Exeter in serious need of rain for next month's Haldon Gold Cup to go ahead

Only 34 horses contested the six-race card and clerk of the course Barry Johnson admitted the track’s flagship meeting next month, featuring the Haldon Gold Cup, might be under threat if some rain does not fall in the West Country in the coming days.

He said: “We had 68mm of much-needed rain about ten days ago and, along with some watering to maintain, that enabled this meeting to go ahead after we had to abandon our first of the season earlier this month.

“But there's no sign of anything in the forecast for the area for the rest of this week and the first chance of anything like rain is on November 2 when we might get 10mm or so. We could do with the same the following day as the Haldon Gold Cup is due to be run on Tuesday, November 6.”