Jumps fans warned to expect small field sizes as tracks battle unprecedented conditions

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While meteorological autumn began on Tuesday, racecourses due to host jumps fixtures in the coming weeks continue to face challenges brought on by the high temperatures and drought of the summer.

With the core jumps season rapidly approaching, contingencies are being considered by tracks and the BHA in readiness for small fields and parts of venues not being ready for racing.

What are the contingencies?

Last week, the BHA spoke with “a number of racecourses and trainers” about the readiness of tracks to hold racing and the forecast for the next few weeks.

A BHA spokesman said on Monday the talks had been aimed at understanding “contingency plans that are being considered for the coming weeks to ensure that we can retain most of the programme in the early parts of the season if the situation does not improve”.

More details would be provided “within the next couple of weeks”, according to the spokesman, who added: “Either way, we need to be braced for the dry weather having an impact on field sizes in the early parts of the core jumps season unless some substantial rainfall arrives.” 

Why are they being considered?

The lack of rain through the summer – 71 per cent of England and the whole of Wales was declared to be in drought by the National Drought Group at the start of last month – has limited the ability of courses to prepare ground through watering in the absence of rain.

There have been small fields for chases so far this season in BritainCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

This has already had an impact on the competitiveness of jumps races through the summer compared with previous years, with field sizes down and 'failed' races – those attracting six runners or fewer – up, according to BHA statistics.

The average jumps field size since the new season started on May 2 is 7.34, the lowest level since 2022, when temperature records were broken across England, Scotland and Wales. 

In addition, 28 per cent of jump races have been classified as failed by the BHA, having been run with six horses or fewer, which is also the highest since 2022.

Field sizes have been particularly hit in chases, with the average of 6.4 runners per race the lowest since 2022. Hurdle races, on the other hand, are up in terms of runners compared with last year, with an average of 7.84 horses contesting each race this season. 

‘The big challenge is going to be with steeplechases’

The split between field sizes for hurdle and chase contests is no surprise, according to Andrew Cooper, the longstanding clerk of the course at Sandown and Epsom.

Assessing the situation facing racecourses hosting jumping in the coming weeks, he said: “The big challenge is going to be with steeplechases. You've got several courses who can concentrate on hurdle racing but have got a lot of ground to make up on chasing.”

Watering is belatedly set to start on Sandown's chase course this weekCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Cooper said Sandown, which hosts its first jumps fixture in November, was “in a-better-than-some situation” as hurdle racing took place on the Flat course.

However, the chase course has not been watered this summer, although Cooper plans to start doing so this week.

He said: “Ideally we'd have been watering that a month ago, but with the pressures of Flat racing and the weather as it is, we haven't been able to do that to now, which is the situation plenty of dual-purpose courses will have been in.

“In my experience here, there's more to do going into this autumn than into any other I can recall.”

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