After further thought on the topic as to why payout prices are lower, we should look at the fact that as there are a lot more race meetings now, the race prize pools are less because the punting $ is being spread further.

It wasn't that many years ago that all we had was basically Wed. and Sat. race meetings. Since then the gambling dollar has spread into pokies, sports betting, tattslotto ect. and a whole new world of exotic bet types beyond the good old tri. and quin.
Due to all that prize pool thinning and punting $ diversification
going on, we now have good reasons for lower payouts. It takes far less betting money to move prices down in a smaller prize pool.

Sound about right?