'This must be a line in the sand' - call for action as poor field sizes continue

The Betfair Tingle Creek Chase promises to be a thriller on Saturday, but the declaration of just four runners in the Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices' Chase sparked fresh concern at the worrying trend of poor field sizes.

A dearth of runners has impacted British racing throughout the year and the trend continued last month, when the average field size was 8.81, the second-lowest figure since 2000, and 7.91 in jumps races.

The blight of small fields was described as "debilitating" by Ladbrokes Coral PR director Simon Clare, who said the lack of absorbing clashes was damaging for the sport, particularly when shown on ITV.