One double-figure field at Tuesday's two jumps fixtures with tracks unable to water

An inability to water at Leicester and Catterick has led to notably small fields for Tuesday’s jumps fixtures, with just two of the 12 races attracting eight or more runners to offer three places for each-way punters.

Leicester’s irrigation licence runs from April 1 to October 31 and the East Midlands track has received minimal rainfall this year. There are 27 runners across six races at its all-chase fixture, with a biggest field of seven runners.

The going is good to firm, good in places, while it is good, good to firm in places at Catterick, where just 2.5mm of rain has fallen since Friday night.

Cleveland trainer Chris Grant has two runners at the North Yorkshire course, with Strong Team (3.15) and Chase A Fortune (3.45) proven on a sounder surface.

Grant said: “It’s just the way it is at the minute. It’s not straightforward finding races for the genuine winter-ground horses but our two runners at Catterick prefer better ground.

“I’ve been running Strong Team on the all-weather because it’s too wet in the winter for him but it’s dried out enough now and he likes quick ground. Chase A Fortune should be fine on it – it would be nice to get a win next to his name.”

Chris Grant: has two runners at Catterick on Tuesday

Musselburgh’s ground is described as good to soft for Wednesday’s fixture but only 37 declarations were made for the seven-race card. No race has more than six runners, with last year’s fixture on the same ground attracting ten more runners across six races.

The track’s general manager Bill Farnsworth said: “We want to stage competitive racing so it’s very disappointing. The ground isn’t quick, it’s what you’d expect at this time of year and it’s not really drying out.

“The horses must not be there to fill the races but Musselburgh does suit horses who prefer better ground, so when it’s dry everywhere else, that pool of horses gets spread more thinly and we tend to suffer. It seems to be happening a lot more than it used to.”

Wincanton stages the other jumps fixture on Wednesday, with three of the seven races attracting eight or more runners but none yielding a double-figure field.

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