Firm ground in West Country ends plans for series final

Attempts to stage the Devon & Cornwall Intermediate Series Final Hunters’ Chase have foundered following the abandonment of Wednesday’s Wincanton card.

Initially the race was due to take place at Exeter earlier this month, but when firm ground meant that meeting had to be called off Wincanton stepped in. However, ongoing dry weather resulted in the Somerset course pulling the plug on both last Friday’s card and the planned meeting on Wednesday.

A statement on Wincanton’s website reads: ‘Following a prolonged period of dry weather and a limited ability to water, despite our best endeavours we are now unable to provide safe ground for racing on Sunday 13th and Wednesday 16th April and have had to abandon our two remaining fixtures of the season.

‘The team have been working extremely hard in the track and have been consistently watering since the 18th March to provide safe ground for our previous fixtures and as a result have emptied our reservoir and exhausted all options available for irrigation.’

Gordon Chambers, secretary of the Devon & Cornwall Point-to-Point Secretaries’ Association: “Sadly, that’s it for this year’s race. We looked at other alternatives, but they would have meant racing well out of our area, and while Newton Abbot stages hunters’ chases the next meeting there on Easter Saturday clashes with a fixture at Flete Park.

“We couldn’t expect to put on a hunters’ chase at Newton Abbot when there’s a point-to-point five miles down the road on the same day.”