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Hereford only jumps card on Tuesday

Southwell: Set to stage Monday's jumps card
Image: Southwell: Forced to abandoned because of waterlogged track

Hereford will fly the flag for National Hunt racing on Tuesday after rain claimed the cards scheduled for both Southwell and Hexham.

James Armstrong, clerk of the course at Hexham, had initially been hopeful of racing after the course passed an inspection on Monday, but further heavy rain on Tuesday prompted a 9am inspection which showed the track to be unfit for action.

He said: "We gave it every chance, but it's been raining persistently since about 8.45am and it's still raining now, leaving the course waterlogged and with patches of false ground.

"We've had getting on towards 120 millimetres of rain since Good Friday and the track had been coping well, but everything is full to capacity."

A waterlogged track also forced the cancellation of Southwell's card.

No problems had been anticipated before 7am, but an inspection was called for 7.30am due to areas of standing water on the track.

Clerk of the course Roderick Duncan said: "We've ended up with a lot more than was forecast. The worst forecasts were predicting anything between five to 10 millimetres but we've had upwards of 20 now.

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"Outside of when the course has been completely flooded I've never seen areas of standing water on the track where we have them now. That shows how high the water table is."

Wednesday's Flat card at Nottingham, set to feature a classy renewal of the totepool Barry Hills Further Flight Stakes, has also beaten by the rain.

Following a 9am inspection, the track tweeted: "Very sadly we have been forced to abandon tomorrows fixture. 12mm rain overnight on top of ground which was already heavy has left us with a track which is completely saturated, with some areas of standing water and false patches."

Friday's meeting at Leicester must survive a 7.45am inspection on Wednesday if it is to go ahead.

Parts of the track are already waterlogged in places which has resulted in false patches of ground.

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