NTF chief blames dominance of Irish powerhouses for poor Cheltenham turnout

Last week’s Cheltenham Festival attracted the lowest average fields, bar the previous year’s behind-closed-doors meeting, since Racing Post records began in 1988.

The average field size was 14.5 runners across the 28 races, up 0.1 on last year, although National Trainers Federation (NTF) chief executive Paul Johnson believes the figures are only of limited concern despite a general worry over declining field sizes across the sport since August.

Just four runners contested the Turners Novices’ Chase won by Bob Olinger – the smallest field at jump racing’s highlight event this century and the first contest without a British runner in the meeting’s history.