Fixture list blamed as Hexham's Tuesday card attracts just 32 runners

A congested fixture list in the north of England and Scotland has been put forward as a primary reason for the low field sizes at Hexham on Tuesday.

The Northumberland track received just 32 declarations for its six-race card, which is set to be run on heavy ground, with a match in the opening novice hurdle and only one race with more than six runners.

On the reasons for the low turnout, clerk of the course James Armstrong said: "A combination of quite a busy fixture schedule up here and some fairly testing going would probably be the main factors.

"There's been a lot of jump racing up north over the last ten days and given there are more fixtures this week, we're all pooling from a fairly similar population of horse."

Last Thursday, Sedgefield attracted only 31 runners for seven races before the competitive Racing Post Go North Weekend fixtures at Musselburgh on Friday, Kelso on Saturday and Carlisle on Sunday.

Sedgefield: had just 31 runners across seven races last Thursday

There are three jumps fixtures in the north-east in as many days. Sandwiched between Hexham on Tuesday and Thursday is Newcastle on Wednesday, for which 48 declarations were made for seven races. 

The second meeting at Hexham was transferred from Newcastle to help support the management of the turf, having originally been switched from Sedgefield, which has experienced track issues this season.   

Hexham's last meeting on March 16 attracted a decent turnout and Armstrong believes the course has been faring well overall against the trend of declining field sizes.

"We'd love to have had more runners, obviously, but we've got heavy ground after 18mm of rain since Wednesday and unless you want it testing, it's not going to be for you," he said.

"It will be interesting to see how many declare for our meeting on Thursday, but we had 73 declare from 130-odd entries for our last meeting and Hexham's field sizes have been holding up well generally."

Hexham's meeting has attracted a quality performer in one-time Cheltenham Festival possible Grove Road, the unbeaten novice hurdler set to take on Well Dick in a match for the 2m7½f novice hurdle (2.10). 

"It's a shame he's not taking on a few others and hopefully they'll both stand their ground," added Armstrong.

Although uncompetitive racing blighted the winter action, work to improve field sizes appears to be paying dividend after year-on-year increases were reported in January and February.

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