Leicester forced to cancel jumps opener early due to hard ground

Leicester's first jumps meeting of the season next Monday has been cancelled due to hard ground.

The long hot summer, which forced Exeter to call off their first jumps meeting of the season last month, and a lack of autumn rain led to the unusually early decision being taken.

"There was no point prolonging the inevitable," explained clerk of the course Jimmy Stevenson. "There's not much rain forecast this week and half an inch isn't going to solve our problem.

"We're a third of our rainfall – approximately seven and a half inches – down on where we should be at this time of year.

"The dry summer has been a major issue and we needed a wet autumn, but the rain we've had hasn't really touched it."

He added: "It's incredible because looking at all the other tracks it seems everyone else has had plenty of rain – Sandown had heavy going and they're only 100 miles away."

Leicester's next meeting is not until December 2 and Stevenson said: "Fingers crossed the heavens open and we get up and running!"

Wolverhampton, meanwhile, will stage an additional meeting next Wednesday.

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