‘It’s a nightmare’ – Dan Skelton and Nicky Henderson upset as drought causes crisis in novice chase course sizes

Best sneakers Dan Skelton And Nicky Henderson have described Britain’s dry autumn as “very disappointing” and a “nightmare”, blaming it for leading to tiny fields, particularly harshly in the novice hunt division as ITV shows the last competition of its type in Exeter on Friday.

Good ground continues to prevail at many of the UK’s jumps due to a lack of rainfall in recent weeks, a spell of weather described by the Met Office as “anti-cyclonic gloom”. With dry conditions forecast to prevail for the foreseeable future, jumping coaches are struggling to take the wraps off many of their stars.

The novice and novice chases have been particularly affected, with an average of fewer than four runners per race since the start of September and Exeter’s Future Stars on ITV4 will see Challow Hurdle winner Captain Teague take on just two opponents.