All chase card for Hereford

Hereford are to stage a six-race chase card on Thursday after scrapping the hurdles and bumper events due to the wet weather.

After last Wednesday's jumps meeting was abandoned because of heavy rain, further downpours have left the much-used hurdles track waterlogged.

Four new chases have been created to add to the two original races over the bigger obstacles to form the new programme.

"We had 20 millimetres of rain on Sunday and since last Wednesday when we had to abandon the meeting we've had 75mm in total which has left parts of the hurdles course waterlogged and unraceable," said clerk of the course Keith Ottesen.

"We've got some more rain forecast which has put the original card at risk. However, the chase course is unaffected.

"On a seven-race card you have two chase races, four over hurdles and a bumper and there are twice as many horses in the hurdle races than there are in the chases.

"There is very little wear and tear on the chase course and it is that accumulation of wear through the winter where the rain affects the ground in terms of waterlogging.

"It's not totally flooded, it's just standing water on the hurdles course on compacted ground.

"We are fairly confident that we will be fine on the chase course all the way through to Thursday.

"Therefore, in order to safeguard the meeting as a whole we've taken the decision to abandon the hurdles and the bumper and create four new chases to go with the two original chases to form a six-race all-chase card."

The going on the chase course is described as soft, heavy in places.