Improved outlook gives Exeter and Ludlow confidence for their fixtures next week

Officials at Exeter and Ludlow are confident of avoiding a repeat of last week's cancellations due to unsafe ground with an improved outlook for next week's fixtures.

Exeter's meeting last Thursday was transferred to Warwick because of firm ground and the track is scheduled to belatedly start its season on Tuesday.

The going at Exeter was described as good to firm, firm in places on Thursday and clerk of the course Daniel Cooper is expecting similar conditions come raceday.

"We're hopeful of having good to firm ground with the slight possibility of firm in places," said Cooper. "We raced on good to firm last season and it can be done. We had 9mm of rain last night and think we'll be there by Tuesday.

"We're full steam ahead and understanding it isn't good ground, it's quick ground. We're now looking at less rain than anticipated with up to 10mm in the forecast, but it's not a risk to the fixture."

Ludlow was forced to cancel last Wednesday's card in similar circumstances, but the prospects appear better for Thursday's meeting.

Clerk of the course Simon Sherwood said: "We're very hopeful. We're good to firm at the moment and we're starting from a better point than we did for the last meeting because there's more moisture in the ground.

"We're going to throw everything at it and we should be fine – I'd be disappointed if we weren't. There's rain around, admittedly it's light and showery, but it seems fairly consistent over the next four or five days."

Cooper is also the clerk at Wincanton and expressed his concern for the track's fixture on Sunday week.

"We were meant to race today but I've just left the course and it's still unraceable," he said.

"We're having conversations about the fixture to determine what the next steps will be. It's still ten days away and we'll most likely let people enter on Monday and let the forecast develop."

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