 damsires

9 finished above par, 1 level with it and 10 below. Read a figure like Robin Des Champs' 1.24 as a reason to look closer, not proof of an edge.

Same damsire, different ground

Each damsire's A/E on better ground against soft or heavy ground

Galileo (0.92 to 1.56) and Beneficial (1.06 to 1.34), as damsires, found more on soft ground. King's Theatre (1.11 to 0.80) and Old Vic (1.01 to 0.75) went the other way.

Fences or hurdles?

Each damsire's A/E over fences against over hurdles

King's Theatre's runners were better value over fences (1.14 against 0.89). Yeats (1.38 over hurdles) and Midnight Legend (1.20) were better over hurdles.

By price

All 20 damsires’ runners grouped by Betfair price

Between 5/1 and 10/1, 2,631 runners won 13.8% against the 12.6% expected, a return of 7.8%. At 10/1 and bigger they won 3.3% against 3.6%.

One horse can make a season

Each damsire’s season profit or loss at Betfair SP, the biggest winner, and the profit or loss without it

Crokes Cross won at Kelso at 999/1 on Betfair. That one result is the difference between minus £256 and £723 for Flemensfirth as a damsire. Read A/E first and profit last.

Build these tables yourself

Every table here comes from the same data our members use in the System Builder. Set the dates, add Race Type (Chase, Hurdle, NHF), then on the Grid tab put Damsire down the side and Going across the top, and pick A/E at Betfair SP. Swap Going for Race Type and you have the fences and hurdles table. It works for any season back to 2018.

A damsire above par last season is a question to ask this season, not a bet to strike.

How we measured it

Every runner in a chase, hurdle or National Hunt flat race in Britain and Ireland between 27 April 2025 and 25 April 2026, non-runners left out. The 20 damsires are everyone with 36 or more winners. A/E compares the winners with the sum of the horses' chances at Betfair Starting Price. Profit and loss is a £1 level stake on every runner at Betfair SP, with 2% commission taken from winnings. Ground uses the official going on the day.

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