Dan Skelton acknowledges 48-hour declarations are here to stay despite concerns

Dan Skelton accepts the commercial sense of 48-hour declarations over jumps, but has voiced fears the procedure will provide trainers with difficulties, especially during the winter months.

Blanket 48-hour declarations, introduced when jump racing returned in July, have divided trainers but been supported by bookmakers and punters despite an increase in non-runners.

Skelton, who has had more than 100 winners over jumps for each of the past five seasons, acknowledges the reasons behind the change and recognises the situation is unlikely to be reversed.

Lee Mottershead: In an entertainment business the customer is key - 48-hour jumps decs must stay

He said: "I can understand why we've had it to manage our industry with the Covid-19 protocols we currently have. I can also understand the commercial sense, but I know that as a horseman it's going to be very difficult with winter ground in the UK.

"If this is what the public and the punting masses want, they're going to have to work with us a little bit when the ground gets loads of rain and changes.

"You'll have to bear with us on occasions because we cannot change the ground and there will be a lot of moaning, but it won't be deliberate."

While he would like a return to 24-hour declarations, Skelton accepts the situation is here to stay.

"I'd be a massive fan for it to go back, but there's absolutely no chance of it happening ever again," added Skelton. "It's fine to have them through the summer and autumn, but it's going to be an absolute nightmare through the winter with the ground.

"You're not going to get all of the runners at the 48-hour stage standing in the winter. It just won't happen as the ground changes drastically. I can't see us ever going back to 24 hours now it's in, because a lot of people wanted it and now it's here to stay."

Statistics compiled by the Racing Post show the proportion of declared runners later withdrawn has risen from 6.02 per cent for races with 24-hour declarations before the lockdown to 9.17 per cent since.

Nicky Henderson: supports a return to 24-hour declaration over jumpsCredit: Edward Whitaker

Champion trainer Nicky Henderson voiced his disapproval of the current declaration process after a flurry of non-runners at recent jumps meetings, while fellow Lambourn trainer Charlie Mann said it has affected his race planning and scheduling for his horses.

What trainers are saying

Kim Bailey
It's a pain in the neck for me but if it keeps the sport in the frontlines of the papers and everything else, we've got to be going for it. It's much harder with weather conditions being like they are in the winter compared to what you get in the summer, but at the moment we need as much support as possible and the support of everyone else who supports us. If it needs to be, it needs to be, but you'll get a lot of non-runners in the middle of winter. I'd love to see it go back to 24 hours because I think it suits jump racing better in the winter.

Donald McCain
Does it work with jumpers? No. You can see by the non-runners that it doesn't work. I'm resigned to the fact it's going to stay because they want it to. On the all-weather it's no problem but there's so much that can change groundwise in two days' jumping. It's like chalk and cheese and just doesn't work. I understand the benefit to punters and bookmakers, but if they want those benefits put a bit more in.

Richard Newland
The 48-hour decs are favoured by everyone in the yard bar me who has to make the decision to run or not. But logistically it helps as it cuts out all the last-minute running around for jockeys.

Jamie Snowden
I prefer 24-hour declarations as it works better for me, but it looks like they're going to use Covid as an excuse to make 48-hour decs the norm.

Chris Gordon
I'm not in favour of 48-hour decs as even the best weathermen have been getting it wrong lately and I've often had to pull one out when they've said it was going to rain and then it didn't. If it's 24 hours you have more of an idea as the last thing you want with most jumpers is to run them on quick ground.

Lucy Wadham
I'm in favour of 48-hour decs as it gives staff and owners more time to sort out arrangements.

Read more:

'I'm told they're staying' – 48-hour decs for jumps in the spotlight

Customer is key in entertainment business – so 48-hour decs must stay

48-hour declarations for jumps racing are a change that should be retained

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